For the past five years I have been researching, writing about and speaking about edutainment and convergence. Somewhere around 2005, I began to find that edutainment and convergence is all about creating a learner-centered environment (Heidelberg, 2007, 2008; McCombs, 2003, 2005). I may sound like my colleagues Dr. Bill Spady (2001), Dr. Barbara McCombs (2003, 2005) and Dr. Reid Cornwell (2008) but they are absolutely correct in their assessments that the currrent educational system from K-20 is n ot learner-centered.
Why does the military utilize gaming? Because they are relevant to young people and they work! Video games are relevant to young people because the y are interactive, exploratory, competitive and fun. Young people are digital natives with a natural affinity for all things digital (Gee, 2004, 2005; Prensky, 2001, 2006). Video games create relationships between the players, the game and the knowledge embedded in the game (Gee, 2004, 2005, 2007; Prensky, 2001, 2006). Finally, video games are full of the rigor that increases as the learner advances through the game, and video games can be played online and updated for the gifted students (Gee, 2001, 2006; Prensky, 2001, 2006). Video games of every stripe have the ability to digitally access students (Wisher, 2000).
There are other convergence tools with edutainment capabilities that can also be utilized by learners. For example, i
By Chris A. Heidelberg, III, PhD.
If you have never been to the wonderful state of Colorado, you may not understand why many people who see the greater Denver - Breckenridge area call it God's country. Viewing the Rocky Mountains for the first time up close is simply a breathtaking and awe-inspiring sight! I also had the opportunity to travel to the Continental Divide in the snow for the first time and it made me think about edutainment and convergence.
While scheduled as a speaker at any event is an honor, I was simply happy just attending the conference as a member of the board of directors of The Center for Internet Research and the Focus On Education Foundation.
Since I am at Denver International Airport and preparing to leave for Baltimore, I cannot finish this post in my usual style. However, I would like to state for the record that Innovation 2008 was one of the finest gatherings of intellectual energy that I have ever been privileged to experience. The unique mix of academia, government and private industry in the fields of education and technology shed light on importance of technology in the field of education.
The critical message that Innovation 2008 was able to promote is the notion that educational reform is a micro-effort rather than a macro-effort that can be mandated by government. Individual professors, administrators, businessmen, government leaders and students will be crucial to the adoption of edutainment and convergence on a massive level. At the end of the day, educators, politicians and businessmen must stop blaming the students, and look in the mirror! If students are not learning it is a problem of the education system which has failed to massively update the current system to meet the needs of a digital economy.
If we are committed to really educating our students, we will need to learn about our students, their skill sets, their preferences, and their learning styles.
Educators need to commit to becoming great communicators if we are going to become great educators, and communicators need to be open to the concerns of educators. This conference further cemented my desire to continue the discourse in this area. Professors and teachers from K-20 will be compelled to utilize, learn and include technology, especially new media, as part of the curricula, the classroom and outside of the classroom experience for learners.
Gone are the days where the professor is the star and the sage of the classroom. The future of education requires that professors become the producers and directors of the learning experience, so that the students become the stars, sages and future directors. Often teaching a given topic or subject is an excellent way to learning a subject. Finally, the fact that the Pentagon and NASA have utilized simulation and gaming for approximately forty years for learning purposes should be taken seriously by higher education and integrated into the learning environment.
One of the best things that I heard from one of the speakers was that curricula should include rigor, relationship and relevance. Educators have to connect the dots with these three r's by placing relevance first when educating learners. Once relevance has been established learners can develop a relationship with the content that they are learning. Then and only then can learner emulate the video gaming model of increasing the rigor as the gamer, or in this case the learner, proceeds through the embedded learning within the game. If educators grasp this model we will all be able to exclaim three of my favorite words, "Now that's edutainment!"
It is all over but the shout on graduation day on May 21st, and my final formatting and other edits that I will be making over the next two weeks. It was a great challenge and a wonderful opportunity. This publication is the result of my research that began in the fall of 2001 on convergence and transformed into my research on both edutainment and convergence as I pursued a doctorate in higher education.
