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Final Essay

Microsoft HoloLens

The Microsoft HoloLens has great potential for the future of education as this device provides a “new way to visualize your

world” (Watters, A., n.d.). The HoloLens is a standalone holographic headset. This device provides a blend between virtual reality and real-life, also known as ‘mixed reality’ (“TedX Education Award 2017.” n.d.).  The smart eyewear provides optic waveguide, eye and hand tracking, instinctual gestures, and virtualization and cloud computing.  The lens has optical sensors, with two on each side providing an “environment understanding” sensing and are able to sense the user’s hand motions and interpret them. This interpretation can then manifest itself and interact or affect the digitally-rendered environment. The lens has microphones, HD cameras, and light sensors, all of which work in tandem to create the environment and overall experience.

The HoloLens was officially launched in 2016 and weighed around 1.3 pounds and mounted to the user’s head (Goode, L., n.d.). The device was only available to developers when it first launched as Microsoft wanted to spur the development of new applications as the headset would be more valuable with applications (Goode, L., n.d.). Later that year, the headset was available to any customer in the United States or Canada for US $3,000. They have since developed HoloLens 2 in hopes to address any of the shortcomings from the first model. The newest lens was released in November 2019. To perfect the design of the HoloLens 2, the team scanned over 600 human heads and 100 more were put through prototypes of version 2 (Goode, L., n.d.), in order to obtain a better understanding of comfort and usability. Prototypes included activities such as watching movies, playing games or conversing with other humans (Goode, L., n.d.). The goal was to have users forget they were wearing the device (Goode, L., n.d.).

The second version moved the major processing units to the back of the head to help with the comfort of the headset. They also tried to make the headset more breathable and eliminate the heat that users would experience when wearing it. The lenses can be flipped up and down and are able to quickly switch between holographic instructions and real-life (Goode, L., n.d.). The second version also improved the control with hand gestures, such as manipulating objects on the screen to twirl them, resize them, and even press them. The device also has better eye-tracking technology to improve user experience. For instance, while reading, one does not need to use their hands to move the page, their eyes simply do it for them (Goode, L., n.d.). This increase in ease of use will only make the device more attractive to potential users and increase its potential function.

The HoloLens can be classified as a type of augmented reality. Augmented reality technology gives the real environment a modified look provided by computers to generate objects and allow users to expand our physical world by adding layers of digital information onto it (“What is Augmented Reality (AR) and How does it work.,” n.d.). This provides the ability for technology to appear in direct view of an existing environment and adds sounds, video, and graphics to it (“What is Augmented Reality (AR) and How does it work.,” n.d.). This type of technology will continue to develop and be a big part of our future.

The HoloLens has many features. The cameras are depth-sensing and project holographic images directly into the user’s eye view (Goode, L., n.d.). This allows the device to superimpose digital renderings onto physical environments with accuracy in regards to scale and placement. The lenses are able to interact with the user given hand gestures and word commands (“TedX Education Award 2017.” n.d.). The front of the lens has many of the sensor and related hardware to do so, including processors, camera and projection lenses (“Knowledge shared by technology developers and scientists.” n.d). The visor is tinted, enclosed in the visor piece is a pair of transparent lenses that project images into the user’s field of vision (“Knowledge shared by technology developers and scientists.” n.d). Along the side, located near the user’s ears, are small audio speakers and allow for the users to hear virtual sounds while not abstracting the environment sounds (“Knowledge shared by technology developers and scientists.” n.d).

