Touchscreen interface for seamless data transfer between the real and virtual worlds

Diginfo.tv - 15 april, 2013.

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a next generation user interface which can accurately detect the users finger and what it is touching, creating an interactive touchscreen-like system, using objects in the real word.

"We think paper and many other objects could be manipulated by touching them, as with a touchscreen. This system doesn't use any special hardware; it consists of just a device like an ordinary webcam, plus a commercial projector. Its capabilities are achieved by image processing technology."

Using this technology, information can be imported from a document as data, by selecting the necessary parts with your finger.

This technology measures the shape of real-world objects, and automatically adjusts the coordinate systems for the camera, projector, and real world. In this way, it can coordinate the display with touching, not only for flat surfaces like tables and paper, but also for the curved surfaces of objects such as books.

"Until now, gesturing has often been used to operate PCs and other devices. But with this interface, we're not operating a PC, but touching actual objects directly, and combining them with ICT equipment."

"The system is designed not to react when you make ordinary motions on a table. It can be operated when you point with one finger. What this means is, the system serves as an interface combining analog operations and digital devices."

To detect touch accurately, the system needs to detect fingertip height accurately. In particular, with the low-resolution camera used here (320 x 180), if fingertip detection is off by a single pixel, the height changes by 1 cm. So, the system requires technology for recognizing fingertips with high precision.

"Using a low-res webcam gives a fuzzy picture, but the system calculates 3D positions with high precision, by compensating through image processing."

This system also includes technology for controlling color and brightness, in line with the ambient light, and correcting for individual differences in hand color. In this way, it can identify fingertips consistently, with little influence from the environment or individual differences.

Also, in situations that don't use touch, the system can be operated by gesturing. In this demo, when you move your fist, you can manipulate the viewpoint for 3D CAD data. So, there could be applications for this touch system by combining it with current gesture systems.

"For example, we think this system could be used to show detailed information at a travel agent's counter, or when you need to fill in forms at City Hall."

"We aim to develop a commercial version of this system by fiscal 2014. It's still at the demonstration level, so it's not been used in actual settings. Next, we'd like to get people to use it for actual tasks, see what issues arise, and evaluate usability. We want to reflect such feedback in this system."

Posted By Don Kennedy and Ryo Osuga

Ken Robinson et al. Unlocking Creativity, A Strategy for Development

Belfast: Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. DCAL. (2002)

Open publication - Free publishing

3 Social Learning Trends to Watch in 2012

By Sharlyn Lauby, January, 2012. Open Forum.

 Investments in training appear to be on the rise. Many experts expect that training will be a major focus for organizations in the upcoming year. It makes sense. As our economy continues to move in a positive direction, consumers will demand better service.

This translates to a need for customer-service training, as well as management and leadership training. These are all poised for increases in 2012.

The amount spent on training jumped about 13 percent from 2010, according to the 2011 Training Industry Report. The expenditures included increases in overall training budgets and payroll, and spending on outside products and services.

Along with the increased attention on training, a conversation about value and retention is happening. Ways to engage participants and enhance the value of training are part of that discussion, as new tools and methods emerge.

Here are three areas that combine social development with learning. Consider integrating them in your business during this year.

1. Social learning

Tony Bingham, president and CEO of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), is helping, is helping define social learning.

“Social learning is learning with and from others, often—but not always—with social media tools," Bingham says. "Social learning is a powerful approach to sharing and discovering a whole array of options. [It leads] to more informed decision-making and a more intimate, expansive and dynamic understanding of the culture and context in which we work.”

There are many benefits to incorporating social learning into an organization.

“Incorporating social learning creates networks of knowledgeable people to work across time and space to make informed decisions and solve complex problems," Bingham says. "Learning happens more quickly and broadly. Innovation happens faster. And tacit knowledge can be retained and reused.”

Companies are paying attention to the benefits. ASTD’s research report, "Transforming Learning with Web 2.0 Technologies," indicates that 87 percent of respondents predict that their companies are more likely to use Web 2.0 technologies in the next three years than they currently do. Bingham offers several examples of how companies are applying social learning in his book, The New Social Learning.

