 |
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 |
VR Cures Amputees' Phantom Limb Pain. An anonymous reader writes, "Scientists have developed a virtual world like Second Life where real-life amputees have their limbs restored. The experience can cure patients of the perception of pain in their missing limbs. From the article: 'The machine is designed to combat phantom limb pain (PLP) [~] a sensation of pain experienced by an amputee that appears to originate in the missing limb. Intriguingly, researchers have discovered that if a person's brain can be tricked into believing they can see and move a "phantom limb," this motion reduces the perception of pain in PLP.' The graphics used by the computer look very crude, almost comically so, but apparently the system works."[Slashdot]
1:19:27 PM  Google It!.
|
|
100 Gbps Via Ethernet. Doc Ruby writes, "As reported at GigaOM, 'Infinera has bonded 10 parallel 10 Gb/s channels into one logical flow while maintaining packet ordering at the receiver,' bridging 100-Gbps ethernet over 10 10-Gbps optical WAN links. Infinera's press release is here. Further from GigaOM: 'The experimental system was set up between Tampa, Florida and Houston, Texas, and back again. A 100 GbE signal was spliced into ten 10 Gb/s streams using an Infinera-proposed specification for 100GbE across multiple links. The splicing of the signal is based on a packet-reordering algorithm developed at [UC] Santa Cruz. This algorithm preserves packet order even as individual flows are striped across multiple wavelengths.' We're all going to want our share of these 100Gbps networks. The current network retailers, mainly cable and DSL dealers, still haven't brought even 10Mbps to most homes, though they're now bringing fiber to the premises to some rich/lucky customers. Are they laying fiber that will bring them to Tbps, or will that stuff clog the way to getting these speeds ourselves?" Rumors say that what runs over Verizon's FiOS is ATM, to support their aspirations for triple-play.[Slashdot]
1:18:26 PM Google It!.
|
|
Post poster reflections: openness and open courseware. It's already a month since Educause 2006 finished and it feels like it happened only a few days ago. However, that's time enough for me to stand back a little and reflect on why I went in the first place and particularly what - if anything - has emerged.
One of the main reasons for my attendance was to promote Bodington through the poster session. A bit of rush at the last minute, but eventually my colleagues furnished me with enough to weigh me down - laptop, CDs, posters, leaflets etc, resulting in a pot pourri presentation - lots to see, but perhaps not so coherent (this was at the end of the session and remarkably two Thornton mint chocolate creams remain). If I ever get to do another poster, I shall endeavour to bring someone with me because once the doors opened, there was a constant flow of people, so no time to take a look at the other stalls.
I had various conversations, distributed lots of fliers about the Bodington 2.8 release, gave a few demos of the system, and handed out quite a few WebLearn bootable CDs. What about the topic 'From Personalized Learning to Open Courseware: Learning Management Systems Can Be Flexible'? I didn't receive a single query about personalized learning, which I found a bit surprising, though it may be that the term has been much more widely promoted in the UK than elsewhere, because of high level UK government support. However, the title got spotted by a group from the OpenCourseWare consortium, and several of them came over, curious to know what I was presenting and seeing an opportunity for another member! I subsequently attended their panel session and came back to the UK with plenty of enthusiasm. However, since then my enthusiasm has waned as I consider a number of issues.
1. Institution backing
OCW requires institutions to participate. In Oxford that means going through various committees etc. That would require considerable impetus and, I expect, take a long time to progress...
With the already highly distributed nature of the University, it seems to me more natural for departments and their staff to make their own decisions as to whether or not to offer such materials online in such a way.
2. Resourcing
Joining OCW is not a trivial matter - institutions devote FTE staff to it. MIT who pioneered OCW got started with Mellon funding and the Open University's OpenLearn received a large grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Resources will be needed on an ongoing basis to maintain the content so that it doesn't fall out of date. Contributions don't need to be on a large scale (10 courses minimum), but it will need explicit resources. Having said that, one could be optimistic about financial support for Oxford's sharing it's academic wealth.
