 
Comment, Discussion 1: Prediction One: Take the Money and Run What is the current status of your educational institution's progress in creating an infrastructure for launching a full-bloom web-based program? What is the five-year plan? What are the motives, missions, and vision of this new venture? Five year goal: Pass on the legacy I am not in Education, so the core of this discussion is somewhat different than for those in an educational setting. On the flip-side of that coin — I truly believe that every digital setting, every web site, every ecommerce or entertainment web site on the Internet, is as heavily embedded in LEARNING as the educational and/or learning web sites. This is a huge playing field, and ALL of the players are seeking INFORMATION. Therefore, there are many similarities in the design of a university web site, an online business, and the online game world or a chat room. No matter the topics — most Internet users require similar environments in order to find what they need, and to be able to use it after they find it. My web site will include a section on education and learning. Refuge_Earth is a learning site. It's also a shopping site, and a place for people to gather. Even the games and the community features and the shopping ... are learning ventures. This is true of everything on the Net. The design of my site has, until recently, been academic-based. It was part of the foundation of my Master's degree in Technology in Education. It has been part of my studies at Capella. It is now nearly ready to launch, after just over one year of dedicated, HARD work.
Response to Peer, Discussion 1: Nothing set in stone, or brick & mortar :-) Hi Jean — I really liked your discussion, and especially found your statement interesting: "Our philosophy is to deliver training in the best method for the content and concepts, rather than set ourselves in stone on a single method." For me, this hearkened back to our discussions on setting standards. I think that the fluidity of knowledge, in general — is made very apparent by the aura and environment of the Internet. Since there IS no way to contain something this huge ... then we must begin to look for ways to train people to utilize the shifting face of knowledge. I truly believe that the major "standard" for creating a learning environment, begins with designers who understand the lightning speed of technology. They will build IN to that learning setting, the capacity to grow, change, and adapt. This kind of setting will eventually become (I believe) the new standard for learning ... one that not only is adaptable on a personal level of learning ... but with proper roads of feedback, will then be changed (by human/designer effort, but also perhaps with the use of intelligent software, etc.) for the next set of learners. It will allow for the utmost in personalization, of fine-tuning and molding to the needs of the individual learner.
Comment, Discussion 2: Prediction Two: Intelligent Agents Will Fall Short of the Hype... The future of intelligent agents comes with different perspectives. Read Mandel's perspective in Chapter 15,"Social User Interfaces and Intelligent Agents." Compare Head's and Mandel's perspectives. Does your educational institution have plans for including intelligent agents in the interface design of web-based courses? What position would you present to the decision makers on the issue of intelligent agents? The silent sneak Will we welcome these intelligent agents, when they come? Will we use them in place of cranking it out by hand? Look around. They've been silently sneaking in, for years. Some of them have been around long enough that we are seeking a replacement, and sending it to the Goodwill. I found these chapters interesting in the debate over the rise or demise of artificial intelligence, and agents ... better known as Bots, or robots. Makes me wonder how much search engine use Head did, in compiling the book. Or, if much information was programmed into an MSN account, and the stuff just miraculously appeared in the email box ... uninterrupted by the usual daily dose of SPAM and stupid stuff, which was intelligently placed in the trash. Hmmm. The intelligent agent is more substantial in your life than maybe you are aware of. I so thoroughly agree with Mandel's writing, and share his enthusiasm. He mentions MIT's Media Lab, which has to be one of the most comprehensive web sites that cover these issues. As modern life continues to speed up, we will continue to search for ways to save time, and repetitive effort, and sanity. Think about the intelligent machines around us, from computerized car and alarm clock, to modern cooking devices, to automated water systems, and house/car/yard alarms that are programmed to even talk. These conveniences will only become more prominent, while ever becoming more ubiquitous and non-alarming. Everywhere around us, yet silent, uninterruptive, and obedient. Until the power goes out, or some critter gets into the innards. We are subject, at this point, to not only the expected advances in technology in our lives ... but also to the usual, very mundane, earthly interruptions. But, I think they are working on AI to combat the critters. :-) What would I say to an employer about intelligent agents? Consider the costs in time and effort, to perform the same job by hand, or to pay an employee to do it. Compare the relative costs of mistakes and frequency of mistakes, by human and by intelligent device. Then go buy a coffepot that will talk to you until you are awake enough to be civil, with the aid of Java (coffee, not language).
