Virtual Education

How Learning can be made effective through the use of digital media? 

Digital media has been used much recently in my academic life. One such occasion where the use of digital media was used, was during the SARS outbreak where we were told to stay home to  prevent the spread of the disease. We were then told to use the computer to access various sites to do quizzes and sit for virtual classes where slides were put up for us to study as well as test questions after the ‘lecture’. At that time, I felt like this was a really cool way to study and it felt like I was being ‘home schooled’.

However, after going through the class on e-learning, I would definitely prefer a physical learning environment as compared to one where I’d have to face the screen for hours on end. This is as, I believe that one can learn so much more when you’re in the classroom. With the teacher standing in the front and the cacophony of noises as well as the shushing by the girl in huge spectacles down in the front. The atmosphere itself is one that even technology would be unable to mimic unless you’re physically there.

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Future Classroom

The future of our classroom will definitely be more technologically enhanced as the use of e-learning has already been put in place in today’s education system. The use of clickers, which is able to let students provide answers to questions in real-time is especially efficient in today’s society as the teachers are able to pinpoint the exact responses of each students.

Elon University has used the social networking virtual reality device, Second Life to create a virtual classroom environment such as that in the picture above. The students are able to create their own unique avatars to mimic their personalities and this would enable the teachers to get to know the students even more. Also, the students are able to respond to the teacher’s every questions and they are even able to have a one-on-one chat with either the teacher or friends, just like that in a real situation.

However, problems may surface. The ability of students to chat with friends without the teacher knowing as well as the ability of the students to leave the room while leaving their avatars on may cause a problem.

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Microsoft Surface Technology

This is an example of how the Microsoft Surface Technology can be used in the instance of the RPG game, Dungeons and Dragons. It revolutionizes the way one uses technology where the screen is much bigger, making the sensors work double time. It is so fascinating to watch the way it operates, where the users hands move similar to that of a magician with swift fingers brushing across the icons so smoothly. It is not yet available in the market at the moment due to it still being tested for glitches, but im very sure that once it gets out, the people lining up for this product would grow by the day.

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Success in future?

The use of these devices would surely be the norm in the future. Its success however, is to be determined. This is as, there are so many things that we’re ensure about the capabilities and the length that technology can go to. However, like all new technological advances, the insecurity about the success of the product is always there. But, success is within sight due to many experiments and tests being done on this topic.