2. Social networking techniques

Defining social learning is still a work in progress. Many trainers use social networking platforms to create activities and exercises for their programs. Jane Bozarth, e-learning coordinator for the State of North Carolina and author of Social Media for Trainers, explains how using social networks can enhance training.

“Social media tools help to amplify the social and informal learning already going on in organizations all the time, every day, and make the learning available on a much larger scale," says Bozarth. "They provide ways to connect talent pools and expertise in an organization or within a practice area, and can offer just-in-time solutions to problems and performance issues.”

The reaction from participants is very positive.

“Participants are happy to engage with one another using social media tools for training purposes," says Bozarth. "They find it convenient, useful for learning at the moment of need, and [it helps them] develop a greater sense of control over their learning.”

Trainers shouldn’t fear adding a social component to their programs. Bozarth says it’s pretty easy to do.

“Social media tools are just tools. [They] can be effectively employed to support the gamut of training activities, from introductions to role plays to discussions of video clips, and anything in between,” she says.

Bozarth hopes "learning and development practitioners [will move] toward partnering with learners and away from feeling their role is to direct them.”

3. Gamification

A frequent training request is make subjects fun. What better way to learn a new topic than by playing a game?

“Studies indicate that games, when designed properly, motivate learners, improve learner retention and encourage students who aren’t typically ‘academic’ to partake in the learning process," says Karl M. Kapp, professor of instructional technology at Bloomsburg University and author of The Gamification of Training: Game-based Methods and Strategies for Learning and Instruction. "There is no reason learning has to always be hard or difficult.”

It’s important to note that not all games are created equal when it comes to learning.

“Some people see gamification simply as the process of adding points, badges or rewards to the learning process and instantly creating engagement, interactivity and motivation for learning, says Kapp. "This view is wrong.”

Look at the real reasons why games are popular, says Kapp, and apply those elements to the process. “When done correctly, gamification provides an experience that is inherently engaging and, most importantly, promotes learning. The elements of games that make for effective gamification are … storytelling (which provides a context), challenge, immediate feedback, sense of curiosity, problem-solving, a sense of accomplishment, autonomy and mastery.”

Adding social networks and games to training programs has the potential to shake up the learning experience. It can create constant learning opportunities, real-time knowledge-sharing and improved participant engagement.

Cyber Culture and Psychology

Cyber Culture and Psychology

By Erika Torres. Nov.20, 2011.

With the advent of new technology come new oppotunities and responsibilities. As a researcher, educator and therapist, I have become fascinated by the role that technology plays in our lives. From social media networks such as facebook and twitter, to skype and google chat. The way we communicate with others (or fail to communicate) is greatly shaped by the cyber culture we currently live in. As a therapist and future psychologist who strives to be culturally humble and aware, I am intrigued by the ways in which we can use cultural trends to enhance our daily lives and for treatment with our clients.

Personally, I am intrigued by the use of technology in our daily lives. For example, how many of us text or post messages on facebook for our loved ones even when they may be in the other room? To some this may seem unusual or even unhealthy. The answer is much more complex than a simple good or bad. Technology can certainly be used to enhance communication with our significant others on a daily basis. For example, we can send a text during lunch time wishing our loved ones a good day. And, as an older sister of a young woman, texting is the best way for me to communicate with her.

At the same time, if we take this to the extreme and we only communicate with others using technology, this may become problematic. Often the lines of communication can be stunted by technology because we may be spending too much time in front of the computer or on the phone. We may have little to say to others in person or maybe distracted by a text conversation while having dinner with someone else. Where the line is drawn depends on our interpersonal skills and ability to bring balance to our lives. All in moderation!