Response to Peer, Discussion 2: From Brian: Personally, I haven't got a problem with automated research tool under my control, but I do have a problem with surrendering decision making authority. I would also be annoyed if the AI interface was personified. I do not want to talk to Mr. Lambton when I enter student grades and I definitely do not want Mr. Lambton doing my timetabling without my input. If some paperclip-like annoyance pops out of the corner of my screen with a solution to my problem, great, but if it starts interrogating me, it's dead. Mr. Paperclip I totally agree! Each session in a Microsoft software, for me, always includes one screech for "QUIT helping me!" Bill Gates KNOWS how irritating these things are. There are some "helps" that either are programmed to not be stoppable, or the keyword to look it up in the Help File is so bizarre, you'll never find "help" unless you read the entire Help File. As for Mr. Paperclip, if he's so darned smart, why doesn't he know that he has exactly one-half second before I hit the eenie-beenie blue exit button to squelch his stupid wink? Does he come up with the weirdest solutions to what you type in for a question ... or WHAT? :-) Great observations, Brian, and I am very glad you included so much info on AI. There are some marvelous sites out there, dealing with artificial intelligence. I did some master's level research and writing, and it is fascinating. I disagree with one point you've made ... I feel it is the nearer, rather than farther future, that we will see these things come into daily play in our lives. It's already here, in many strong ways. One recent study I read states that something like 45 intelligent (to one level or another) digital mechanisms run the average American household and lives of the inhabitants. That's pretty awesome. There is an excellent book that was a text for one of my courses at Nova Southeastern. It is Beyond Calculation: The Next Fifty Years of Computing, edited by Peter Denning & Robert Metcalfe. This book will change your life. Whenever I want to get the same jolt that the Hal-2000 concept gave me for over 25 years, I go read Beyond Calculation for a while. It's written by well-known names in these sciences .. and if it doesn't scare you to death, it will help you immensely by putting all things digital, into perspective.
Comment, Discussion 3: Prediction Three: But Searching Will Become More Intelligent The use of search engines and databases holds promise and peril for the future on interface design for web-based courses. Read Head's Chapter 6, "Online Commercial Databases: Power Tools Unplugged?" An additional web site resource is Digital Culture: The Invisible World Order, by Andrew Piper. Databases promise more interactivity and improved efforts to be responsive to user and information. "Modern interactive networked communications systems married to astronomically large database storage capability ought to ensure that at times of change nothing need to be lost" (Burke, p. 16). To what extent will databases be more communicative and responsive to your user base? The ubiquitous computer I stand in absolute agreement with these chapters, both with the NON-comprehensible depth of information available, and with the absolute need for taming the beast. An astounding amount of work has already been done ... and we are all recipients of that work. Already, digital technology and COMPUTERS have become the central order of all of our lives, whether we want to admit that, or not. The ubiquitous computer is behind just about everything that is easy or good about our modern lives. Unfortunately, it's behind some of the really bad items, as well! For anyone in the IT field, it has become obvious in the past couple of years, just where the emphases are: database, database, and more database. With a bit of networking thrown in. Every web site that you love, most likely is being run with an extensive database of information. The providers in our lives — television, public services, medical entities, and yes, EDUCATION — all move and work within their growing facilities of databased info and power. The Internet is one big database of information. We have, at present, relatively weak and isolated attempts at making this thing work: Yahoo, MetaCrawler, AskJeeves, etc. Their intent is good, their effectiveness, as yet, is NOT good. In fact, only about 18% of the totality of the Net, has been properly "meta-tagged" and is therefore searchable and FINDABLE on the Web. This was part of a study in my final coursework on my Master's, at Nova S.E. University ... very disturbing news, to say the least. I've said this before, but I want to repeat that it is my belief that all of us, as designers, need to be conversant with the tools and languages of the Web. I'll go a step further, and state that it is my belief that within the next couple of years, in order to design for the Web, in any capacity, it will be absolutely necessary to understand and be able to utilize these things. The very example of database sciences is perhaps one of the best models. I predict that ALL education-based entities will perform almost entirely within a shell that calls upon huge databases of information of every description. This, I believe, is what Bev has called the "peril for the future on interface design for web-based courses." Very quickly, I see education setting up entire courses, entire schools, and calling upon limitless information housed in database storage. Every teacher, and even every learner, will soon be required to have an understanding of these things. The peril lies in the learning curve, and the COST of the learning curve. Can we do it? On a lighter note — for right now and probably forever — we have excellent tools appearing on the scene. There are different ways to approach the solving of any problem! If one doesn't have the skill, time, or desire to do a certain thing — it can always be HAD, sometimes for a price, sometimes for free. The sites we design in the future will definitely call for some sort of storage and retrieval. Even the small sites we have created for ED722 are enhanced by a search capacity. I've placed a search form on each page of my site. One of the best of these services is Atomz.com, at http://www.atomz.com. For a web site under 500 pages, it is free. If you navigate over there, you will see the big names who utilize their engine! Putting a search ability on your site is fast, easy, and free. Please take a look at mine, at: http://www.refuge-earth.hispeed.com/pages/palebluedot/Capella/ed722/index.html.
