Smartphones & Tablets Show Positive Potential As Interactive Response Devices For Active Learning

Mobile technology in any classroom setting has
the ability to promote interaction and collaboration.

From computers and projectors to smart boards
and internet access, technology has become a staple within many classroom settings. However, present day technologies, in recent years, have become increasingly mobile. Whether it be an iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy S4, or an iPad, it is predicted that mobile devices will outnumber the world population with tablets now expected to grow 53.4%. In comparison to the now declining traditional personal computers, mobile technology has disrupted many areas of society. It has provided new personal and interactive ways of working, living and entertaining and may even have a positive potential within the classroom.

Although the utilization of mobile devices within the classroom is questionable, there are many schools attempting to integrate smartphone and tablet use to be educationally meaningful. If smartphone and tablet integration is able to stray from being a source of virtual distraction, there is a window of opportunity for mobile devices to effectively aid in the culmination of an active learning environment. Whether it be a foreign language class encouraging students to use their phones to call classmates and have a conversation with them in French, or a professor asking a large class to input their thoughts on a given philosophy lecture, blending courses with mobile devices has the incredible potential of increasing valuable interaction between students and teachers.

Mobile Devices Allow Every Student to Respond and Participate With Their Teacher

Most clickers are limited to multiple
 choice and true/false questions.

Technology such as clickers have already provided students in the past with student response devices, but until smartphones and tablets, many of the clickers were restricted to multiple choice and true/false questions. Although multiple choice input is meaningful, free text response systems that mobile devices can provide allow for incredible systems of interaction. Students are able to expand upon their thoughts and opinions or ask questions about course material that can be sent directly to the teacher and other students. With a large amount of student feedback and input, teachers are able to get a greater feel for what the students are thinking as a class. Furthermore, mobile devices empower students who are normally shy to raise their hand and participate. This engagement brings a large amount of educational value as students are no longer subject to passive learning environments as active learning is better promoted.

In a study conducted by Minjuan Wang, Ruimin Shen, Daniel Novak and Xiaoyan Pan regarding the impact of mobile learning on students' learning behaviors, mobile students felt a stronger connection to the course material and their instructor than students who passively listened to their instructor's course material. Ben Bederson, an associate professor at the University of Maryland, who has been teaching CMSC198A: Special Topics in Computer Science for Non-Majors explains his views regarding traditional lecture and the lack of participation that normally occurs.

Growing Educational Apps For Mobile Devices Provide Innovative Teaching Tools
Applications or mobile apps developed for smartphone and tablet platforms contribute innovative teaching tools that can further enhance collaboration and participation among students and teacher. Apps such as Nearpod, iResponse and Schoology provide teachers with a digital classroom that can streamline content material and questions to students mobile devices while offering performance-based analytics and more to teachers. These apps give the unique ability for teachers to remain digitally connected with their students, allowing them to monitor each students progress and engage them through interactive learning. With active learning environments stimulated through these apps, students and teachers are able to have improved attitudes on learning as suggested by an exploratory research study on interactive technology in the classroom.

Desire for collaboration and interaction growing for
teachers utilizing technology.

JOUR289I Information 3.0: Exploring Technological Tools is a blended course at the University of Maryland that utilizes mobile devices and apps such as Nearpod during class time. Professor Ronald Yaros is able to actively engage students through Nearpod with multiple choice and free text response questions within his guided presentation of course material. Patricia Masigla, an undergraduate student currently taking JOUR289I with Professor Yaros reflects on the positive uses of Nearpod as opposed to traditional powerpoint presentations.

Although Mobile Devices Are Limited In Handling Some Course Content, They Still Promote Active Learning
The potential of mobile devices is not without some present limitations. Although there are a large amount of apps usable under smartphones and tablets, certain disciplines and course material are better handled with laptops, personal computers or even plain chalkboard. Professor Yaros' JOUR150: Introduction to Mass Communication course, another blended course that utilizes mobile devices, is able to utilize apps such as Videolicious and Audioboo to practice concepts of mobile journalism. On the other hand, there may be certain subjects, such as mathematics, that are traditionally explained best through chalkboard. Although innovative accessories such as bluetooth enabled laser keyboards are slowly improving the capabilities of smart phones and tablets, mobile technology has a long way to go before it is able to bypass certain technological limitations. Professor Bederson expands upon the limitations of mobile devices in regards to learning Computer Science in his classroom.