One great example of this potential problem are the new generation of teenagers whose main mode of communication is through texting or posting messages on social media forums. On the one hand, their brains may become flexible in new ways that we have not yet been able to study. On the other, a more concerning perspective, teenagers may not be exposed to direct face-to-face communication. While, this may not be detrimental, and in fact, may have an evolutionary value within their cohort, as adults, they may lack the social skills needed to build meaningful relationships. This may have serious ramifications when applying to college, interviewing for a job and potentially finding a mate.

Thus, as therapists, when working with clients, especiallly, but not limited to the new generation, it is important that we assess their level of interpersonal skills and screen for potential problematic technology use. This will allow us to gain a better understanding of our clients’ experiences and we may be better able to serve them. This basic assessment should become an essential part of our treatment modality.

Furthermore, technology-informed therapy can be an effective way to connect with our clients. What do I mean by technology-informed therapy? Like any other form of culturally-attuned treatment, technology-informed therapy attempts to understand individuals’ relationship to technology; both the positive and harmful aspects of it.

Furthermore, technology can be used in session as a tool to create rapport and understanding for the other’s experience. By this I don’t necessarily mean we should friend your clients on facebook, text or skype with them (though some therapists are using technology to provide psychotherapy). What I am mainly referring to is using technology in session both literally and symbolically as a way to connect with our clients. For example, when I worked with teenagers, a number of my clients wanted to share youtube videos, online gaming sites, links to an interesting articles, etc. These experiences allowed us to connect in a different way and begin the conversation about interpersonal skill building. Shying away from meeting clients where they are (technologically speaking or otherwise) will inevitably lead to a poor relationship and therapeutic outcome.

I am not suggesting we make radical changes in the way we perceive the world, but, it is important to catch up with the times and become interested in the way that current cyber culture shapes our world view and those of the people we serve.

Thomas Suarez - iPhone Application Developer... and 6th Grader

Thomas Suarez is a 6th grade student at a middle school in the South Bay. Tom been fascinated by computers and technology since before kindergarten. Recently, he's been focused on the development of applications for the iPhone, and has established his own company, CarrotCorp. His most successful ap is one he terms "an anti-Justin-Bieber game" called "Bustin Jieber". "It's is a variation on the Whac-a-Mole theme," he explains.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxManhattanBeach, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxManhattanBeach event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.

Multiplatform E-Learning Systems and Technologies.

Mobile Devices for Ubiquitous ICT-Based Education

Multiplatform e-learning systems are emerging technologies that provide integrated learning content to various accessing devices.

Multiplatform E-Learning Systems and Technologies: Mobile Devices for Ubiquitous ICT-Based Educationaddresses technical challenges, design frameworks, and development experiences of the future that integrate multiple mobile devices into a single multiplatform e-learning system. With expert international contributions, this collection benefits researchers, academicians, and practitioners interested in this growing field.

Open publication - Free publishing - More e-leraning

Using Moodle Second Edition

Using Moodle book

Using Moodle - Teaching with the Popular Open Source Course Management System by Jason Cole and Helen Foster is published by O'Reilly as part of the Community Press series.

The first edition of the book, written by Jason Cole and released in July 2005, is based on Moodle 1.4. The second edition, released in November 2007, has been updated to cover all the features in Moodle 1.8, such as the new roles and permissions system, blogs, messagingand the database module.

Open publication - Free publishing - More book

Book download

The second edition of Using Moodle is freely available online to enjoy, share and modify under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 License.

• Using Moodle zipped PDF download (4.3MB)
• Using Moodle online Flash version via Issuu.com

See Talk:Using Moodle book for download links for the first edition.

Video gaming children 'more creative'

Children who play video games are more creative than those who don't, according to a new study.

By Shane Richmond, Head of Technology (Editorial). 04 nov 2011. The Telegraph.

Researchers at Michigan State University, in the United States, found that playing video games was linked to greater creativity, regardless of the type of game played.

Linda Jackson, the professor of psychology at Michigan State who led the research, said that the findings should encourage game designers to try to discover what it is about video games that stimulates creativity.

She said: "Once they do that, video games can be designed to optimize the development of creativity while retaining their entertainment values such that a new generation of video games will blur the distinction between education and entertainment."