Response to Peer, Discussion 3: Big Brother and Great Circle of eLife Jean, your discussion ("feeble brains and databases") set me to thinking about the fear of many, that things-Internet, such as the collection and archiving of massive information on individuals or entities, such that a database would be securely tied to personal information vendors so tightly that there would be "nothing sacred," and nothing secret. Hey, it could happen. It probably already, to a great degree, has. I, like you, choose to NOT live in a world of fear of the big brother syndrome. One thing that DOES concern me, however, when I ponder this great knowledge base, and the methods to use for taming it, using it ... is that a truly efficient search system will bring on new problems that are almost worse than what we have! Consider some of the really whacked sites you find along the way. Consider the very dangerous people lurking in eCorners. Consider detailed information that, in the hands of the not-intended group, could lead to a 30-minute nuclear accident. When there is finally a really usable search solution — then anyone will be able to find much, much more than they can find right now. More organized and thorough, this may well provide exact maps for everyone from global terrorists to individual marital vendettas. Already we've read stories of information that has been hurtfully used. Should we, could we, control this? If so, who would we elect to police this sensitive information? Big Bro. or his cousin? Should it be left to individual persons and companies, to police their own gatherings of information? If so, how can THAT be done? There are already software available that will go into the HTML of a web site, directed by the coding they've been given, to search specific things. In fact, there are software now that are designed to PROTECT against those very 'bots. Somewhere in here, the essence of ridiculous comes in ... where does it stop? And, once initiated, CAN we stop it? I'll call this one, "Great Circle of eLife."
Response to Peer Brian, Discussion 3: Brian said: Over the past two or three years I have observed a big change in the technical ability of students comming into first year at the college. Where I used to provide tutorials on the use of the computer, I can now begin to productively use the tool immediatly upon the start of classes. The common windows platform has made migration to other tools more intuitive, and students are indoctrinated in technology throughout their daily lives. I think your comment about the learning curve and the cost associated with it is being addressed simply because, as you said, digital technology and COMPUTERS have become the central order of all of our lives. There is a big dust-up here at the moment about a massive database assembled by a department within the federal government. The concern is that this department has combined information from various other government departments to collect all forms of personal information about every citizen, apparently to monitor some program or other. There are calls for the destruction of these files, but I'm not sure that really makes any sense seeing that this information is also available through the other departments that it was collected from. I'm more concerned with the rationale, I really cannot see the need for such a database. On another note, apparently an IBM study has shown that 24% of all web sites have no links back to themselves, and only link out. Another 24% have no links out, and are only linked into and 22% are tendrils, niether linked to or from the remaining 30% which forms the core of sites linked between each other. IBM says they traced 1.5 billion links among 200 million web pages to postulate the ''bow tie'' theory. This confirms your suggestion that only a small portion of the web has been tagged and is searchable, in fact, most of the web isn't even accessable. And maybe we are lucky! When I read those statistics (now you did it, I MUST go back through a dozen Nova U. zip disks and find this stuff!), all I could think was: If we can't find what we want, in only 18% or so of what is really out there ... how can we HOPE to find it, if 100% was searchable? I guess the existing search engines would not even be capable of bringing in a total search. They have "time-outs" and also limit the number of items they list, even when they find more. We will REALLY be screaming about info overload — UNLESS, as we've talked about here, within our discussion of databases, we come up with a more efficient way of searching the knowledge base. Bev asked if some answers will be found in Metatags, and I think this is a very observant question. If not in metatags, then something very close in concept — it is ALL in the coding. The text, the graphics, the everything. All is in the coding. I guess it's like a hangover. Seek treatment in a bit of the dog that bit you. It would be very easy to become totally scared by database technology, in my opinion. If there ever was a tool for having the ability for bringing the worst science fiction nightmare into a reality, it is what lies in the corners of dbase technology. The scariest part is the fact that the great majority don't have even a small understanding of this. Things could be created, implemented, and have your head hanging on a wooden stake, before you could even spell its name. That's why I keep harping on the fact that we MUST learn