New Horizon Report 2011 - A Technology and Trend

Technologies to Watch – Horizon Report 2011:

Electronic books continue to generate strong interest in the consumer sector and are increasingly available on campuses as well. Modern electronic readers support note-taking and research activities, and are beginning to augment these basic functions with new capabilities — from immersive experiences to support for social interaction — that are changing our perception of what it means to read.

I disagree (currently).  Students across the country have hard feelings about eBooks. They make sense in many ways.  The cost is often much lower and includes lifetime access to the eBooks.  The recent announce by Apple regarding the IPad and eBooks is altering the playing field in this multi-gillion dollar industry.

Key Trend – Horizon Report 2011:

1.     The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators in sense-making, coaching, and credentialing. This multi-year trend was again ranked very highly, indicating its continued influence. With personal access to the Internet from mobile devices on the rise, the growing set of resources available as open content, and a variety of reference and textbooks available electronically, students’ easy and pervasive access to information outside of formal campus resources continues to encourage educators to take a careful look at the ways we can best serve learners.

2.     People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want. This highly-ranked trend, also noted last year, continues to permeate all aspects of daily life. Mobiles contribute to this trend, where increased availability of the Internet feeds the expectation of access. Feelings of frustration are common when it is not available. Companies are starting to respond to consumer demand for access anywhere; in 2010, programs like Google’s Fiber for Communities sought to expand access to underserved communities, and several airlines began offering wireless network access in the air during flights.

I have always found this to be true.  It is nice and comforting to know that there is research and studies that support this phenomenon.  Both of these trends are very obvious to me and my line of work. The role of the educator needs to change, because the role of the student has been altered. How can colleges and universities utilize Facebook, for example, to enrich the learning experience?

Horizon Report Wiki.
 

Does the modified Delphi process that they used to develop it affect the results?

Sure, the Delphi process can certainly affect the results provided in the wiki. The most persuasive phase is the multi-vote system which can slant the outcome. Consequently, this can influence a particular technology which has widespread use amid the advisory board members and editors. Although the group may be diverse, there may be enough similarity in our globalized social order that often leans the vote in a specific direction.