I saw an opportunity to connect my entertainment, journalism, filmmaking, government policy, history, techology, political and education background by pursuing how to utilize these disciplines in the field of higher education. Some people really did laugh when I initially suggested what I intended to study from day one to quote Hillary Clinton. But I joined the straight talk express and stayed on message like John McCain. I always tried to be gracious and did it on a shoe string budget just like Mike Huckabee. At the end of the day, the last four years and the creation of this publication and several other sister publications last year was the point at which hope, met opportunity and desire and today I am Dr. Chris A. Heidelberg III. You can use this link to the sister research site to see the photos and what I talked about during my presentation at http://edutainmentconvergenceresearch.vox.com
For those of you who read this publication, all of my family, and my friends, I say thank you and may you have the opportunity to realize a dream as I have. I kept a promise to my dying grandmother that I made to her in 2003 while she was still alive and I know that there is power in words because words create thoughts, and thoughts create ideas which in turn create actions. I am literally the hope of all of the people in my family and my community who believed in me, helped me and nurtured me whether I was integrating a private school with my cousin Rolando in 1969 or being part of a group that helped to truly integrate one of the best private college prep schools in Baltimore in 1977. We were truly the first children of real integration, and now you are seeing the Audacity of Hope in action in the form of my classmates and leaders like Barack Obama. I am sure that every day of slavery and Jim Crow and straight up discrimination their were some old church folk hoping and praying that their children and grandchildren would have a real opportunity in America. Thank God they kept hoping and praying and believing because every day that reality is coming true and America is becoming an even greater country.
Thank you, and God bless each of you!
Chris
Specific Findings
By Chris A. Heidelberg, III
The official report of findings for my dissertation has been released today. The study was a eleven month national qualitative study of eight entertainment professionals from New York City, Hollywood, and the San Antonio/Austin, Texas, area. The study was conducted entirely through the Internet and with new media on location throughout the country. It was open-sourced research, and all eight media professionals agreed to reveal their identities and they fully collaborated with me on this study and the electronic web sites that were created as a result of this research with the guidance and support of the participants.The research obtained was utilized in the design of this site and the official research site at http://edutainmentconvergenceresearch.vox.com is the official study site.
The participants found that edutainment and convergence can be utilized in higher education through a variety of sensory-based entertainment techniques such as the following: role playing, drama, music, art, dance, song, spoken word, poetry, rap, the Internet, iPods, iPhones, Blackberry’s, Treos, cell phones, blogs, websites, social networking sites, social bookmarking sites, online software; video sharing sites, podcasting, vlogging, and video games.
The literature supported this finding by participants (Apple, 2007; Blackboard, 2007; Bonk & Dennen, 2005; Bonk & Wisher, 2000; Farkas, 2006, 2007; Gates, 1995, 1998; Gee, 2003a, 2003b, 2004, 2005; Microsoft, 2007; Prensky, 2001, 2006; Tapscott & Williams, 2006; Vise & Malseed, 2005; YouTube, 2007). They were prone to use the word, socialization in many of their conversations: the meaning of this word was face-to-face interaction.
The research also has supported this finding, and several elite universities such as Duke University, MIT, Stanford, and Cal-Berkeley are now utilizing iTunesU, iPods, iPhones, Blackboard, blogs, websites, podcasting, cell phones, and YouTube to distribute classes and other educational content on-demand via streaming, downloading, surfing the web, or direct viewing (Apple, 2007; Blackboard, 2007; Bonk & Dennen, 2005; Bonk & Wisher, 2000; Duke University, 2007; Farkas, 2006, 2007; Gates, 1995, 1998; Gee, 2003a, 2003b, 2004, 2005; Microsoft, 2007; MIT, 2007; Prensky, 2001, 2006; Stanford, 2007; Tapscott & Williams, 2006; University of California at Berkeley, 2007; Vise & Malseed, 2005; YouTube, 2007).
The participants
focused many of their comments on the military, which has spent
billions of dollars in research dollars on video gaming and simulation
technology to transform military and civilian government agencies into
digital entities. They contended these technologies are effective
learning and training tools that have worked on the battlefield,
civilian agencies, and government and corporate classrooms.
Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin face an interesting next four to five years. As the United States is finally adopting high definition technology and true convergence with devices like the iPhone, mobile software like Android, social bookmarking sites like Digg, and social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace becoming mainstream, Google faces it biggest challenge: becoming big like Microsoft without being perceived as evil as some regard Microsoft. This will be tough after the bitter fight with regulators when Google acquired one of its largest advertising rivals and Microsoft poured it on about Google being monopolistic and dangerous.
Now, as Microsoft is trying to acquire Yahoo, it is Google that is playing the role of spoiler to Microsoft's ambitions. Microsoft has acquired exclusive advertising deals with Facebook and Digg which are two of the major players on the social media front and look to be the next Google. Microsoft was pro-active and invested heavily in Facebook, and that is what earned Microsoft equity in Facebook with the opportunity to buy more. Moreover, it kept Google out of the picture for the foreseeable future by obtaining ownership. Microsoft did not get equity with Digg, but in effect it did by creating an exclusive advertising with Digg which I believe is a real long term competitor for Google.