the tools of the Net. If we are going to play the game, we gotta know the rules of the playing field. If you and I are not building into our sites, the very latest in not just CONTENT, but also common tools, help pages, and SECURITY — we are participating in the problem portion of "If you are not part of the solution, you are ____ __ ___ _______." Like any revolution, it will take the knowledge and distributed (sneaky) power of the common person, to override the thrusts of powermonging of those who get there first, and get giddy. By that, I mean the ones that have the resources to BUY the initial knowledge and thus, power. Usually, a large entity. Like government. Religion. Name your vicious large power. As nice as it is, to ponder what tremendous uses that one huge database of knowledge could provide — we must keep in mind that someone will try to erect one huge gateway to the castle. They will defend it mightily. And if we haven't prepared ourselves with THE TOOLS — we don't stand a chance. On that note. I'm off to enjoy the last 2/3 of the first 3-day weekend I've had in over 5 years!
Comment, Discussion 4: Prediction Four: Information Professionals Take a Leap Backwards It is interesting that after we have discussed interface design with such role considerations as designers and architects, we look to the future as toolmakers. Did you already realize this as you have been working through the details of each of the unit's assignments? How did this come to you? Or how are you understanding a role of toolmaker as your future role? How will the role of toolmaker be different? How will tool making impact the interface design of web-based courses? It's like the Lion King, Great Circle of Life It is my belief that toolmaking is the undergirding of any profession. Whether that is a designer, an architect, or any profession ... the innovative process has been what has driven it all. As we have progressed as a race, each step has been a building block for that which will come after. We have always devised the tool to get the job done. Perhaps it was because I started out, so many years ago, in the arts, and then proceeded into publishing. Every act, in putting together art or a published artifact, is a series of creative ideas that is implemented by a SCIENCE, a tool. When I began with computers, in 1988, it was an extremely easy transition, taking on the computer as an ART tool. The marvel of the digital / Internet / computing setting is that the TOOL becomes the tool for making new tools, if you follow my drift. It's like the Lion King, Great Circle of Life [in the life cycle of web tools :-) ] Every project has demanded that I utilize the medium, to create new tools for accomplishing what I conceive in my head. As interface designers or architects, this process is exactly the same. Human beings are just "programmed" to overview what we DO have, what we DON'T have, and come up with what we need, in order to make something better, faster, shinier, or upscale in some way. I don't think the role of toolmaker is going to change a bit. The same innovative thought process that saw the power of fire after the lightning hit the tree, is the same process that built the Rover for Mars, and the tools it took to watch it go through the proscribed hoops and hurdles. We, as designers, will follow these same pathways — the key has always been, and always will be — extraordinary vision and the ability and willingness to experiment. The real innovators are risk-takers, pioneers. The old saying that we all have our 15 minutes of fame, I believe, is really true. Perhaps the only innovation one person will come up with, in a profession of "Mom," for instance ... will change the world, for what the rewards will be, for one child. The one thing that I see that the designer of the future must adopt, is that we are always working within a tool within a tool. That, our own creations will become the base for an improved tool. And, that all learning, everywhere, is the grandest TOOL of all. This, I think, is what makes the Internet so very beguiling and yes, addictive, to so many. People recognize the power of the collective knowledge base! They realize that anything and everything they need, to make new tools for living, is now within their grasp. As designers for web-based learning settings, we must keep in mind that we are only devising new ways to make information available. In that sense, the tools we create have a common bond with pen and ink, and the printer's press. We simply will be working with tools that are different, and the items we create are yet again, different tools. These tools we use, and that we are creating, will keep pace with the technologies. They will be speedier and more demanding, both on us as the designers, and on the learners of the future. One thing I see is that in each learning setting, we are not only devising ways of imparting the CONTENT, but we are also stewards of presenting the technology in such a way that the learner is also learning the technology of the environment. I see this as a demanding path, for what we must incorporate are the latest abilities of these technologies. It does no good to teach old, expired technologies. Therefore, we must be as state-of-the-art as possible. The tools of the Web aren't that different from a slate and chalk, or a book of any age ... the look of awe on the face of the learner is, and always will be, the same.
