tech-ed collisions

More on Natal - imagine what could be done in education

In a previous post I briefly reminisced on the development of interaction devices with computers over the years. Today we are seeing an incredible array of devices and the games arena seems to be the area really pushing the limits. In that post there was an embedded video on Microsoft's Natal that I thought demonstrated tremendous potential for that technology in education and training - then I saw this amazing post on the BBC News:Technology site - Now that should really get educational technology innovators excited! Imagine having your own virtual mentor or any number of other incredibly powerful educational scenarios. Of course Microsoft and developers on their platform such as Lionhead Studios aren't the only ones doing amazing things. We've seen the huge success of the Nintendo Wii and many innovative uses it has been put to. Sony is right up there too as this report from the BBC also shows. The E3 Games conference really showcases just how rapidly that industry is evolving and the BBC has done a superb job highlighting and reporting on what was on show. There are many lessons to be learned from the games technology industry by educators and the educational technology industry.

Filed under  //   Microsoft   virtual worlds  
Posted June 10, 2009

A truly versatile input device - You!

It's great to look at the way input devices have changed over time. From what I understand the QWERTY keyboard was a way to slow down typists initially way back when we had mechanical typewriters. The seemingly random placement of the keys was supposed to slow users down to a speed that the mechanical bits could keep up with. I have been around long enough to remember the confusion some encountered the first time they used a mouse to interact with a computer. Along the way we have seen trackpoints, trackpads, the ipod 'wheel', any number of games controllers, joysticks, chords everywhere, introduction of wireless input devices, 'wands' from Nintendo, multitouch screens, interactive whiteboards, the Playstation Eye, tablet pcs, iPhones and many others. The Wii from Nintendo was a revelation for me - it brought using the body rather than just the eyes and fingers into the mainstream. So what's next? I just found this on the Guardian UK's Games Blog: Obviously there is tremendous potential in the gaming arena but think how easily this could be applied to an education or training setting. How about in skills development, rehabilitation - the use of feedback in this is just great. And - you don't have to worry about losing the device - you are it!

Filed under  //   Microsoft   virtual worlds  
Posted June 2, 2009

Sign of the times: Microsoft Encarta soon to disappear?

From the Ars Technica blog, it seems Microsoft Encarta is about to go. It would seem changing attitudes towards traditional reference material are behind the decision. The likes of Wikipedia seem more relevant to more and more users now. When I first read the post, I was a bit surprised that Encarta was still in use as I haven't heard it mentioned for quite some time. It looks like it will cease to exist on October 31st (Halloween?) but as I write this post I must admit to wondering, like the Ars Technica blogger, whether this is some sort of April fools prank and whether I should be writing this at all. Anyway, there appears to be a FAQ on the whole thing here. While growing numbers of Web users recognise the value of Wikipedia and the like (and are starting to understand how to assess the credibility of their Web reference sources), from personal observations there still seems to be a long way to go in parts of our education system. On the weekend I was talking to three members of my family (two in K-12 and one in TAFE) about wikipedia. In school (the same school), my daughter is allowed to use Wikipedia and my son is not. In TAFE, my sister is banned from using it as a reference at all. The teacher just doesn't understand how it can be used in an effective manner. I guess there will be some people who will really be struggling with how traditional reference sites can be usurped by these (not so) new kids on the block. I am interested in what may happen to all the great content that is in Encarta when the services ends.

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Filed under  //   Microsoft  

on buying with confidence

From ZDNet comes the article "Microsoft on Vista - the time of worry is over". I must say I stopped worrying about Vista a long time ago, in fact I don't think I ever did worry. I just went out and invested in the most expensive piece of technology I have ever bought - a shiny new HP laptop running Vista. Since that time I have experienced a raft of emotions, frustration and anger being the most common. I still can't get wireless networking working reliably and I have spent a huge amount of time trying. Anyway, I did have a bit of a laugh at this latest article which reports on the Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference. There is a link to a new site called the Vista Compatibility Center. As reported in the ZDNet article:

During his keynote, Brooks took the wraps off a new portal site, the Windows Vista Compatibility Center, that is designed to provide users with a single place to check whether specific hardware and software is compatible with Vista. The site currently lists 9,000 devices and software products (3,500 apps and 5,500 devices) — a number that Microsoft is planning to expand via customer and partner feedback. The site will be all about helping to “bust the myth” that Windows Vista is not compatible with many apps and devices, Brooks said.
When you go to the site you get a page with the headline "The Windows Vista Compatibility Center will be launching soon, please check back." With my odd way of looking at things I immediately thought perhaps there are no compatible devices yet! Anyway - I applaud the initiative, there should be more of these. I wish there was a site like this available when I made my purchase. I will certainly be looking for similar sites when I make future purchases, it could save a lot of frustration and dissatisfaction. Over the last number of months I have been frustrated at hardware, software, security vendors and pretty much anything else that was bundled on this laptop that had the potential to be interfering with wireless networking. Most of those companies probably had nothing to do with the networking fault but it has still tarnished my opinion of them. I can't wait to see if I have one of the compatible devices!

Filed under  //   Microsoft  
Posted July 10, 2008