Google understands this fact which is why it immediately developed its own version of Digg. Google is fighting desperately to keep Yahoo free from Microsoft without appearing too much like the monopoly that Microsoft has described it as being with its complaints to regulators. Frankly, Google needs a cutting edge social network in this country. Orkut which Google owns is huge in Brazil and India, but not in the United States. Orkut needs a major upgrade to compete here in the states, but I believe that Google should do it. I also believe that Google should consider a joint project with Apple and Yahoo to create their own social network. This could Yahoo the needed advertising revenues and Apple the social network that it needs to promote its product and services to its extremely vocal fan base so that it can head Amazon off at the pass.
If Google really puts money and creativity into Orkut while simultaneously working a social networking alliance with Apple and Google would actually help to promote Orkut which could be a default site in its Android mobile operating system.Google has to do something, but it will have to use partners to do it if it does not want to become evil. It has two partners in Apple and Yahoo who face considerable threats from Amazon and Microsoft. Even though Apple and Microsoft are big partners, there is real tension in that relationship as Apple gets bigger, and has the ultimate chip of licensing its operating system in an open environment. Microsoft is also providing the software to Amazon which is now doing quite well with its own media store, Amazon Unboxed, and its Kindle reader and multi-media player.
Apple also knows that it needs a promotional vehicle to help it sell its AppleTv because unlike the iPhone, Macbook computers or the iPods that sell themselves with advertisements; AppleTv is a product that is unique and requires a longer look from average buyers who can benefit tremendously from this project. The solution to this problem seems quite simple to me: Apple and Google should form a strategic alliance with Yahoo, buy equity in Yahoo, form a separate social networking firm with Yahoo where Yahoo can lead as long as Google gets the advertising and shares it with Yahoo; Yahoo creates the social network that links directly to iTunes and a new Apple Digital Store that directly takes on Amazon; and Yahoo can really push its news, flickr, email and television service which is a natural fit for iTunes for downloads with ads or without and for live streaming with advertisements.
The networks are greedy, are jealous of Apple and Google, and will be compelled to release their shows. Why? Well, the writer strike just ended and they need the money; the writers need money and have finally realized that they can control their content and get paid through online distribution on YahooTv, iTunes, YouTube and GoogleTv. AOL is a juicy purchase waiting to happen, and if Google can engineer a joint deal with Apple and Yahoo to save Yahoo, it can easily put together a favorable deal with Time Warner to jointly purchase AOL as long as there is an agreement in place to provide this alliance Time Warner content at favorable rates.
Google becomes the white night by saving Yahoo; Google creates a social network that it desperately needs for its ad service and search; Apple gets a badly needed social network for its loyal fan base and a promotional vehicle for its AppleTV which can record and download the content through iTunes on the Yahoo site; and finally Yahoo keeps its independence, makes plenty of guaranteed money, and can focus on its creativity and promote its news, flickr, email and other services. At the end of the day, Google may get richer but so does all of its partners and new partners that they will bring in to make this thing work. So can these visionaries succeed and innovate without being evil? Yes, it can but they need the power of coalitions. Google must adopt the tactics of a start up to prevent from being cast as evil because then when Microsoft attacks Google it is attacking Apple, Yahoo and all of the other partners that Google will bring to the table who will be part of the Google eco-system.
As you know if you've read these posts enough, I love technology. As I was planning how to create a live photo blog, live twittering session, live blogging, and yes video posts on YouTube for an upcoming project for work; I began thinking like the Presidential candidates. I started out by giving the executive director of the organization my "straight talk express," and I told him that " I would be ready for the job from day one," and when he and the conference chairperson asked me if we would pull this thing off within a month I flatly stated, "Yes we can!"
As I began search the web for inspiration, I saw this wonderful shot by George Ruiz that captured how I would tackle this challenge. I decided that I would use my Mac and my iPod iTouch in tandem so that people could follow the 26th Annual Federal Women's Conference by computer, by phone, or by device as things happened. If they were patient, I would have the whole session by video on Blip.Tv and YouTube.This caused me to come to an astounding conclusion that I have researched and talked about for the entire decade, and especially the last five years: one's education is a full scale production and if the movie is a flop it is because of the producers, the director, the actors, the crew and the executive producers. I
n other words, someone has to give everyone involved in educating students from K-12 and from undergraduate to graduate school some straight talk if we are going to have creative and thinking workers who are ready to perform at peak levels from day one.
The Mac and the iPhone may seem like expensive toys to most, but they have an ease of use and popularity that is unmatched right now. Every student should have these tools or their equivalent in an open system so that there is never an excuse for missing homework and so that students and professors and parents and teachers can speak to each other online when there is a problem.
The bottom line is that education is our show, and when we have the number of dropouts and poorly prepared students: productivity will follow in the workplace. We cannot afford to lose anyone in this global economy as the Baby Boomers are leaving the scene. Let's get the tools in the hands of the students like laptops and convergence devices so that we can get the digital straight talk express going right now, so that everyone is ready to compete in this global economy.