Overall, mobile devices have the potential to act as interactive response devices for blended courses. Although mobile devices themselves may not be able to improve or handle a certain course's material and content, smartphones and tablets can still provide incredible value as a means of digital participation, input and feedback. The educational value of smartphones and tablets can also be seen within the ability of students to access class content through their personal mobile devices, allowing students to learn on their own time, and quite possibly at their own pace outside of a constrained 50 minute class period all while remaining digitally connected to the class instructor. With proper integration of mobile devices, professors would be able to take a large diversity of information and understanding to further his/her teaching methods to meet student needs which can promote better pedagogy for future classes. As an interactive response device with a plethora of growing educational tools and apps, mobile devices can contribute to a more engaged and active learning environment.

listen to ‘Mobile devices have potential to stimulate student participation and promote active learning.’ on Audioboo

The Rising Credibility and Impact of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) on Higher Education

The impact of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on higher education, as well as determining its overall advantages in the future are the specific topics of which I would like to consider in my final ePortfolio. The growth of online education has dramatically increased with online services such as Coursera, Khan Academy and edX continually growing in educational resources and enrollment. Using punctual instructional videos, many MOOCs have successfully allowed users from around the world to learn a multitude of subjects from computer science, humanities, mathematics, business, economics, statistics and more.

Coursera, an educational technology service founded just last year by Stanford professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, has partnered with a number of highly prestigious universities from around the world such as Columbia, Brown, Tel Aviv and Yale University to provide top tier education in various studies and disciplines. Coursera's use of paid surveillance monitoring and completion certificates have led some of its courses to be the first recognizable form of college credit among MOOCs. Today, Coursera continues to grow in membership as more educational resources and partners are offered to its users.

Although flawed, MOOCs have improved upon their inferior
reputation to face to face education

MOOCs, albeit innovative, are not without its flaws. It is difficult to monitor students who may or may not be cheating, and grade scaling can be a challenge especially for nontechnical subjects. Furthermore, face to face interaction provides a level of familiarity with the course professor and its students that, at the moment, is yet to be truly immersed in the online environment. The flaws, although apparent now, have been improving over time as more and more higher education institutions invest money and resources in creating credible sources of online education. As enrollment continues to increase well pass the million mark it will be interesting to research the identity and reputation MOOCs will provide itself against established institutions of learning, especially from a public relations standpoint.

listen to ‘Exploring the Growth of MOOCs’ on Audioboo

Audio Summary

listen to ‘audio summary j150’ on Audioboo

From Friendster to Facebook, Social Networking Services Have Evolved From Social Experiences to Commercial News Feed

The dawn of the Internet gave rise to social networks that have changed the landscape of digital interaction. From Myspace, to Facebook and Twitter, these social networking services have provided its users with access to massive online communities where ideas, pictures, posts and activities can be shared all over the world. Although most of the world is accustom to the largely popular Facebook and Twitter, the history of social networking websit­­­­es begins with CompuServe. CompuServe's members were allowed to share files, access important news and, more importantly, interact with each other. E-mail and discussion forums offered thousands of CompuServe's members a digital environment to virtually discuss any topic they pleased. Tremendously popular during its time, CompuServe's virtual discussions laid the foundation for future social networking sites such as Friendster.com that would come to flourish during the Internet Boom.

Friendster's Lack of Innovating Virtual Social Experiences Caused a Serious Decline In User Activity 

Friendster, now geared towards online gaming, has redefined
its website after losing ground to social networking competitors.

Born a little over a decade ago, Friendster allowed its users to create personal profiles and share online content with members all over the world. Considered the "granddaddy" of social networks, Friendster's innovative virtual environment made it the first social networking site to attain over 1 million users and at the time was poised for success. With large capital financing and millions of users, Friendster had the tools to evolve into the modern day version of Facebook, but unfortunately faltered through poor management and an unwillingness to embrace product flexibility. With competitive sites such as Facebook and Myspace innovating their social networking features, Friendster focused more on themedia and less on the social. Based heavily around polishing one's profile, Friendster users were unable to experience the interaction of real time information provided by Facebook's news feed or entertainment filled environment of MySpace. Remaining stagnant upon the social network's original model, Friendster's lack of innovative features and scattered goals of becoming the next Google or Yahoo caused a steep decline in users. Friendster was simply unable to evolve during a boom of online users desperate for the Internet's next innovative creation.