There are many applications that are available for the HoloLens that are educationally enhancing. An app called HoloTour allows users to view 360-degree video, sound, and scenery around the world, such as Machu Picchu and the Colosseums (Vasaikar, B., 2019). Users have a tour guide, named Melissa, that totally immerses them into the experience (Vasaikar, B., 2019). The Insight Heart app provides a view of a virtual heart. This app shows visuals of infarction, arterial hypertension, atrial fibrillation. Users can control the heart by using gestures or voice commands and can move, rotate and scale the heart (Vasaikar, B., 2019). The application also shows the experience of the heartbeat in real-time (Vasaikar, B., 2019).  This application improves medical educational methods and takes education to the next level (Vasaikar, B., 2019). There is also a HoloAnatomy application that allows users to view complete full-size anatomical models (Vasaikar, B., 2019). Users can view the human body at any angle. Another application, The HoloStudy Demo, contains a series of geology, physics chemistry and biology lessons (Vasaikar, B., 2019). The app provides a virtual professional that helps students understand the complexity of science (Vasaikar, B., 2019). The Red Pill application is a little different from the others (Vasaikar, B., 2019). This app shows the codes behind the real world (Vasaikar, B., 2019). It connects the HoloLens to the matrix letting you see the code which makes up structures (Vasaikar, B., 2019). This highlights some of the education applications available with the HoloLens, although there are many other applications available for these devices.

Students can benefit from the HoloLens for subjects such as science, chemistry, math and much more. For instance, medical students could benefit from this device. Applications within the device allow for medical holograms that can show the human body and allows for a three-dimensional model (“TedX Education Award 2017.” n.d.). By connecting the human body movement and the virtual anatomical model, students could learn the physical movement while studying the virtual model (“TedX Education Award 2017.”  n.d.). HoloLens also provides 3D geometry and would help students teach them firsthand rather than having a teacher draw them on a two-dimensional whiteboard (M, K., 2018). Students can also learn the solar system with these lenses. Seeing the planets, moons and asteroids moving provides a view of the earth from outer space which allows them to understand more about the size of their own country, location of other places across our planets (M, K., 2018). Students can also perform lab virtually (Joseph, T., 2019). The HoloLens allows students to engage hands-on in their subject to reach new dimensions of understanding (Mangiaracina, B., 2017). This device has the potential to create a more visual and tactile experience for students (Mangiaracina, B., 2017). These devices will help foster social and emotional learning. Mixed reality can break through emotional barriers for students.  Students would have the experience and thus allow them to learn the material better.

What does this type of device mean for the future? Augmented reality is set to revamp the world’s conventional learning model (Joseph, T., 2019). It can help change the location and timing of classes. By providing visual presentation, augmented reality will help students acquire, process and remember information (Joseph, T., 2019). The HoloLens will help students test out their knowledge in practice (Joseph, T., 2019).  The HoloLens is a way to present a subject that students are expected to learn but adds creativity, interactivity and engagement complexity to the subject (Joseph, T., 2019). These glasses provide a more engaging learning style and help students not just to see, but also experience and participate. Students can view knowledge but also interact with it. The HoloLens will also provide a fun aspect to lessons (Joseph, T., 2019). Today’s generation is moving away from the classic chalkboard teaching method (Joseph, T., 2019). This is a way to help continue elaboration education. It gives another way to approaching visual learning (Joseph, T., 2019). The HoloLens provides another way for students to learn that is outside the traditional form. It provides an electronic model in front of their eyes, manipulating that model and interacting with it to help students get a more physical response to what they are learning.

Microsoft Mixed Reality is said to improve test scores among students using immersive technology by 22% and improve student engagement and retention when learning with immersive and 3D technologies by 35% (“Mixed Reality for Education.,” n.d.). According to a survey on the impact of interactive technology on students, it was said that 87% were likely to attend the class, 72% were likely to participate and 70% of students said that they improved their understanding of specific concepts (Joseph, T., 2019). Such statistics could suggest that students’ participation, attendance, and understanding may improve with such technology (Joseph, T., 2019). By pairing an increase in participation and improvement in the quality of the overall educational experience, the potential improvements to the overall education system is obvious.

