Professional Educators often approach the use of Mass Communications and Technology from a distinctly Utopian Perspective. Major channels of communication that have evolved to be standard practice in Higher Education are drawn from the larger cultural milieu primarily from the Entertainment Industry and the News Media.
Technological development often comes before the social, cultural, and economic configurations that support and interact with the technology. Mass communications media specifically, newspapers, radio, television, and movies; often preceded the use of similar communications techniques in the field of higher education. Going back in time, 16mm training films were direct result of technology developed by the Movie Industry in the 1920s. Further, the introduction of video technology was a direct result of the widespread use of television for entertainment and news.
The video clips “A Day Made of Glass 2”, and “Productivity Future Vision” project a Utopian perspective where the technology is presented as being very ubiquitous and ever present. The first classroom scene in “A Day Made of Glass 2” depicts a very “Teacher Centered” presentation with content repeated on student displays. The classroom configuration really does not create Personal Learning Experiences emphasized by Isaac Asimov. Advanced technology is presented with extremely conventional “Teaching/Learning” strategies. The “Class Community Activity Table” is more “Student Centered.” However, an explanation of the Pedagogy is woefully lacking. The technological capabilities are underutilized in the concepts of education presented here.
“Productivity Future Vision” projects an incredibly useful mix of touch screen displays.
What I did not get was………Why were all of the people using iPhoneTens….. Or iPadsTwenty…..????? in a Microsoft produced video…..
Henry J. Burnett 