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Virtual reality is catching on as a tool in medicine. The technology has been used to treat phobias, reduce pain and even help doctors perform surgery. Now virtual reality is being tried as a way to help people with disabilities explore the world that might be difficult or impossible in real life.

Author: Celene Highwater 2015-09-01 - Radegast new text-based viewer allows the blind community to play games such as Second Life. Second Life is an online virtual world, developed by Linden Lab , based in San Francisco, and launched on June 23, 2003. In many ways, Second Life is similar to MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games).

A study which examines how the MMORPG game World of Warcraft can create a sense of tribalism amongst its players. The study asks if some people spend a large amount of their time online in the persona of a cyberbully, is there a time which their online persona and can bleed into their real world interactions?

What are Open Educational Resources (OERs)? Why should I care about OERs? What are some examples of OER projects? How has UNESCO supported OERs? What is the 2012 World Open Educational Resources Congress and what are its aims? What is the Paris Declaration? How can I get involved?

Mackness, J, Mak, S and Williams, R (2010) The ideals and reality of participating in a MOOC, proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Networked Learning 2010, University of Lancaster, available at: www.lancaster.ac.uk/fss/organisations/netlc/past/nlc2010/ abstracts/PDFs/Mackness.pdf' This is a peer reviewed scholarly article, frequently cited, based on mixed method research which studied the learners in the first connectivist MOOC. As such it was the first study of its kind. It appears to have correctly analyzed the relatively small quantitative sample of learners, including an instructor or two. Its contribution is to test the connectivist theory (Siemens and Downes) with a case. As noted in the abstract "The research found that autonomy, diversity, openness and connectedness/interactivity are indeed characteristics of a MOOC, but that they present paradoxes which are difficult to resolve in an online course. The more autonomous, diverse and open the course, and the more connected the learners, the more the potential for their learning to be limited by the lack of structure, support and moderation normally associated with an online course, and the more they seek to engage in traditional groups as opposed to an open network." P. 266 Analysis was focused on the "characteristics of connectivism outlined by Downes, i.e. autonomy, diversity, openness and connectedness/interactivity" p.266. Generally the research outlines the strengths and weaknesses of cMOOCs using this format. Not a lot of further research is recommended other than using a larger sample in future research and "the aims of experiencing learning within a massive open online network are constrained by a course framework and many design issues and aspects of learner experience remain unresolved." P. 273 Abstract "CCK08' was a unique event on Connectivism and Connective Knowledge within a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) in 2008. It was a course and a network about the emergent practices

More on Howard Gardner and some great presentations and ebooks are also available on this site.

The author believes young people are the most avid users of digital media throughout their daily lives, so we can expect that digital media will be central to their civic lives. Also civic organizations are so deeply enmeshed in the online world that basic participation now requires a certain amountof digital literacy. Civic life is rapidly digitizing, so a crucial component of teaching students the skills to engage as competent civic actors is teaching them how to engage in virtual spaces persuasively, critically, collectively, and before invisible audiences.

Second Life Virtual Ability Island for Persons with Disabilities

Mobile devices are now being used for learning as well, and true to their character, they are providing the much needed context in learning as well. Mobile learning provides the users with access to learning regardless of time and location. Networked mobile devices allow learners to learn collaboratively in groups.

ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS CO., LTD (President C.E.O.: Osamu Shinobe) announces the launch of a virtual art museum project called IJC MUSEUM at the "IS JAPAN COOL?" website, ANA's promotional media targeting potential foreign visitors to Japan. The number of overseas visitors to Japan reached 19.73 million in 2015 and more than 20 million foreigners are[...]

This article examines the ways people use social media to project themselves to world and in many way, recreate themselves as they wish they could be. Also examined is the blurring between public and private lives and how the very definition of privacy has been changed.

The World Health Organization or WHO specializes in concerns of international public health and as such it has progressed into deep study of ageism around the world. Understanding how important the role the aging population plays in our lives is crucial to understanding any needs it may require. Health care is one of the major concerns for aging workers and therefore one of the biggest reasons to return to the workforce or delay retirement. All of this of course creates an intense concern of how they might fit in within this digital era.

2012 was a year of rapid change for education with the advent of MOOCs-Massive Open Online Courses-available for the world to use to learn for free. But what does this mean for the role of the librarian? How has the landscape in education changed, and what are the issues and challenges that librarians now face? This article reviews the position of libraries in the emergence of MOOCs and the role that a librarian could undertake within the research, production, and presentation of MOOCs.

By Sue Gregory in New Media and Digital Culture. Learning theories have been around for more than a century, however, the theories of how adults learn are relatively new, having only been developed in the past 50 years. These theories are all based

Trust and Virtual Worlds: Contemporary Perspectives EDU681102 - FA15 Module 3, Week 2 Ness, Article #2

Using iPads in the classroom has been helpful reading Hamlet. Shakespeare is difficult to understand, but students can get help accessing No Fear Shakespeare on their iPads.

I have the same problems Khader in trying to integrate Chromebooks as much as possible. I constantly feel that it is a struggle to get their attention and maintain it especially if they are convinced they should be allowed to "multitask" between the assignment and a game, but in the end the resources I am able to integrate in is well worth those struggles.

I agree with the problem of technology in the hands of students can often be distracting. The temptation to play games, search google, and social media is huge. It is so difficult to find a balance in a less than ideal world. My hope is that the earlier we introduce technology in the classroom, the novelty will wear off by the higher grades. Even with controls on wifi and devices, students are so tech savvy, they find ways around it.

A look at teacher prep and professional development suggestions and opportunities to help teachers navigate the prevalence of mobile devices and uses in education.

This article focuses on the experience of children with disabilities in an increasingly technology dominated world. Wise addresses many associated issues including: disparities for healthcare including children with disabilities. Certain ethical questions arise with the advent of new technology, for example terminating a childbirth because you know that the child will have some disability. In the end it comes to technology access, Wise believes. As long as there is inequity in access, technology may have a negative impact on those with special needs.

This article investigates learning and emerging technologies in a disadvantaged community in Britain. The authors recognize one of the major problems in the UK is social exclusion. The method used in the study includes interviews and observations of its subjects. What they learned is that there is a basic distrust of information in disadvantaged communities in the UK. One of the problems is the definition of information. Then recognizing the information needs of this community.