There is so much potential with the Microsoft HoloLens to impact the way students learn. This device allows students to view education in a way like never before and can be so impactful for them. Students can actually experience what they are learning beyond a simple visual or other passive means. By increasing the overall quality of education and creating a more involved, “hands-on” experience, such technologies will impact the lives of students. The HoloLens provides a way to eliminate some barriers students face, such as access to more complex learning systems, and can improve upon certain physical deficiencies students may have. The HoloLens can bring the textbook to life; education will never be the same.

 

7 T h i n g s ab o u t M i c r o s o f t Ho l o l e n s. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gvsu.edu/cms4/asset/7E70FBB5-0BBC-EF4C-A56CBB9121AECA7F/7_things_about_microsoft_hololens.pdf

Goode, L. (n.d.). The HoloLens 2 Puts a Full-Fledged Computer on Your Face. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/microsoft-hololens-2-headset/

HoloLens 2-Pricing and Options: Microsoft HoloLens. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens/buy

Joseph, T. (2019, September 24). Impact Of Augmented Reality In Education Industry: Fingent Blog. Retrieved from https://www.fingent.com/blog/impact-of-augmented-reality-in-education-industry

Knowledge shared by technology developers and scientists. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.wevolver.com/wevolver.staff/hololens.gen.1/

M, K. (2018, January 1). How Microsoft Hololens is being used in Education. Retrieved from https://arvredtech.com/blogs/news/how-microsoft-hololens-is-being-used-in-education

Mangiaracina, B. (2017, May 2). Microsoft Wants to Make HoloLens the Future of Education. Retrieved from https://augmented.reality.news/news/microsoft-wants-make-hololens-future-education-0177396/

Mixed Reality for Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/education/mixed-reality

TedX Education Award 2017. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://mr4education.com/home/

Vasaikar, B. (2019, April 24). 10 Useful AR Applications on Microsoft HoloLens. Retrieved from https://www.techprior.com/10-useful-ar-applications-on-microsoft-hololens/

Watters, A. (n.d.). What is the Microsoft Hololens? Retrieved from https://www.dummies.com/consumer-electronics/what-is-the-microsoft-hololens

What is Augmented Reality (AR) and How does it work. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://thinkmobiles.com/blog/what-is-augmented-reality/

 

Showcase – Third Reflection

As technology advances, online classrooms are more readily available (Purdue University Global., 2018). Although, there is a debate as to which avenue is more superior: face-to-face learning vs. online classrooms. There are many factors that come into play when comparing the difference between online classrooms to the traditional on-campus classroom. The final question remains: which one is the better option?

Both online learning and on-campus learning have their strengths and weaknesses. One should take into account what works best based on their personal needs and circumstances. Work status is a criteria that may impact a student’s choice when picking between the two. Working a part-time job may give you more flexibility between the two options, depending on your schedule and your personal preference. Meanwhile, if you are an individual that works a full-time position you may find it more feasible with online courses (Purdue University Global., 2018) as they tend to offer a more flexible schedule. Online classes can allow you to mold the course to your schedule and allow you to log into the online course at a time that is feasible for your schedule (Erstad, W., 2017). Evaluation of the time and schedule is a factor to consider when deciding which classroom setting works best for you.  Location can also be a factor. One also needs to consider where they live. If a student is unable to relocate to campus on a regular basis, distance learning provides access to programs virtually all over the world (Purdue University Global., 2018). If there are mental or physical barriers a student faces, an online classroom may help ease some of those challenges.

Comparing the effectiveness of online learning and in-class learning is a contributing factor. Online education may not have the same sense of instructor control and group dynamic (Purdue University Global., 2018). The social interaction between the two classroom settings differs. A classroom setting allows for face-to-face interaction with your peers and instructors while online allows for an independent study environment. Social interaction may be limited to online courses. Online video chat and discussion can provide some form of interaction within the classroom. Those who thrive on human interaction may need classroom settings to learn. Seeing and interacting with your instructor on a regular basis can be motivating for some (Erstad, W., 2017). Classroom setting also allows for spur-of-the-moment questioning and interaction (Erstad, W., 2017). Response time and communication may be slower online than in-class. For instance, a conversation over email may be more tedious and require more time than a face-to-face conversation. A classroom setting allows students to ask questions at the moment and allows for more easily to network. Although, the quality of feedback tends to be more detailed and focused online compared to classroom settings (Purdue University Global., 2018). Students may be more responsible for learning the material with online classes and may not have as much guidance from the professor when taking courses online.

