Distributed & Open Learning – Charlotte Learning

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality, once no more than the premise of science fiction, has the potential to revolutionize learning. However, as the technology stands, it has flaws that, if left unchecked, will ultimately result in the benefits of the technology being inaccessible to individuals through no fault of their own. Over the course of this essay, I will address the potential benefits of virtual reality, (henceforth referred to as “VR”) and touch upon a few of the issues that the current generation has, using the “SECTIONS” model to guide my critique of the technology.

One of the main benefits of VR is that programs can be created and replayed with no physical risk to the participants (beyond tripping on a cable, or hitting a wall.) This makes it especially suitable for scenarios where “there would otherwise be risks involved if novice trainees were in contact with the actual environment.” (Billen, 2004, 2-3) In the classroom, this could be used to teach the dangers inherent in chemistry without anyone being in danger, or show off certain chemical reactions that aren’t practical in a classroom setting. However, these are by no means the only situations in which VR might have educational value. For instance, rather than teaching children basic mathematical principles through writing, VR could be used to provide them with concrete examples far beyond the capabilities of paper, or even colored blocks. Children could learn about geometry through hands-on manipulation of shapes, and get an idea of how they relate to other physical properties of the world around them. Furthermore, these activities could be programmed in such a way that makes learning enjoyable for K-12 education.

However, this idealistic view of future education has a few major problems. First of all, VR currently has a minimum suggested space requirement of three square feet for standing simulations (Courtney, 2019) making it fairly impractical for classroom use. Even assuming that this area can be slightly reduced for grade school classes because children are smaller than adults, it’s still enough to fill a sizable classroom. Furthermore, many school districts don’t have the budget to purchase and maintain computers with the computing power that VR requires. This rules out the possibility that poorer schools will be able to make use of the technology on a scale that entire classes can use, at least for the foreseeable future. Universities would have an easier time financing the technology and space required to use it, but use would likely remain relegated to lab activities, as even if students were able to afford the hardware, the limited space in dorms or off campus residences would make taking home assignments in VR an impractical task.

Thankfully, VR is easy to set up, and there are plenty of tutorials on how to use it. However, the current technology has severe limitations where accessibility is concerned. Those with visual impairment, as well as any kind of color blindness, will find use of a technology that relies primarily on sight to be difficult, if not downright impossible. Furthermore, current VR technology is almost exclusively designed for average male physiology, which results in higher instances of motion sickness in anyone who diverges from this model. (Stanney, 2020) Additionally, very little consideration is given to those with any sort of physical impairment, making the entry bar much higher for anyone who does not match the expectations of developers.

In terms of materials, most of what has been developed for VR to date is recreational. As such, it is difficult to determine the exact suitability of it for educational purposes. However, the bar for custom content creation is fairly high, and I don’t anticipate teachers being able to make their own scenarios to educate students.

VR, like many technologies, allows for the networking of individuals around the globe, however, it is up to the individual educator as to whether they will make use of this. One example of networking in VR would be a professor from another university being invited into a space remotely in order to give a presentation and see the work the students are doing. However, this is something that just as easily could be accomplished by existing technology for the most part. There are a few edge cases, such as an architect being able to see a representation of students designs in VR and being able to walk through them, that make the possibility worthwhile.

While VR is fairly safe and secure, there are always a few cases in which data can be leaked or stolen, particularly if the students are digitally networking with someone from off campus. As well, any ongoing projects created in VR are naturally at risk, but no more than any other project saved to university servers. So long as work was only done on campus, the technology would be relatively safe to use.

All these factors considered, the potential benefits outweigh the risks, but professors should be aware of these issues, so that they can attempt to mitigate them, and find a solution for those who are, for any reason, unable or unwilling to learn in VR. As well, care must be taken to design hardware that works for a wider range of people than currently. While it is by no means a miraculous technology, it has a lot of potential in a wide range of areas, and would benefit a number of fields of education, both academic and practical. In the end, it is another tool to be used where helpful and practical.

A Move Towards “How?”

The history of education contains a fair few innovations, and more than its fair share of shortcomings. However, the concept of ‘modern education’ is in itself a vague and potentially misleading term, as it presupposes that education methods of the past have less value than those that exist today.

According to A Brief Guide to Online Courses, written by Matt Crosslin, the theoretical foundations of education exist on two axis, which he terms “power dynamics” and “methodology.”

The power dynamic ranges from “Instructivism,” where the teacher is assumed to have absolute knowledge of the subjuct, to “Connectivism,” where learners are expected to create ways of knowing through dialogue with each other. In these definitions, both cases are taken as logical extremes, as in reality neither is completely possible, but they provide a means to identify ways of education in absolute relationship to each other. Naturally, any individual course will have moments that fall at different points along the spectrum. One such example of this is a professor spending several classes in the “Instructivism” mindset in order to provide a theoretical framework for the students, before transitioning into a “Connectivism” mindset where the students take the information and expand upon it based on their own experiances, sharing it with each other and effectively becoming teachers in their own right for a time.

Meanwhile, the methodology ranges from “Pedagogy,” where the teacher has control over the information distributed to the class, to “Heutagogy” where the teacher focuses on how to learn, rather than what to learn. Like the power dynamic, these exist as the ends of a spectrum, and both spectrums together serve to illustrate the education possibilities. There are power dynamics that are unlikely to combine with some methodologies, as Crosslin notes chapter 2:

Instructivist Heutagogy

Probably a very unlikely design to attempt, but this would basically be an expert sharing information about where to learn about a topic. Contains mostly lists of resources and professional communities that learners can join into to learn more, as well as instructions on how to best interact with resources and communities.