3. IPR and commercial exploitation
If this is an institutional venture, then decisions are taken at institutional level and that includes IPR. It's not an area I know much about, but my general impression is that as something becomes institutional, there are more processes, they become more formalised and generally have a higher order of complexity.
Further, within the institutional sphere, we are expected to give due financial consideration. We have Oxford University Press, which is publishing more content in electronic format. One means of doing this is to produce content in IMS standard packages (e.g. SCORM and IMS Common Cartridge) to accompany some of its books.
4. Alternative open publication means
I think this is a key issue. This year has seen a dramatic growth in institutions joining OCW, so it may be tempting to project exponential growth, but the numbers are still small. OCW is very particular about what qualifies as OpenCourseWare, in terms of IPR and what constitutes courseware, whereas when I was using the phrase 'open courseware' for my poster, I was really just addressing the question of enabling delivery for Web-based course content that is not closed!
Assuming the institution does want to publish openly, then are there suitable alternatives that may be cheaper? At the institutional level, in the UK there is JORUM an online repository for teaching in FE and HE, a free service. However, it's only open to staff at these participating institutions, and the content is more granular than a course and sits outside by any particular institution. Also, it appears that the outputs are not that considerable as Andy Powell wonders how well used it really is.
With the rise of Web2.0, I'd recommend consideration of the relative merits of lightly structured informal versus more heavily structured formal processes. It depends what you want to achieve and the effort that you are prepared to put in. An academic might wish to share knowledge, grant more opportunities for others to learn, but also to connect with others in the field and build up a peer publishing community; whereas a marketing department might see it differently as a chance to enhance the institution's image and attract more students, and give it the edge over competitors. These views do have some aspects in common, but the processes, and especially the nature of involvement, are radically different. I see the former as more self-directed and organic, whereas the latter is predisposed to central co-ordination and may impose too many formal hoops to go through. However, would the latter keep a better shape and endure better in the longer term?
I think both approaches can work: the debate around the academic integrity of Wikipedia highlights the importance of authoritative sources, quality control etc. However, successful publications of the Web have in recent times been characterised by rapid organic growth achieved by making things simple and easy to participate.
There are other issues, but I think there's already enough for a few teas and coffees. It's not so straightforward as I initially thought.
Answers can be sent on a postcard to ... or else comments are welcome. :-) [EDUCAUSE CONNECT blogs]
1:16:01 PM Google It!.
|
|
Skypecasts Academic Potential.
Skypecasts have the potential to revolutionize the academic community. They not only open up many options to teacher and student interactions, but level the playing field in a way that equalizes every participant[base ']s voice. They also create thousands of new and exciting possibilities for real-time learning that were never possible before. This article gives a broad overview of what Skypecasts are, some possible applications in academia, as well as some of the pros and cons of using them now. You can see the original post on my webpage here: http://www.edutechie.com.