Boys play more video games than girls, the study found, and they are more likely to prefer violent games or sport games, while girls tend to prefer games involving interaction.

The study tested almost 500 12-year-olds against the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, which examine problem-solving and story-telling skills.

While video games were linked to increased creativity, general computer use and the use of mobile phones and the internet do not lead to increased creativity, the researchers found.

Jackson added: "We are the first to look at creativity and technology use, finding that no other technologies except video games was positively related to creativity."

Researchers also found that children who play video games have better 'visual-spatial' skills, which are considered important in developing skills in science and engineering disciplines in later life.

The study, which has been published online, will appear next year in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour.

Sir Ken Robinson: ¡A iniciar la revolución del aprendizaje!

Sir Ken Robinson: ¡A iniciar la revolución del aprendizaje!

TED 2010. Filmed Feb 2010. Posted May 2010.

De manera conmovedora y divertida, continuando con su legendaria charla en TED de 2006, Sir Ken Robinson plantea un cambio radical, para pasar de escuelas estandarizadas al aprendizaje personalizado – creando las condiciones para que pueda florecer el talento natural de los niños.

Concepts of Normality: The Autistic and Typical Spectrum.

W. Lawson. (2008)

Book description:

For those with autism, understanding 'normal' can be a difficult task. For those without autism, the perception of 'normal' can lead to unrealistic expectations of self and others. This book explores how individuals and society understand 'normal', in order to help demystify and make accessible a full range of human experience.Wendy Lawson outlines the theory behind, in order to help demystify and make accessible a full range of human experience.Wendy Lawson outlines the theory behind the current thinking and beliefs of Western society that have led to the building of a culture that fails to be inclusive. She describes what a wider concept of 'normal' means and how to access it, whether it's in social interaction, friendships, feelings, thoughts and desires or various other aspects of 'normality'. Practical advice is offered on a range of situations, including how to find your role within the family, how to integrate 'difference' into everyday society, and how to converse and connect with others.Accessible and relevant to people both on and off the autism spectrum, this book offers a fresh look at what it means to be 'normal'.

Open publication - Free publishing - More austim

Why u Should b CyberWise!

By Diana Graber - mediapsy.net

We are living in exciting times, with access to powerful tools and technologies that enable us to connect, communicate and collaborate with one another like never before. Just take a look at this infographic (“The Biggest Shift Since the Industrial Revolution”  created by en.gauge.media) to see what’s changed in just the last five years.

While for many this shift offers exhilarating opportunities, for most the mere thought of keeping up with all these changes is simply overwhelming. And the most overwhelmed ones? Largely parents and educators who are supposed to be guiding the next generation towards this brave new world. This is a difficult task made additionally challenging when you’re still trying to figure out the difference between Twitter and Flickr. According the Kaiser Family Foundation (Rideout, et. al., 2010), the average 8- to 18 year old is spending 7 hours and 38 minutes using media each day, which is more time than they spend in school or with their parents (Common Sense Media, 2011). If we can’t talk to this generation about what it is they spend most of their time doing, then what we have is a pretty serious failure to communicate.

No GrownUp Should Be Left Behind!
So in attempt to bridge this generational digital divide, we just launched  www.cyberwise.org , a new website that helps parents and educators understand and use new media tools to invigorate education. Our mission is to provide up-to-date and, hopefully, useful and basic information about digital media. In addition to videos, like the CyberWise Guide to New Media, links, and articles on our site, you can sign up for The CyberWise Weekly in order to get this information sent directly to your email. And if that’s not enough, we also offer The CyberWise Daily which can be sent to your email each day via Twitter.


No Educator Left Behind Either!
In addition to providing credible information on how to integrate media literacy into education safely and wisely, CyberWise is also dedicated to helping educators learn about the actual digital tools, so the heart of our website is what we call our “CyberWise Guides”.