An individual’s discipline and self-motivation are factors to consider when comparing the two. Online and traditional education requires discipline to succeed, and there can be a significant difference between how learning is structured between the two (Erstad, W., 2017). Individuals are often able to manage their own schedules when doing online classes. This allows the students some aspects of flexibility and convenience that the classroom setting cannot offer. Studying at any time, wherever you would like, is a luxury online classes provide. Online classrooms can allow students more flexibility in scheduling their course into their work and living responsibly. Students are able to log into the course and educate themselves about the material at their own pace. Conversely, online courses may require individuals to be more self-motivated and some students may struggle with the flexibility and self-management that comes with online courses. Having a routine of going to class and having face-to-face interaction may help students to be more motivated. Classroom settings can be beneficial in reminding students of upcoming assignments and avoid procrastination.

Traditional classrooms are still the most common way of learning, although, in recent years, there has been a decline in this type of learning (Purdue University Global., 2018).

Online education has become a more appealing option for many students. The diagram below demonstrates there has been an increase in online courses (Purdue University Global., 2018).

When comparing online classroom to on-campus classroom, there are many factors that come into play. It is not to say that one is better than the other but rather what works best for you. Every student has their own factors that they need to consider and it is up to them to decide what works best for them.

 

Erstad, W. (2017, August 16). Online vs. Traditional Education: What You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://www.rasmussen.edu/student-experience/college-life/online-vs-traditional-education-answer-never-expected/

Purdue University Global. (2018, May 15). Classroom vs. Online Education. Retrieved from https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/student-life/classroom-versus-online/

 

Four Reflection

Four Reflection

FLOE is a resource to personalize how people learn and address barriers on an individual basis (floe flexible learning for open education., n.d. para. 1). I resonate strongly with the statement that addresses how each individual learns differently. I remember throughout my high school education, I often struggled with reading comprehension and I would discuss with the teacher about my results. The feedback they would give to me would be something along the lines that my thought process was wrong and that I needed to think about the article in a different way. I never really understood how I needed to change the way I think. For instance, when you ask individuals to describe how a car crash happened, every single individual saw the same incident, but in a different way. There are many different learning styles that people can learn from. When designing learning tools for individuals, one needs to consider that people think differently and learners learn differently. For example, certain people can apply visual aids as cues to recall information, and certain people can apply audio cues to recall information. Neither technique can be described as superior, but one can be more helpful than the other in specific circumstances.

Throughout my university schooling, I often found reading my textbook as a tedious task and would often put it off. I eventually found a tool that would read my digital textbook to me. It was a way to transform and select alternative educational resources to fit individual needs is essential for a learning experience (floe flexible learning for open education., n.d. para. 3). Such applications could help barriers students may have. individuals with cognitive disabilities may benefit from such tools. 

Security architecture is also a great tool to have. This allows complete control over who has access to your preferences (floe flexible learning for open education., n.d. para. 10). As technology evolved, security should follow in the same timeline. Throughout my degree in Health Information Science, professors emphasize the importance of security within the databases in the healthcare system. For instance, personal information provided in confidence to healthcare providers must be kept secure – information such as addresses, personal identifiers, etc. For that reason, I see the importance of security to be embedded in technology as I am often educated on the emphasis of the two. 

Sonification is one in which I would need more clarification, however, I understand the overall concept of it. I tried the demo of it and it didn’t seem to work the way I thought it would. The demo read the section of the chart but not the numbers associated with it, which I think would be another beneficial feature. I also found the metadata component confusing. My knowledge of metadata is data that provides information to other data. I did not understand what the demo could provide to help users. 