In writing this article I realized that it would be appropriate to create a Skypecast to discuss this article and other issues facing those who implement technology in education. Join me at 10:30 (Eastern Standard Time) on November the 20th, 2006 to discuss Using Technology in Education. Introduction Like many of you, I have been hearing a lot about the launch of Skype[base ']s new [OE]Skypecast[base '] option. I have always been a fan of Skype[base ']s ability to call anyone in the world for free. The academic potential of that alone deserves a whole separate article, but I[base ']m sure that has been explored a dozen times over already. (Add a comment if you know of some scholarship about this already.) Like any good instructional technologist, I jumped right in and downloaded the newest version of Skype 3.0 to see what the hype was all about. Definition:
Skype has a great Skypecasts FAQ page. They define Skypecasts as [base "]large, hosted calls on Skype.[per thou] Sound pretty simple. Basically you can create or join a large online conference call with UP TO 100 people. Skypecasts are scheduled to begin and end at a certain time and usually have a certain topic of discussion. The users must download and use Skype in order to join the Skypecast. Here is a sample Skypecast with some of the options available: As you can see, there are three areas within the Skypecast: talking, waiting, and listening. When you log on you can [base "]Just listen,[per thou] and when you want to talk you can request to talk and you will go to the [base "]Waiting[per thou] area where you will be promoted to talking by the moderator of the group. Users can also click on any user and view their profile and send them files or start a personal chat with them. Test Run
After I first downloaded the program I logged onto the first chat going with the most users. There were 28 people online at the time from ALL over the world! Some of the countries I could see included: Poland, Belgium, England, Israel, Lithuania, China, Turkey, Germany, Denmark, Korea, Romania, Canada, and the USA. As I listened to the Skypecast the quality of the sounds was actually pretty good, but it depended on who was speaking. Some were louder than others and some mentioned some technical problems she was having. The discussion itself was actually really good. The question was posed: [OE]How can technology affect us?[per thou] Instantly I heard opinions from people all over the world! People responded with their views about how technology will affect world issues like terror and politics. It was actually quite enlightening to hear some views about the USA in other countries. I listened for quite some time and tried to contribute, but for some reason my microphone was not working at the time. As part of my testing I created a Skypecast called instructional technology. It only lasted 15 minutes but I talked with people from Bulgaria, Korea, and China. It took about 30 seconds to set up and I made some friends in the process. I didn[base ']t get anyone that actually had anything to say about instructional technology, but I imagine if I actually set the Skypecast to begin in the future and publicized it a bit I would have some takers. Another experiment to try out. Pros and Uses: Meeting People - The first and most amazing thing to me about this program is the ability to meet people from all over the world. You can do that now in chat rooms, but this adds a whole new dimension to the interaction. It takes it to a whole new level. The program doesn[base ']t currently support video, but if it did in the future that would increase the potential even more. This ability to meet new people and learn about their views about any number of subjects is absolutely vital to any educational experience. It could also be used to network in the business world. Foreign Languages - In my brief experiment I talked with, or heard from people from a dozen countries and as many languages. There are Skypecasts going right now with the title [base "]Chat in HINDI or URDU[per thou] or [base "]You speak English with me I teach you Chinese.[per thou] Online discussion groups could be created for foreign languages acquisition classes where students could speak with a native speaker of a language and in turn help others learn English. Equalizing Platform - Perhaps one of the nicest things about Skypecasts is it[base ']s ability to equalize all the people in the room. Everyone has the same voice and a 25 year old British student has just as much input as a 53 year old tenured professor at a prestigious university. Skypecasts can also potentially bring that same prestigious professor to dozens of people across the Globe in real time. Online Lectures/COST - There are many programs out there that already allow users to create online classes, but those cost thousands, and even tens of thousands of dollars to implement. This option is FREE. That price tag is always a big plus for education and their limited resources. Assignments - Need a creative way for students to get motivated about presenting an idea about a certain topic. Have them create a Skypecast where not only your class is present, but others throughout the world who might have something else to say about it. That would definetely make me think twice about what I was about to say. Collaboration - Remember Chickering and Gamson[base ']s article Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education ? Any way to increase collaboration between students and teachers, and among the students themselves will increase their ability and desire to learn. Skypecasts provides another opportunity. Potential Pitfalls: Technology Barriers - Right now there are over 8 million Skype users online, but there are several billion that don[base ']t have access to this technology. It works best with a high speed connection and, as we all know, technology doesn[base ']t always work perfectly. There is also the issue of allowing Skype in Educational institutions. Although it hasn[base ']t happened yet, there is talk about banning Skype on our University campus because it turns the fastest connections into super-nodes to the rest of the users. Privacy - Anyone can listen. In the larger conversation I joined there were 22 people who were just [OE]listening.[base '] People have a tendency to forget the unseen eyes, or in this case ears, that are listening to what is going on. User education is, of course, the answer to this age-old question. Language barriers - I did have a hard time understanding some of the people speaking. TimeWaster - Just like most of the technology today, you could spend hours and hours just finding new skypecasts to join and participate in. We all know how hard it is to get homework done when there is something/anything more exciting going on. COST - I chose to include this as a pitfall as well because it is really impossible to use Skype without a headset, or at least earphones so the voices don[base ']t reverberate back into the conversation. The cost is minimal, but any cost will defer even the slightest critics. Conclusion: Overall, I was very impressed with Skypecasts and the potential it possesses in education. Above all else mentioned above, I think it is absolutely necessary to help students understand cultures beyond their own. This technology opens up the way for them to do that, not only through other people[base ']s Skypecasts, but by having students create their own. What other uses can you think of for this program? How will/could you use it in your curriculum? [EDUCAUSE CONNECT blogs]
1:14:41 PM Google It!.
