Welcome to Crystal Clear Entertainment! Crystal Clear Entertainment is the official online portal of Crystal Clear Publications because it brings together all our activities. If you are a producer, and online content creator, writer, an actor, a choreographer,a health and beauty expert, a promoter or a public relations professional, this is the site for you. We will be examining trends in media, the arts and publishing, giving our takes on those trends, and exploring the people behind the trends in the arts.
Of course, as a new kind of publisher, we will be presenting our works in the latest digital formats, and looking for new talent. We are also actively engaging in new ways to bring the arts back to the classroom through camps, performances and direct training that uses theater, production, dance, music, and literature to engage students and educators.
You could say that Crystal Clear Entertainment is dedicated to bringing first class literature, entertainment, and live performances to the public while bringing new audiences and talent to the field entertainment.
The Academy is grudgingly being dragged into the 21 Century with new technologies like iTunesU which just finished its official first year.
The arguments for using podcasts for learning is becoming increasingly easier for researchers like me. First, the old 50 mile rule for commuting for higher education has been rendered mute because of distance learning, high gas prices and higher food costs.
If a student can attend a class via the Internet through a live steam on the university's site and then is able to download the class and the entire course for free on iTunes, doesn't this make common sense.
This is one of the factor's discussed by Friedman (2005) in his seminal work The World Is Flat. This point is that the goal of using edutainment tools like gaming, simulation, and technological tools is to create a learner-centered environment (McCombs, 1997, 2005). Often many of us who work in the fields of education, communications technology and entertainment often clash along idealogical lines when it comes to the learning process. The reason that we all exist is for the learner also known as the student. Learning is and should be fun, exploratory in nature, and a journey that teaches us critical thinking and collaboration with others.
As I write this post Apple is preparing to release the a 3G version of the iPhone, and it is even more of a game changer than the original iPhone which has re-defined the smart phone. Several school including Duke University, MIT and Stanford are utilizing iTunes and many school IT departments have created platforms for the iPhone and its cousin the iPodTouch so that students can download courses from iTunesU. By the way both the iPhone and the iPodTouch also can play games which I believe will prove to be one of the most effective quantitative and qualitative assessment tools for learners. So the next time you hear someone with an innovative approach, please do not wait for it to be tested to death quantitatively. Listen to the learners, if we are making it easier and more interesting for the learner, then we have done our job.
The 26th Annual Federal Women's Conference officially announced on February 29, 2008 that all 600 seats have been filled for Martin's West. Check out the official Federal Executive Board site to find out more information. The fact that the conference has sold out is a tribute to the efforts of the FEB, the Federal Women's Council, and the cooperation of all of the Federal agencies who provide their support every year. Of course, no conference succeeds without the participants and we want to say thank you to everyone who has had a hand in our success this year.
We salute you all!
!I always said it would be cold day when I would become Dr. Chris A. Heidelberg III; I just forgot to include the snow.
Here I am above explaining to the seated committee members and the public audience that attended. The presentation of the research findings lasted 45 minutes and was following by another hour of questions and answers, before a brief 10 minute or less deliberation before I was officially welcomed into the club by my wonderful committee of noted author and former college president Dr. Rosemary Gillet-Karam, the chairperson; former college president and researcher Dr. Sylvester McKay, and Morgan Mile founder and noted researcher, Dr. Jason DeSousa. As I prepare for the final publishing formatting, editing and revisions for the manuscript, I would love to thank the committee for their support and guidance and I would like to thank the guests who attended and all of my friends and family members who supported me for the past 4 and one half years during this worthwhile endeavor. I have enclosed a brief re-cap with photos to tell the story. I look forward to providing you with the video in the near future.
Highlights Of The Dissertation Defense Presentation
The highlights of the presentation were numerous, but the following questions did get answered by me in the presentation!
Can education and convergence be utilized in higher education?
Yes, edutainment and convergence can be utilized in higher education.
Grand Tour Question
How can entertainment techniques and technology be utilized in higher education?
Edutainment and convergence can be utilized through traditional storytelling, role playing, drama, dance, music, art, spoken word, poetry, rap, dance, video, audio, podcasting, blogging, handheld devices, the Internet, computers, flat screen media, software, photography, digital filmmaking and more according to the participants and the literature (Farkas, 2006, 2007; Gee, 2004, 2005; Jenkins, 2006; Prensky, 2006).
Can entertainment techniques and convergence technology be transferred to higher education?
Yes, entertainment techniques and convergence technology be transferred to higher education through handheld gadgets, and online software and Internet sites like iTunesU, iTunes, Amazon, Google search, Google scholar, YouTube, Blackboard, Facebook, Plaxo, MySpace, Microsoft products, and gaming platforms like the Wii, Playstation 3 and Xbox.
