Second LIfe - A Disruptive Technology

            

           A disruptive technology is one that dramatically enters the marketplace and takes over existing technologies.    Second Life has the potential of functioning as a disruptive technology.  The product they offer is so dramatically different from existing Internet resources.  Second Life could provide a disruptive influence on education with a challenge to existing pedagogic models.  In the Second Life setting, a virtual classroom could provide opportunities for student collaboration, project-based learning, and enhanced student creativity.  This would replace a physical classroom setting that requires substantial supplies and resources.  In the virtual classroom, students could build structures, hold meetings, and solve complex problems. 

            There are several social benefits to Second Life.  In a virtual environment, students can feel free to express controversial opinions.  They can escape from physical and financial limitations that set them apart from their peers.  A virtual environment allows a student to invent an alternative personality that distances itself from social problems (TEDtalks Director, 2008).  This learning option assists ESL language learners and facilitates improved communication among this population with language practice in practical situations (SusiSpicoli, 2006).  Participants can engage in 3-D social networks that encourage equitable dialogues (Boulous, Hetherington, & Wheeler, 2007). 

            It is difficult to imagine what will come next in the area of virtual worlds.  It seems that the combination of virtual worlds and holographic imaging will represent the next level in this technology.  This could be on the horizon in the next five years.  Further integration between virtual worlds and product advertising would represent a natural extension of the current product.  Soon members of the Second Life community will experiment with products and services in the virtual world and then transition to their use in the physical world.  This concept seems eminent in development. 

            There are concerns and implications within this virtual concept.  In an educational setting, the anonymity of a virtual world could contribute to negative social behaviors.  Students could lose sight of the person behind the Avatar and become disrespectful and abusive of other community members.  There is evidence of abuses currently with regard to pornography and moral misbehavior.  Personal security is an issue with other community members acquiring intimate knowledge about a student that could damage personal safety. 

            In the education industry, exploring a site like Second Life shows considerable promise.  The dramatic shift from a physical environment to a virtual environment could lead to enriching experiences for students.  The creativity and problem-solving potential of Second Life position it on the forefront of disruptive technologies in education.

References

Boulos, M. N. K., Hetherington, L., & Wheeler, S. (2007). Second life: an overview of the potential of 3-D virtual worlds in medical and health education. Health Information and Libraries Journal (24), 233-245. DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2007.00733.x. Retrieved from https://unchange.pbworks.com/f/Second+life+-+an+overview+of+the+potential+of+3-D+virtual+worlds+(2007).pdf

Susi Spicoli (Screen Name). (2006, 0910) Introduction to Second Life (historical view). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b72CvvMuD6Q

TEDtalks Director (Screen Name). (2008, 1204). Phillip Rosedale on Second Life. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html

Rhymes from the Past

Cuneiform Tablet

Ideographic Writing

Quill Pen

Smart Pen

The idea of taking notes and organizing those notes among other documents rhymes with habits and traditions of countless years.  Recorded history originates 5000 years ago with the earliest written expression in cuneiform script.  Before this written communication consisted of ideographic symbols.  The desire to communicate through written language is a fundamental cornerstone of modern civilization. 

The digital Smartpen is an innovation that transfers the development of written communication into a digital format.  This innovation allows someone to take notes digitally and integrate those notes with audio recordings and visual capture.  This week I am with my father who is in the hospital.  As we completed paperwork in the Emergency Room, the admitting clerk came to us with a pile of papers to sign.  With them was a digital pen.  In discussing this with the admitting staff, I determined that they used the pen to capture signatures on the documents to store in the computer.  This eliminates the need subsequent scanning of a signed document and for hard copy document storage. 

There is a good review of one version of the Smartpen available at:  http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/gadgets/1286173/livescribe-echo-smartpen.  This pen rekindles the concept of note taking and document authorization but places the mechanics in a digital framework.  The result is the increased codependency of our society on a digital interface.  View the December speech by Kevin Kelly to hear his explorations of possible future developments of the web.  This pen is another step in line with the integration of web technologies with daily activities.

Reference:

Kelly, K. (2007, December). Kevin Kelly on the next 5,000 days of the Web [Speech]. Speech delivered at the EG 2007 Conference, Los Angeles. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html