To address universal learning design, does one need to focus on specific learning types or rather than an overall objective. There are many learning types, such as visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social, and solitary (Overview of learning styles., n.d.). Would a FLOE need to include many different learning types or just emphasize on one.

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://images.app.goo.gl/FK4hU5KQWEiUqQUF6

floe flexible learning for open education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://floeproject.org/

Floe Project: Inclusive Learning Design Handbook. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://via.hypothes.is/https:/handbook.floeproject.org/

Overview of learning styles. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/

Third Reflection

In high school, I took a course called Career and Life Management (CALM). This course was required to graduate. This was my first online course I took, I noticed certain aspects that were not necessarily related to the course curriculum but rather than the overall experience of taking a course online. I noticed that online courses often lacked aspects that a classroom setting offered. For example, a classroom course often discussed basic information that the online classes were missing. I often found myself confused about how to navigate the online course. I was confused on where to start, where to submit assignments, and certain expectations for projects. This type of information is often very clear from the first class in a classroom setting. On the other hand, an online course has certain luxuries that a normal in class course cannot offer. Online courses tend to be more flexible, I am able to dedicate my time to the course based on my own time rather than an in-class course that required my attendance at a certain time. I also find that there is less pressure when communicating with peers. I am able to express myself with more liberty as I do not need to speak publicly and there is less association to me and my face online. I found that incorporating a communication channel for students for an online course gives it a human aspect to it. It gives a sense of community within the course and to connect with fellow students. I also found a great way to humanize an online course was when the professor provides feedback on the assignment. Not only did it increase the professor presence, that is already limited when you have never met them but I felt that I got to know the professor a bit better as well as gaining a general understanding of what the professor would like in future assignment based on the provided feedback. Lastly, I have never had the experience of synchronicity when taking an online course. I understand that there might be many obstacles with taking this route. Coordinating the schedule of many student may be challenging. I find that many students take online course as their schedule is already very challenging to begin with. With that being said, I often have meetings via webcam at my co-op and the entire experience is great. It is a great way to get in touch with individual that may be remote. To conclude, I find that an online course provides more options for student and provides a certain level of flexibility that I personally can appreciate. On the other hand, I think there is still some growth that may be require to improve the overall experience. Many of these aspect will improve as technology improve. For instance, video conferences were not an option 10 years ago but are now very common. Technology has given us the ability to eliminate many barrier we had before therefore I am optimistic to see what is next to come.

Second Reflection

Online educational resources (OER) are free educational materials that can be used for teaching, learning, research, and other purposes (Open educational resources., 2020). One can personalize their overall learning experience according to their own pace (raccoongang, n.d). OER allows individuals to have quick access to all the latest information (raccoongang, n.d). OER includes course material, textbooks, streaming videos, and examines (Open educational resources., 2020). They can be adapted and re-purposed by others (Who Puts the Education into Open Educational Content?, n.d.) accordingly. Openly licensed educational content acknowledges the content is openly available, meaning it is readily available to be found or discovered. Licensing allows for content to be openly accessible and openly reusable in a way that the user can modify it according to what they require from the information presented. In other words, online open educational content is anything one can find online, while the open-licensed means that one is allowed to freely use that content with the given permission.

The steps I took to find my chosen OER, first began by starting with the google advanced search. From there I ensured that I was using “free to use, share or modify, even commercially’. Once I found an OER I wanted to use, I was able to evaluate my findings. My OER finding was information that was relevant to this course as it discusses many of the information for this week’s topic. The accuracy seems legit has it has been peer-reviewed and is a scholarly article. The production quality is clear, understandable, easy to navigate, as well as design features. Accessibility is also available for this content. I was able to download a PDF of the article. The licensing for the article is creative commons.