Of the combinations of methodologies and power dynamics that he notes within his book, the most common of them is what he refers to as “Instructive Pedagogy,” which can be found in almost every grade school and high school in the western world, as well as a number of other education systems around the world. He defines it as “formal learning that depends on the instructor to dispense knowledge that is new to learners. Focused on content, video, Standardized tests, papers, and instructor-guided discussions.” This style of teaching seeks to transfer knowledge, but often ends up transferring facts without understanding of what they mean. It is also often the least engaging form of education, where students sit at desks and take notes about what the teacher says, are assigned homework, and are expected to complete it to the professors standards. These tests are usually multiple choice, although there may be essays, in which students include facts they have been taught, which they often parrot without understanding behind the meaning of the words they write. Furthermore, teachers are able to punish children for disrupting class, which further highlights the uneven power dynamic.

It is often not until University that classes teach how to think. Rote memorization can only go so far in an academic setting, and knowing how a certain field thinks about itself, and the general mindset that it requires for success is paramount. However, this mindset of how to think isn’t exclusive to academe, as this method of knowledge transmission is common amoung trade schools, as well as First Peoples.

Technology also opens up “when” as a question of learning. Before the advent of the internet, teaching could only take place in person, and those who were unable to attend might perhaps be able to read what was taught (if they could read at all,) or watch a static recording of what was said. With technology, learning opportunities have increased alongside the complexity of knowledge. This means that tools for learning must be developed in order to take advantage of this. These tools might come in the form of VR programs, a la Star Treck, or be interactive games, or even come in the form of Wikipedias detailing knowledge on a specific subject, that allows the learner to develop their own skills, even in the absence of a defined teacher. Even seeing the beginnings of these technologies, I am unable to predict where they will go from here. As Sarah Williams writes in her poem:

He may know the law of all things, yet be ignorant of how
We are working to completion, working on from then to now.

Designing for Diverse learning.

I really appreciate the topic of diverse learning design for a number of reasons. Particularly because of a number of issues that friends of mine have encountered, as color-blindness isn’t dealt with well in some academic settings in the US. This problem extends through many fields, including art and science, with lessons involving color theory, and practical exams involving titration and color change.

However, it is important to note that this is only a real improvement if they manage to impliment one of their more unlikely features. USB’s that change accessability settings on virtually any machine that they’re plugged into.

I admire the planned implimentation of braile in technology for those users who are blind and deaf, as this would allow them a larger amount of freedom. Overall, I think I like the hardware useage far more than the software side of things. The webcam tracking head or eye movement for people unable to use computers in a traditional manner is wonderful. Really, anything that expands range of communication for those people most unable to do so is wonderful, as it has the potential to increase their quality of life the most. As described by their project, the largest issue with older folks is educating them on the options that are avalible, however I think this issue expands to the population at large.

I am concerned about their example inclusive project not working very well on my computer, as the point of it is to be able to work on any device with minor effort on the part of the learner, and I hope that the final project will be much more effective. I’m also concerned about the project managers leaving something out, just because they weren’t aware of it. I don’t believe it’s a very high liklihood, as the example they gave were fairly comprehensive, but I could see options that would make things better for people with overstimulation being left out by accident, or a person with a different set of requirement attempting to use a divice configured to a different person’s needs who forgot to log out. Regardless, I think it’s a project with a lot of merit behind it, and I look forward to them ironing out the kinks.

As I mentioned, the developers might not have thought of everything. Is there any condition, or set of conditions that might make technology difficult to use that they might have overlooked?

Reflection One

The history of western education contains many innovations and shortcomings, this much is clear to almost every observer. Certainly, the issue of accesability is front and center in this conversation, whether in terms of affordability of knowledge, the disruption or outright distruction of indigenous ways of knowing and learning, or special needs in education.

The documentary Most Likely To Succeed, is provided for free through the Uvic webportal. I had the opportunity to watch this movie for a different course this term, and it outlines a blend of different teaching techniques, but fails to address most aspects of accessability. However, it does relate to some of the other questions posed for this week’s readings.

The documentary demonstrated student-centered learning, and highlights some of the benefits and drawbacks of it. While it does help students get more invested in the material, it is also a big adjustment to make, and can often cause a little uncertainty in students. I know that going to a self directed highschool led to me floundering in certain courses, as I was often uncertain what I was supposed to be learning.

However, I feel like High Tech High also requires a great deal more sychronisity, as much of the teaching and learning occurs in the moment, and that isn’t possible to capture or reproduce for later students, or students who aren’t able to attend class on a regular basis due to chronic illness or other issues.

Bringing the conversation back to the readings, Twenty Years of EDTech shows a little of the progress that has been made on the side of asynchronos teaching, but in my opinion, it still has a long ways to go. VR is perhaps the most promising technology for teaching, as it allows some practice of hands on learning in a safe environment, but the cost of the technology is still prohibatively expensive, and has many accesability issues that have yet to be addressed.

Furthermore, the Open Praxis article shows how the scale of education has changed over time, while the methods have largely remained the same.

Finally, in regards to connectivism, while the accumulation of knowledge from random sources around you resonates with my personal experiance, I have also ran into circumstances where I have been unable or unwilling to engage with this kind of learning. It might work better in different topics, or be beneficial for certain domains of knowledge, or just not be effective for certain people.

It’s difficult to have a universal standard, as humans are wildly diverse in physical, social, mental, and spiritual fields. Where one person might be content to wander from topic to topic, another might have a laser focus, and move from area of interests in a straight line, or stay in one area for their entire life. To have one standard for both of these people is also to fail each of them in some fundimental way, to say nothing of any of the thousands of other people who engage in learning for one reason or another.

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