Heavy Focus on Building Social Value Allows Facebook to Dominate Social Networking Services

The news feed feature offered a stream of information allowing users to
 comment and 'like" various activities of their connections

Although Facebook began 2 years after Friendster, it's growth rate has shown an immense increase in active membership. Expanding from a million users in 2004 to 1.11 billion on March 2013 stems from the innovative features geared towards its constantly interacting users. Facebook's focus on building social value crowned it king of social networking services, as it took notice to how its users were utilizing the online environment. Under a "hacker way"  method, which is described by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg as continuous improvement and iteration, Facebook was able to implement many features heavily utilized by Facebook users today. For example, Facebook noticed the accounts users set up for their pets and celebrities, and explored the idea leading to the creation of Facebook Pages. Event functionality was also implemented after observing the increased use of groups for meeting up at specific times and locations. In stark contrast to Friendster, who severely undervalued the personalized misuse of their social networking services, Facebook's motivation to innovate upon these interactions among users and expand its platform led to continued growth in membership and activity. Coupling its constantly implemented features with an open source application programming interface (API), Facebook is able to provide its users with an environment heavily based upon how you would like to interact with your friends, family and connections.

Present day social networking services seek heavy potential in commercial advertising

 The growth of popularized social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have led to a large growth in commercial advertising and potential for profit. With billions of users, boasting an even bigger number of total connections, the lure of social media advertising has increased dramatically as companies attempt to reach out to these extensive networks. As websites innovative their features more so around commercial advertising, it is easy to question the future of social networks as an environment based solely around virtual interaction. Just recently, Twitter released a direct messaging feature that would allow businesses to target potential customers, raising concerns of spam filled inboxes. Further instances of commercialization include Facebook'splan to utilize video advertisements on their mobile applications and Instagram's inclusion of ad space on its once strictly picture and video filled news feed. As social networks continue to find ways to immerse its millions (or even billions) of users with brands and products, it is important to consider how this may affect the social media experience that made these online platforms so popular. If our news feeds become cluttered with commercials and advertisements that provide us with no increased user interaction, social networking sites like Facebook may become the next Friendster as innovation is reconfigured for profits over enhanced social experience.

Satellite Radio's Superior Radio Quality, Premium Content & Lack Of Geographical Boundaries Has Led To A Growing User Base

Satellite radio is an intriguing form of technology providing its subscribers with a different radio experience. Unlike older radio broadcasting stations on AM/FM channels, satellite radio offers a much larger stream of channels that vary from music, news, sports and entertainment and are uninterrupted by regional geographical boundaries. Sirius XM Radio, the biggest satellite radio company, is slowly improving their technology and reach as to where they can broadcast their audio channels.

Satellite radio transmits strong signals from through geostationary satellites offering superior sound quality in comparison to older radio broadcasting.
XM radio, before its merger with Sirius, was the largest satellite radio company that used two Boeing HS 702 satellites placed in geostationary orbit. These satellites receive audio content aggregated from the incredibly large digital library that comprised of XM's created content as well as feeds from other media companies. The satellite would then emit the aggregated data to radio receivers on the ground that decode the signal, presenting subscribers with the song title, artist and genre of music being displayed. Because geostationary satellites transmit the digital signals, there is no regional disruption in radio service. AM & FM radio stations transmit their channels through various frequencies and require modulating (or interpretation) of said frequencies into useful signals. AM & FM radio frequencies are subject to noise interference, and can span as less as a 100 miles. This explains the change in radio stations that many listeners experience during travel. 92.3 FM in Baltimore, Maryland is a very different radio station than the 92.3 FM station in Detroit, Michigan. Satellite radio offers travelers access to sports and show commentary without location, or even being grounded (satellite radio works just as well on airplanes).

Channel variety and impressive sound quality have led to increased growth in satellite radio subscribers despite subscription expense.

The limitations of AM & FM radio in comparison to satellite radio services are seen in its bounded number of stations, subjection to environmental interference and geographical boundaries. However, because AM & FM stations are funded primarily through commercial advertising, each station is free of charge. Satellite radio on the other hand requires a monthly subscription  that can run into over 100 dollars annually depending on the package chosen. Funded by subscriptions, satellite radio companies such as Sirius XM are able to provide commercial free stations as well as a large selection of music and premium content (Oprah Radio, Howard Stern, ESPN etc) unavailable to the limited number of AM & FM radios. The primary difference between AM & FM radios with satellite is thus quality and selection, and yearly growth in subscribers shows consumers are willing to pay.

Increased growth in subscribers signals strong performance for satellite radio.

Through growing profits and subscriptions, Sirius XM might be signaling the overtake of satellite radio. With many cars coming equipped with XM radio receivers and through free trial subscriptions, many users are realizing that greater selection of what they listen to without any boundaries in regards to location is worth the cost of some dollars. When analyzing this in comparison to the Internet's effect on information and news, we are living in a society where what we hear and listen to can be selectively chosen by the information's consumer. Through the Internet, users can select news articles without having to wait through a commercial on television to hear about the particular event. Satellite radio provides the same convenience with a greater selection of music, news and events and may signal why there is a large growth in subscribers.