Response to teacher Bev Enns, Discussion 4: Bev said: If we are to continue to advance the concepts of WBI, we will need new and better tools. I agree that the computer is the tool. Yet, consider this point: The computer as we know it is not designed to do the work it was intended to to. If this is true what is the tool that will do the job. The attention is focused now on more hand held, portable devices. Can you envisions taking this course on a Palm Pilot? Beam Me Up Scotty This past week, I've had some very successful closure on the disaster of 8 days without phone service, therefore Internet connection. (Was I crazed, oh yeh!) Palm pilot, or things that are very similar, ARE the answer or at least a part of it. To make a long story short: I purchased an upscale Nokia tri-mode cellular phone. $180.00. This phone is capable of Internet capacities, in and of itself, such as email, information retrieval, and access to pre-programmed sites. It's limited, but actually has great uses for daily life. I heard ONE comment from the cellular technician concerning a connectivity kit so that the phone acts as the modem to the Net. TOTAL, not limited connection to the Net. Studied it and called back and ordered it. $100.00. Purchased a "life time special" that allows for 600 week minutes, and 1000 weekend minutes. $50.00 per month. And a couple of bells and whistles that will safeguard against the phone tragedy ever happening again — voice mail, etc. An excellent lap top can now be purchased for around $1000. LOTS of power, more even, than this Dell of mine which is now 18 months old. The connection is about the same as a regular phone connection, and some things actually move more quickly. I think, for being in infant stages, this is an exciting revolution in Internet offerings!!! I plan on testing this for a couple of months, and then, seriously — I will do away with my land-based phone. The only downside, right now, is the cost of per-minute connection, if your use falls outside of your "plan." With the 1600 minutes, I figure that much of my current work can be done offline, and the actual upload and download work can be kept to a minimum. It even allows time for research. As time goes on, and I think we will see this in the next 12-24 months — these per-minute charges will come down drastically. I can envision brick and mortar colleges and businesses entering into a heavier handshake with this new technology. For instance, many higher ed institutions, as mentioned in these threads, are requiring a laptop for entry into school. If the "equipment package" were to contain not just the laptop, but also a portable printer, a cellular phone with modem connectivity kit, and a "minutes package" with an excellent cellular provider ... could the university then get by with a "workstation" that included only ... an electrical plug for the laptop?? Seriously, the limitations of the battery in the laptop would become the most serious part of the connection setup. I could see that this could become lucrative for cellular providers, and with the bulk of clients in students, teachers, and other "regular folks" — it would drive the costs of hookup time, down!! For a regular monthly fee, I could see it driving it as low as ... unlimited time online, just as it is with cable or phone line. This isn't perfect. And it does cost more. But, I figure that for the cellular AND the land-based phone to both go down for 8 days at the same time ... we have just experienced A-Bomb, and it doesn't matter anyway. The minute I prove to myself that I can retrain my Internet habits so that my actual work is done offline, and that 1600 minutes per month is DO-able, this will be about as perfect as it can get. Oh. And after 11 years and many PC and peripheral purchases — when I held this cellular phone in my hand, it was the oddest sensation. It felt like the ticket to the universe. Beam Me Up Scotty had arrived. WebSpinner@refuge-earth.org ( that's me — Leanne! )
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