Our CyberTools4Schools page is one-stop-shop that provides Guides not just on how to use digital tools positively and productively, but why.  Each Guide includes an introductory Video like the one here and a downloadable PDF (sample page) chock full of insight, research, lesson plans, examples and links to making the most of the various tools (most of them are free!!) available in the marketplace today.

 Sorry, No Plastic at our Parties
And, finally,  we are also doing presentations both in person and virtually, like our “Tech-Aware” Parties. These are the modern-day equivalent of a Tupperware Party… only instead of going home with new plastic containers, you’ll go home armed with current technological know-how.

Why CyberWise?
CyberWise is a labor of love, dreamt up with another Media Psychology & Social Change M.A. graduate, Cynthia Lieberman, who shares a passion for all the positive possibilities offered by new media and an ardent desire to help prepare young people use these interactive tools confidently and wisely.  We’ve learned that in order to do this effectively, we have to start with the grownups!

The best part about CyberWise is that the same tools and technologies we address on our site are what have enabled us to turn our dream into a reality. So please share this blog, this link , or our Facebook page with a grownup you may know who is struggling to keep up with new media. We look forward to helping them Be CyberWise!

References
Common Sense Media (n.d.). Common sense media education programs. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators
Rideout, V.J., Foehr, U.G., & Roberts, D.F. (2010). Generation M2: Media in the lives of 8- to 18- year olds. A Kaiser Family Foundation Study. Retrieved October 18, 2010 from http://www.kff.org/entmedia/8010.cfm

Connectivism: new paradigm or fascinating pot-pourri?

Connectivism: new paradigm or fascinating pot-pourri?
Antonio Calvani.
Download

Abstract: In the final module of four over two years, academics on the PGCAP at the University of Bedfordshire were required to create a four-stage wiki to evidence their knowledge about evaluating strategies which promote effective learning, relating the effectiveness of their teaching to theories of learning, while critically reviewing factors leading to effective use of student-centred methods of teaching. We wanted the students to understand the experience of working collaboratively to create a wiki and to create a rich resource for their own and future students’ use. The wiki, eventually comprising 419 pages, was worth 50% of the final assessment for this module. This session will show the wiki that resulted from the 2006-7 class and illustrate the problems that ensued in the first year. It will also show the wiki that will have been completed in the second year by June 2008 and identify those aspects of good practice in this exercise that have been identified as a result.

Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society | ISSN (online) 1971 - 8829 | ISSN (paper) 1826 - 6223 © 2009 Je-LKS - Italian e-Learning Association (SIe-L). Hosted by Laboratory of Maieutics, University of Trento. Connectivism: new paradigm or fascinating pot-pourri? Calvani.

Virtualizing Intimacy: Information Communication Technologies and Transnational Families in Therapy.

Virtualizing Intimacy: Information Communication Technologies and Transnational Families  in Therapy.
By Gonzalo Bacigalupe & Susan Lambe.
Family Proccess, Vol. 50, N°1, 2011.

Information communication technologies (ICTs) are a ubiquitous feature of immigrant family life affordable, widely accessible, and highly adaptable ICT s have transformed the immigrant experience into a transnational process with family networks redesigned but not lost. Being a transnational family is not a new phenomenon. Transnationalism, however, has historically been reserved for the wealthier professional and political immigrant class who were able to freely travel and use expensive forms of communication before the emergence of accessible technologies. This paper systematically reviews the research literature to investigate the potential impact of ICTs on the lives of transnational families and how these families utilize them. The wide penetration of ICTs also puts into question some of the ways in which scholars have conceptualized the immigrant experience. The appropriate use of technology in family therapy should strengthen culturally competent and equity-based approaches to address the needs of these families. A family therapy with a transnational family illuminates some of the potential that these technologies introduce in the practice of relational clinicians. Virtualizing Intimacy: ICTs and Transnational Families in Therapy.