The task was more tedious than usual when finding resources.  When ensuring there were licensed that allowed me to use the information, I needed to double-check the resource followed the OER guidelines. This was a step I had never considered when looking for information when thus it added a couple of extra steps. I needed to ensure my sourced followed the provided guidelines which were quite time-consuming. Nerveless, I do understand from an educational purpose, OER does have a beneficial aspect to it. For starters, OER allows for an instructor to use material from other sources without getting granted permission and this does save overall time for the individual who will be using the information they discovered (Module 10: Why OER Matters., n.d.). OER also provides cost-saving for students. Saving cost on things like textbooks and other course materials (Module 10: Why OER Matters., n.d.). OER also grants access to more quality resources (Module 10: Why OER Matters., n.d.). OER allows for greater learning opportunities. The material from one resource to another will be shared across more individuals (Module 10: Why OER Matters., n.d.). OER provides peace of mind for all users. One does not need to stress when re-using material with OER (Module 10: Why OER Matters., n.d.). The resources are licensed to allow the sharing of content (Module 10: Why OER Matters., n.d.). To conclude, I would use OER for future research I conduct because I would feel secure in the information I am using as I know there are licenses in place that allow me to do so.

 

 

Link: OER

Article: OER

 

 

Citation

Cheryl. (1970, January 1). Benefits and Challenges of OER for Higher Education Institutions. Retrieved from http://oasis.col.org/handle/11599/3042

Module 10: Why OER Matters. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.openwa.org/module-10/

Open educational resources. (2020, January 30). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_educational_resources

Who Puts the Education into Open Educational Content? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.educause.edu/research-and-publications/books/tower-and-cloud/who-puts-education-open-educational-content

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://raccoongang.com/blog/quick-list-open-educational-resources-examples/

 

First Reflection

Reflection 1 – 

Throughout my education, the instructor was the center focus of the learning process. I did not mind this, rather, as I much preferred having direction and to know what is expected from me. I have found with previous experiences of taking online courses, I was often lost on where to start and how to proceed. For example, I took an online course in high school and I found it difficult to know what the teacher expected with regards to assignments or where to start. In a classroom setting, the first class is often left to explain expectations for the course and how we were to be graded. I often find that for the most part synchronous issues can be solved a lot faster than asynchronous issues. An email interaction could take up a lot more time than a face-to-face conversation which would be more direct and effective. Therefore, a class discussion could be very minuscule and seem unimportant but could create the platform for the duration of the course; I found that aspect was sometimes lacking in online courses.

There are three possibilities for the power dynamic, instructive, constructivism, and connectivism. Connectivism is related to networking with connections to gain knowledge or skills.  Personally, I find a certain experience that an individual has, is the best way to remember something and learn from it. For example, I remember my first day of university so clearly. The feeling I had during that day helped me remember that experience – “Experience is the best knowledge”  (Siemens, 2005). The network that connects entities allows for more learner experiences. Relying on other individuals, technology and power to help one gain knowledge is better than relying just on yourself. Connectivism allows us to learn more than our current state. Using the resource helps divide up the workload one carries. The chaos of breaking down predictability can be helped with one’s experience that has occurred with another situation that may be similar. Knowledge cannot be isolated, there are many aspects that occur when learning and utilizing tools can help the knowledge one gains. “Half of what we know today was not known 10 years ago”  (Siemens, 2005). Our knowledge doubles, as there are more resources out there, people are using them to their advantage  (Siemens, 2005). I believe a large contributing factor to that state is how far technology has developed. There is much more information presented and obtained nowadays. We are more connected than ever before. People can network more easily and can obtain information more frequently.

 

Benham, B., Dellinger, J., Semingson, P., Spann, C., Usman, B., Watkins, H., & Crosslin, M. (2018, June 22). Chapter 2: Basic Philosophies. Retrieved from https://uta.pressbooks.pub/onlinelearning/chapter/chapter-2-basic-philosophies/

Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Siemens, G. (2005). International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1). Retrieved from https://edtechuvic.ca/edci339/wpcontent/uploads/sites/5/2020/01/Connectivism-A-Learning-Theoryfor-the-Digital-Age.pdf