We live in the FUTURE! eLearning & Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality (AR) is the coolest up-and-coming tech imo. The application of AR in ID almost goes without saying. The potential for AR to reinvent, or at least carve out a significant niche, is substantial. Imagine looking at a car motor and being able to learn how to change a part simply by asking a question. Or looking at an audio mixer and knowing each button, knob and fader's function just by pointing. These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to AR.
So what's the catch?
Presently AR is in its infancy, so much like with any new technology, it's big, bulky and expensive. One of the most widely advertised AR technologies out there is Microsoft's hololens. This beast of a headset will set you back $3,000 to $5,000. The functionality is limited, the software is plagued with glitches and the battery life is pretty abysmal. But all of this is to be expected with a new emerging technology. With time the weight and price will go down while the functionality and performance will go up.
Why not VR?
VR, virtual reality, is blowing up right now with the introduction of the Oculus Rift, Google Daydream and Cardboard, and the HTC Vive; however, VR is not without its set of significant drawbacks. Mainly, it will make you sick! Don't get me wrong, I believe VR will have a place in eLearning and Web 2.0 applications, but grounding instructional material in the learner's actual environment I believe is going to be the next big thing!
For more info there's a great article by Nicholas Filler over on eLearningIndustry.com. Check it out here.
So what do you think? Have you experienced AR/VR? Do you see this tech having a place in the ID world? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Back in the 1990s ... first, I wrote my MS thesis on instructional virtual environments (wow -- I just found an online copy of the conference presentation based on the thesis: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED391489.pdf ), and then I worked in the consumer gaming/electronics industry (VR gaming, basically, with HMDs), and later did some work with 5DT, a company that does virtual reality training. 5DT had it working, but it was expensive and only for special areas. So, 20 years ago it was not quite ready for prime time/the masses, and I think the same holds true today. A lot needs to be worked out in terms of the tech, especially the visuals and keeping costs reasonable. I think the augmented reality movement has more promise right now, and/or IoT.
ReplyDeleteHi Vanessa! Thanks for the comment. I agree the tech is not there yet, but that AR looks the most promising. It's great to get your perspective on this since you've been in this industry since 1990. It's amazing you wrote your thesis in elementary school ;)
DeleteThe question I'd like to pose to you, and anyone else who would like to chime in, do you think that because of Moore's Law that the technological hurdles will be surpassed sooner rather than later?
Intriguing question concerning Moore's Law!
DeleteI found a couple articles related to your question. The first one: https://www.wired.com/2017/04/chip-revolution-will-bring-better-vr-sooner-think/
"Developers like Kosslyn and Thompson must think very differently about how these build their software. But that’s just one consequence of this change. It also means yet another shift in the global chip market, even further towards GPUs and other alternative processors. And, most notably, it means that virtual reality will evolve very differently than it would if coders kept most tasks on the CPU. VR will get much better, much faster."
The second article is a really great read about Moore's Law on emerging technologies:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/influence-moores-law-regards-emerging-technologies
"We can't authoritatively predict the future of Moore's Law, but it will eventually fall as the physics and economics of making smaller chips will not be viable. The economics of manufacturing smaller and faster chips are also tumbling. The emergence of material science and nanotechnology will help us move to post Moore’s Law era."
Hi K,
ReplyDeleteAwesome Post! Thank you for the thorough update on VR tech. I am seeing a ton of games being announced for the HTC Vive and the Sony VR but it seems like Oculus Rift is sort of behind on the game… Many people are even saying that Oculus Rift is terrible compared to some of these other technologies. Do you happen to have a favorite? This all reminds of the same old fashioned console wars we have had in the past (e.g. Playstation vs Xbox). Do you happen to know exactly what FB is planning to use the Oculus for?
I certainly see this tech being helpful in the ID world. I personally think that is a great way to capture the attention of the user. It is an immersive, fun, and exciting experience. I think that it will help conceptualize many abstract concepts as well. There are some facets of instruction that could greatly benefit from the simulation type experience. I think that it can be used to help the affective, or emotional, side of the brain by bringing the instruction to life. I imagine interactions that feel a lot more real – where you can notice small nuances and subtleties more readily. I see it being especially effective for teaching psychomotor skills. I am thinking maybe teaching people how to manipulate and manage equipment, training police/military to take action in a terrorist attack, teaching surgeons how to operate, and teaching people how to navigate processes that require the precise use of controls. I don’t know for sure though, but I think that it will change a lot of things.
Just read that Google Expeditions created some software that allows users to travel to different parts of the world and immerse themselves in different cultures. Supposedly, they learn about the geography and the history of certain areas and then are assessed in a flipped classroom manner. Thought that this would be a cool experience and would definitely help bring a Geography lesson to life: https://edu.google.com/expeditions/
Great Post!