Why have government agencies embraced edutainment and convergence and spent billions of dollars on Defense Department and NASA space exploration?
The government has spent billions of dollars in Defense Department research and NASA exploration research because the digital technology, simulation and gaming has been an effective educational and training tool according to the participants and the literature (Bonk & Wisher, 2000; Farkas, 2006,2007; Gee, 2004, 2005; Jenkins, 2006; Robert Wisher, personal communication, August 20, 2007).
Conclusions
Edutainment and convergence is the future of higher education and offers economic opportunities for universities and faculty through digital publishing, digital classes through multiple portals, electronic classrooms, and tailored learning that is student centered through the use convergence technologies. The embedding of entertainment and the fun factor into education enables education to become fun, collaborative and democratic. Edutainment and convergence also can enable higher education to narrow-cast its offerings to low-income, non-traditional, and minority students through handheld devices like the iPhone, cell phones, the Kindle book reader from Amazon and the iPod and Zune multi-media devices.
Recommendations for future research
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 this the official research site.
I would recommend a national quantitative study with entertainment professionals that focused on the themes and the findings of this study to verify the findings of this study. Future research may also examine and chronicle the impact and effects of current and future technologies in the educational process, as well as the each of the fifteen implications discussed previously. A mixed methods study may be employed to study the development of edutainment and convergence with entertainment professionals. Furthermore, a mixed methods study with academic professionals and entertainment professionals that focused on the themes and findings of this study could serve to compare and contrast the thoughts, words and recommendations of these two different groups. Finally, I would conduct a longitudinal mixed methods study that would utilize focus groups and individual interviews, so that the academic and the entertainment professionals could jointly discuss edutainment and convergence and the issues that will arise in the future as technology develops and new research on learning methods and student –centered approaches emerges.
Future research can also focus on efforts to keep knowledge public and reform copyright laws so that terms such as academic freedom and fair use are more than an academic concept, but a political reality that businesses would be compelled to respect under the law (Bagdikian, 2000, 2005; Battelle, 2005; Lessig, 1999, 2001, 2004; Napolitano, 2004, 2007; The Center for Public Integrity, 2000; Vise & Malseed, 2005). Academia has to be very careful that it does not become too identified as an instrument of corporate and government institutions (Bagdikian, 2005; Giroux & Giroux, 2004; Lessig, 2002, 2004; Moore, 2003; Napolitano, 2004, 2007; O’ Harrow, 2004; Risen, 2005; Rosen, 2001).
As I thought about the implications of academic freedom, I decided to use convergence technology one last time to find out if the participants would still use the technology.
Each of the participants were sent a text message with the following message, “The bottom line question is this: after all of what we have talked about in this study at the end of the day would you use or recommend the use of edutainment techniques and convergence technology that we have talked about in the classroom?” The participants that answered responded within five minutes. Cesario answered,
“Yes, I would straight up use them (edutainment and convergence)!”
Erin sent a text: “Yes! Because it works for all types of students! Especially the visual learners like me.” Jeff replied, “Yes!” Rebeca replied,
“ Absolutamente! (Absolutely in Spanish with strong enthusiastic emphasis).”
Sadia was adamant: “Yes, absolutely! It should be in the classroom. It needs to be done in the right way with the educational content! “
The future of edutainment and convergence
This research examined the merging and utilization of edutainment and convergence in higher education from the perspective of entertainment professionals. At the end of the day, this research found that one process and one word lay at the heart of all education, edutainment, entertainment and technology: Communication. Jeff epitomized this discovery and summed up this study by saying, “Communication is such an important part of every area of study. You could be the greatest chemist or historian, but without effectively communicating with students and peers, one could be a poor educator.”
To be sure, education is literally impossible without communication, and this is why edutainment and convergence offer unlimited possibilities for the future of learning and learners. Perhaps essential is that all stakeholders in the educational process have a greater understanding of how entertainment techniques and new technology can work in concert to create a learner-centered environment that results in students and educators who are critical thinkers, leaders, and team-oriented with digital skills, professional skills, and communications skills that are necessary to compete in the global economy of the twenty-first century.
McLuhan (1967, 1968) maintained that the media is the message, and that electronic media would create a global village that would enable citizens to create electronic extensions of their minds and bodies. Perhaps, higher education will embrace edutainment and convergence so that scholarly knowledge can explore every available outlet.