Can we do it? Yes, we can!
However, there must be a will from the people not the politicians. They work for us, and it is high time that we remind those who have forgotten this fact. This is the United States of America, and we have a Constitution that begins with, "We the People in order to perform a more perfect union!" It does not say we the individual. It says we the people! Capitalism is a great economic system, but it has a few flaws that require safety nets because there will always be big winners and losers with this great system. We cannot have a wonderful capitalist system that does not protect us all from the tyranny of minority as well as the tyran
http://www.yeswecansong.com
Here are the lyrics.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom. Yes we can.
It
was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and
pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness. Yes we
can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for
the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a
King who took us to the mountain-top and pointed the way to the
Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality. (yes we can) Yes
we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can to opportunity and
prosperity. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal
this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can. Si Se Puede.
We
know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter
what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the
power of millions of voices calling for change.
We want change!
We
have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only
grow louder and more dissonant. We've been asked to pause for a reality
check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation
false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.
We want change! I want Change.
The
hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are
the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we
will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are
not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are
one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in
America's story with three words that will ring from coast to coast;
from sea to shining sea - Yes. We. Can.
Do you really think that the new Garmin phone is a competitor for the iPhone? Well, I think it could become a major threat if four things happen: Apple gets arrogant; Apple does not take the iPhone where it needs to go as a business device; Apple develops the iPhone into a direct communications device with iChat; and Garmin creates the right strategic alliances.
Apple is headed in the right direction with its relatively recent agreement with 3rd party developers. This feud with 3rd party developers has to be solved amicably or Apple's iPhone rivals will be able to use it to gain market share. Secondly, Apple needs to win the minds of hearts of business IT professionals so that the iPhone is a true enterprise phone that can counted on to be a reliable Blackerry substitute.
The single advantage that I see the iPhone having over other phones is its software and its media content. No one else has iTunes, iPhoto and iTunesU. However, the single application that I believe that will be the biggest hit, and probably drive religious leaders and politicians crazy, is the iChat. The iPhone equipped with the iPhone and true GPS will make the iPhone the undisputed champion of smart phones. Why? It is simple: iChat allows you to see the other person you are talking to in real time which is great for video conferencing, business meetings, family gatherings, and doing business with clients. It will be a bonanza for the entertainment industry which could take reality TV and live TV to another level and also add direct pitches from actors and music acts in real time with some enhancements. However, you and I both know that the adult entertainment industry will really get rich from this "more intimate form of adult entertainment" and that could turn into a problem down the road that is not easily solvable. This iPhone proposal may be the preferred form of adult interaction for many people, but the use of iChat would make this a truly real time event.
The key for Garmin is to get the product to market fast, create strategic alliances with Amazon, Microsoft, the movie industry, the entertainment industry, the telecomm providers, Google, Netflix and other content providers. They are a new player in the phone game which is now part of the entertainment game as AT&T and Verizon are full participants in cable, television, content and telecommunications. This will set up Garmin as a legitimate alternative to Apple, and it will have the partners with money, software, content, distribution and marketing prowess that will force Apple to respect the new kid on the block as it develops in a new industry.
Apple has always understood the principle of killing competitors when they are young so that they are rendered harmless from being a serious threat. This is why the numerous competitors to the iTunes store have crashed and burned. Amazon as I have said before is the real threat to Apple because it now has a device, a successful distribution system, a successful online storage and software business, numerous business alliances, and a good relationship with Microsoft which is desperately trying to sell the Zune. This is why Apple cannot get arrogant with Garmin. I believe that it will not be one killer device that will hurt the iPhone, but the cumulative impact of several great alternatives that have interoperability, ease of use and synergy. I believe that Amazon can present this competitive challenge to Apple that know one else can, so stayed tuned. Check out this story from ZDNet's Jason O'Grady on the subject.
Has iPhone met its match with nuvifone? (updated 10x) by ZDNet's Jason D. O'Grady -- Garmin made a surprise announcement last night of a new iPhone competitor. nuvifone (rhymes with “MovieFone”… coincidence?) has an impressive feature set, including: Quad-band GSM mobile phone 3G HSDPA 3.5-inch touchscreen interface HTML Web browser WiFi Multi-network instant messaging MMS media messaging Still & video camera Automatically geotags photo with the latitude and longitude reference of where the image was taken MP3 and MPEG4/AAC [...]
Always be careful when you hear someone, regardless of their race, say that Dr. King stood for judging people by the "content of their character." One cannot begin to speak about the content of an individual's character when individuals are still being judged by the color of their skin. For that matter, one