Harvard Study Links The Use Of Social Media to the Brain's Sensations of Pleasure

Smartphones, laptops and tablets now provide billions of people around the globe with access to personal material platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and has thus created a new environment of expression and information. The success of these platforms is based within the networks of people that are created and the ease at which personal information can be shared. It is innovative, convenient and arguably addictive. Whether or not social media and technology are useful as it is distracting is a debate that even University of Maryland's diamondback engages in. It is not uncommon for students and even staff to be utilizing Facebook or Twitter on their laptops and smartphones in academic settings. This revelation has led many to wonder if social media is more of an uncontrollable addiction than a source of convenient information.

A recent study by Harvard has revealed scientific data that shows social media platforms such as Facebook are linked to the brain's sensations of pleasure. The link provides insight as to why checking your phone or laptop for Facebook updates in class is so highly addictive. Social media allows users to spread personal knowledge to a network of users. According to Harvard researchers, this diffusion of personal knowledge and information to others leads to a rewarding experience. The experiments held revealed that areas of the brain associated with reward were heightened when users provided self-disclosure, and were less engaged when talking about someone else. This may explain our need to tweet about what we're having for lunch, or share a picture of who we are with and how we are currently feeling. As lead researcher Diana Tamir explains "[the study] helps explain why Twitter exists and why Facebook is so popular, because people enjoy sharing information".

As a user of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, it is hard to refute the positive high that retweets, status likes and positive Facebook comments provide for me. It gives a sense of companionship in the sense that people know what you are doing or thinking, and positively agree with you. The ease with which one can attain such positive feelings from Facebook and Twitter may reveal why I feel the need to check my phone and update my status or tweet, because it's convenient. This convenience has unfortunately led me to become distracted in class, especially when I feel that sharing a picture of someone sleeping on their desk has higher priority than the professor's lecture slides.

Governing technology can be difficult however and maintaining focus is hard when social media is convenient. The positive effects of disclosing personal information to your network of friends and family is hard to counter with powerpoint slides. Simply waiting can lead to a quick check of notifications and I have personally found it hard to control myself at times of impatience. Although social media itself is distracting, technology can still be governed to provide utility in an educational and innovative sense. Further reading of these institutions utilizing technology to provide educational mediums and media are successful and there are many more examples in universities and the work place. Although Harvard's study reveals an inevitable high from social media, it is up to us to curb our social media enthusiasm in order to utilize technology at its full potential.

Interactive Media Provides Weak Link to Violent Behavior

            A quick glance at any video game retailer's store shelves reveal numerous games containing a large amount of violence and aggressive competition. With successful video game franchises such as Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto and God of War boasting blood, brutality and glory, many have come to question the interactive medium of video games as a role model advocating violence. Video games have almost become household products with 91% of U.S. children between the ages of 2-17 playing daily for entertainment (NPD). Compared to more passive mediums, such as television or print, it is valid to wonder whether or not interactive mediums greatly fuel aggressive behaviors that lead to the violent crimes noticed in today's news.

            There have been numerous studies linking violence to media. In terms of television, however, a landmark research investigation by Wilbur Schramm, Jack Lyle and Edwin Parker showed that there was no magic bullet of media effects. Further studies have revealed slight aggressive behavior, but none provide a concrete link. More importantly, family, school and religion provided greater influences on the individual, providing tastes, attitudes and behaviors.

            The claim that video games lead to hostile behavior has also been recently studied in PBS's weeklong special After Newtown. The shooter during the tragic event was linked to playing World of Warcraft, a highly competitive game valuing aggression and violence amongst players. However greater influences are at work when determining the violent nature of Newtown shooter Adam Lanza. As PBS excerpts a clip from Raising Adam Lanza, it is revealed that his mother Nancy brought him to shooting ranges as well as bought him rifles and weaponry. Nancy Lanza's influence easily correlates to her son's aggressive behavior just as much as video games do, highlighting the fact that there are greater influences outside of interactive media. Those who argue that video games have a greater effect on users in regards to influencing violence may be disregarding important outside influences such as family, school and religion and highlights a criticism of media-effects research: that audiences are easily duped by media messages.

            Although violent video games provide its users with an interactive violent environment, the correlation to aggressive behavior does not equal causation. Furthermore, public health consultant Cheryl Olson debates video games as normative behavior. Olson has a point, as the growth in percentage of video game users have not led to a dramatic increase in real world violence, making interactive media similar to passive media in terms of influence.

For more information:

Converging Media by John V. Pavlik & Shawn McIntosh - Chapter 14: Media Theory & Research

PBS News Hour "Can Violent Video Games Play A Role In Violent Behavior"

NPD Statistics on growing video game use among children