1.1 – Current Technologies
What are the 6 key emerging technologies identified by the 2008 report?
The six key emerging technologies identified by the 2008 Horizon Report are:
- Grassroots Video
- Collaboration Webs
- Collective Intelligence
- Mobile Broadband
- Social Operating Systems
- Data Mash ups
Which of these technologies are you familiar with, and in what context have either used them, or heard of them?
Of the 6 key emerging technologies identified by the 2008 Horizon Report I am familiar with the following:
- Grassroots Video
- Mobile Broadband
Grassroots Video
While the terminology of Grassroots Video I had not heard of before, it is simply the available use of video from many devices these days, such as mobile phones, digital cameras, computers via web cams. While I have not as yet used any of these video forms I am well aware of increase usage, especially having teenage children.
Mobile Broadband
Having a strong business background I have seen the increase use of Mobile devices, mobile phones, PDA’s and now mobile broadband.
The significant trends that the 2008 Horizon Reports indicate are:
- Web 2.00 Technology
- Access to and portability to technology
- The gap between students perceptions and faculties within the learning environment
Web 2.00 Technology
Until just recently I had not heard of this term before. My experience in regards to learning only extends to the current course at UTS that I am undertaking, and apart from this subject of e-learning I have not seen any evidence of web 2.00 technology emerging.
Access to and portability
Apart from experience within the business world which has adopted the portability of technology, I have not seen evidence of adoption much within the learning environment at UTS.
The gap between students perceptions and faculties
My only learning experience of recent times is at UTS. I have seen a gap between the students and faculty within my course. In one of my subjects
Review your familiarity with the key emerging technologies from 2007 and your current technology experiences?
In my experience I can relate to the 2007 Horizon Report and see the following occurring;
- Increasing globalization is changing the way we work, collaborate, and communicate
- Information literacy increasingly should not be considered a given.
- Students’ views of what is and what is not technology are increasingly different from those of faculty.
Increasing globalization is changing the way we work, collaborate, and communicate
The internet, email and some of the new technologies of recent years Skype and chat have really opened up how easily it is to communicate with people far away. Business transactions globally have taken new meaning with web pages and online shopping from places outside your own country.
Information literacy increasingly should not be considered a given.
As information technology increases so does the gap between the literate and the not so literate. Even in our own faculty there are lectures unconformable with posting information on UTS online, which is only very basic when compared to the emerging technologies from the 2008 Horizon Report.
Students’ views of what is and what is not technology are increasingly different from those of faculty
It is not only the difference between the students and faculty of what technologies should be used; it is also the students and what they are comfortable with. Some students what to see very an increase in the use of technology and technology content, while others prefer the traditional ways of textbooks and face to face. As the world moves forward with technology, so does the gap widen between the views of what is acceptable and not acceptable in all environments of learning, business and personal lives.