|
|
Machine Gun Sentry Robot Unveiled. mpthompson writes "Samsung has partnered with a Korean university to develop a robotic sentry equipped with a 5.5mm machine gun. Meant for deployment along the DMZ between North and South Korea, the $200,000 robot employs sophisticated pattern recognition software for targeting humans. No three laws here, but the robot does include a speaker that can be used to politely issue a warning before taking the target out. The promotional video is both scary and funny at the same time."[Slashdot]
9:16:09 AM Google It!.
|
|
Scientists Find New Painkiller From Saliva. dptalia writes "Scientists have found a new pain killer based on human saliva. Apparently 1 gram of the new drug provides as much pain blocking as 3 grams of morphine. The drug blocks the breakdown of the body's natural pain killing mechanism. Scientists say the molecule is simple and synthesis is expected to be simple."[Slashdot]
9:12:22 AM Google It!.
|
|
Intel Takes Quad Core To the Desktop. Rob writes to mention a Computer Business Review Online article about Intel's official launch of the Kentsfield chipset. Their Quad Core offering, Intel is claiming, is up to 80% faster than the dual-core Conroe released this past July. From the article: "Kentsfield, a 2.66GHz chip with a 1066MHz front-side bus, Slashdot]
9:11:04 AM Google It!.
|
|
Death of the Cell Phone Keypad As We Know It?. An anonymous reader writes, "According to a CNet article, two companies called Mobience and Nuance have created viable and possibly better alternatives to the standard cell phone keypad. 'Mobience, which is based in South Korea, has redesigned the ABC and Qwerty key layout, and come up with MobileQwerty. It's essentially the same three-letters-per-key system as the standard mobile keypad layout, but the letters have been rearranged in a Qwertyesque way to increase efficiency.' The other system developed by Nuance is a mobile speech platform that turns speech into text and replaces the keypad altogether. I was skeptical at first but the video of Nuance's software vs. Ben Cook, the ex world texting champion, is undeniably impressive."[Slashdot]
9:08:21 AM Google It!.
|
|
Confabb. TechCrunch on Confabb. "A new service launching today that offers a centralized place to find information about all kinds of conferences."
First, an important disclaimer -- I am an investor in Confabb. I believe in the product, it's a simple but incredibly useful tool for conference managers, speakers, participants. I put together something much more limited than Confabb for the four conferences I have done, my tool was hard to use, and it was missing important features, but it worked. Next time I do a conference, I'll use Confabb to organize it. You can find out who's going to what sessions, see what other conferences people participated in, publish your own conference itinerary and look at those of your friends. It's a metadata-rich application, kind of a no-brainer, you have to wonder why no one has done this before. When I saw it, I immediately recognized the power.
Examples: Le Web, TechCrunch party in NY, Web 2.0.
Scoble's interview with Salim, recorded here in Berkeley yesterday, he explains just how awesome the product is.
Technorati linkage about Confabb.The Confabb weblog [Scripting News]
9:02:43 AM Google It!.
|
|
© Copyright 2006 Bruce Landon.
|