Steve Jobs: Student, Teacher And Leader In Revolutionizing Education And Technology 

The Huffington Post.   Emmeline Zhao   First Posted: 10/6/11 01:02 PM ET

In a time of educational debate and shuffling nationwide, a college dropout, businessman and paragon of technological innovation emerged as an inadvertent, but forceful, momentum for an educational revolution around the world.

Steve Jobs wasn't the best student in the traditional sense, as he dropped out of college within six months of enrolling. But in the years following, the world watched as he built Apple and as he taught himself through numerous failures and subsequent successes. His career became an education for himself, his employees and his customers.

By way of educational ideology, Jobs was a believer in equal opportunity, according to a 1995 interview with Daniel Morrow, executive director of the Computerworld Smithsonian Awards Program.

"I don't believe in equal outcome because unfortunately life's not like that," Jobs told Morrow. "It would be a pretty boring place if it was."

Following the news of Jobs' death Wednesday night, thousands of tributes poured in, honoring the tech pioneer's life, career and pervasive contribution to the operations, capabilities and outlook of innumerable industries. Among those messages was this tribute from the parent of an autistic child.
"Steve Jobs Saved My Son," the CNN iReport post is titled.
"Thank you Steve Jobs for helping my son," the mother writes. "You have given us hope we thought we would never have."

Her 3-year-old son doesn't talk, but his ability to communicate has been revolutionized by the use of Apple's iPad, she says.

The Apple computer lab at Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic school in Ontario, Canada is lit with screens of Jobs' image. The person who runs the lab told CNN iReport producer rachel8 that Jobs was the one person aside from his family and teaching career who shaped his life.

"It's crazy," he said. "You'd never think that somebody you'd never met could have such an influence on you."

And not only never met, but perhaps have never shared footing on the same continent, Beijing teenager Silu Wang told Businessweek she was inspired by Steve Jobs, and attributes her high test scores to using him as her subject on an essay for college admission to the U.S.

But back Stateside, Jobs' legacy and influence on education has expanded from typography and word processing on iMacs to the beginnings of a completely new system and revolutionary methods of teaching and learning through the use of gadgets like iPhones and iPads in classrooms -- in addition to what we now consider the more traditional computer. Jobs' story has come a long way since his company donated Apple II computers to 10,000 schools in California in 1983


Schools across the country have joined a movement that trims textbooks in schools, replacing them with the lighter, sleeker iPad. The introduction of tablet computers are expected to cut costs for school districts long-term, and host a multitude of new ways students can interact in learning and complete assignments -- shifting the learning process from the rigid lecture to a more dynamic collaboration.

But even as his products have seeped into the pores of industry, Jobs was one to note that technology isn't an instigator of change -- people like teachers are. People, he tells Morrow, are the ones who ignite and fuel curiosity, things that machines cannot do. The marriage of technology and human momentum through learning is what has and will shape the future of education.

"You need a person. Especially with computers the way they are now. Computers are very reactive but they're not proactive; they are not agents, if you will. They are very reactive," he said. "What children need is something more proactive. They need a guide. They don't need an assistant. I think we have all the material in the world to solve this problem; it's just being deployed in other places."

It's this very embedding of Jobs' creations into our culture and education that has students reflecting on his leadership and the message behind his life.

"If you set your mind to it, you can do anything you want. Just imagine it and you can go with it," Old Dominion University student Nick Jennings told WAVY.com. "You just got to work for it. You've got to know what you want to do. It's pretty inspirational, he was a good man."

While his followers and consumers were inspired by his experiences, life philosophy and innovative products, Jobs said in his 1995 interview with Morrow that without a number of teachers who influenced him, "I would have absolutely have ended up in jail…. When you're young, a little bit of course correction goes a long way. I think it takes pretty talented people to do that."

Milo, el niño virtual.

Peter Molyneux hace una demostración de Milo, el niño virtual

Peter Molyneux hace una demostración de Milo, un videojuego para el controlador Kinect de Microsoft que ha suscitado mucha expectación. El niño virtual, perspicaz e impresionable como un chico de 11 años de verdad, observa, escucha y aprende: es capaz de reconocerle y responderle.