Implication of 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 it is the official research site for this study. There were several implications that resulted from the findings of this study. First, the participants and the literature enthusiastically endorsed edutainment and convergence as a skill to be incorporated in higher education. Several elite schools have embraced convergence en masse, but not necessarily edutainment (Apple, 2007; Farkas, 2006, 2007; Gee, 2003a, 2003b, 2004, 2005; Google, 2007; Heller, 2001; Jenkins, 2006; Lessig, 2004; Rhodes, 2001; Tapscott & Williams, 2006; YouTube, 2007).Second, incidents like the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech where students and professors were shot, demonstrated the need for the utilization of cell phones and handheld devices in the classroom in the vibrate mode, so that students, faculty and staff alike can utilize convergence technology for safety purposes as well as educational purposes as one participant maintained and recent literature, college policies, and federal policy from the White House have indicated (Apple, 2007; Google, 2007; Morgan State University, 2007; Prensky, 2001, 2006; The White House, 2007; University of Maryland, 2007; Yahoo, 2007;YouTube, 2007).
Third, the participants indicated there were numerous entertainment and technological techniques and tools transferable to higher education. Recent literature indicated that these tools and techniques are learner centered and just as effective or comparable to traditional instruction (Apple, 2007; Bonk & Wisher, 2000; Duke University, 2007; Farkas, 2006, 2007; Google, 2007; McCombs, 1997; Sitzmann et al, 2006; Stark & Lattuca, 1997).
Fourth, the participants maintained that the Pentagon,
NASA, and the civilian government has spent billions of dollars creating a digital military that has utilized video games and simulation for educational purposes. In fact, the literature emphasized convergence tools such as video games, high tech communications devices, satellites, and simulation utilized by the Pentagon and NASA for nearly four decades as a successful educational and training tool (Bonk & Dennen, 2005; Bonk & Wisher, 2000; Boot, 2006; Carroll, 2006; Gee, 2003a; 2003b; 2004; 2005; Halter, 2006; O’Harrow, 2005; Prensky, 2001, 2006; Dr. Robert Wisher, personal communication, August 20, 2007). The importance of edutainment for the military may transform the education system into a priority of the Defense Department and the business community for national security and economic competitive reasons (Boot, 2006; Dobbs, 2006; Halter, 2006).
Fifth, government policy that resulted from the commercialization of defense-based and space exploration technology has resulted in disruptive technologies such as the Internet, computer software, video technology, cellular technology, and audio technology that have blurred the line between fair use and digital property rights that has pitted consumers and device makers against entertainment firms and content creators (Apple, 2007; Bagdikian, 2000, 2005; Boot, 2006; Davis, 2004; Facebook, 2007; Farkas, 2006, 2007; Google, 2007; Halter, 2006; Lessig, 2001, 2002, 2004; Microsoft, 2007 O’Harrow, 2005; YouTube, 2007).
Sixth, the use of color, especially the color black, has transferred from film to the Internet because of convergence as technology firms, entertainment companies, and devices makers have utilized color to enhance the user experience and this has already impacted the classroom, the Internet, computers, television sets, cell phones, and handheld multi-media devices (ABC, 2007; Apple, 2007; Farkas, 2006, 2007; Fox, 2007; Microsoft, 2007; NBC, 2007; YouTube, 2007) .
Seventh, the participants advocated the use of black as the background color for video and rich-media blogs and websites. The use of black for media-based websites and blogs as a background color runs counter to conventional literature (Nielsen, 2000). In fact, broadcast sites have utilized black, dark, and multi-colored websites and blogs with black backgrounds for their video content (Apple, 2007; CBS, 2007;Disney, 2007; NewsCorp, 2007; MSNBC, 2007; NBC, 2007;Time Warner, 2007).
Eighth, the participants maintained that educators receive ongoing technology training from professionals, and one participant recommended that students assist in training their instructors to create an interactive and collaborative learning environment (Farkas, 2006, 2007; Jenkins, 2006; Tapscott & Williams, 2006; YouTube, 2007) .
Ninth, several participants recommended that professors receive entertainment training as a producer, director, and performer so that the professor can create a more interactive learner centered environment that creates stars since several participants agreed that instructors already act in the capacity of a film director. This could result in a partnership between the entertainment world and the academic world that results in mutual collaboration for learner-centered educational tools and approaches with potential new revenues for educational, technology, and entertainment companies (Farkas, 2006, 2007; Google, 2007; Jenkins, 2006: Tapscott & Williams, 2006; YouTube, 2007).
Tenth, the educational community may be able to cut publication costs, shipping costs, and increase revenues by creating digital publishing entities that may eliminate or drastically reduce the role of commercial publishers through the use of convergence technologies such as podcasts, audio publications, digital publications, video publications and multi-media publications (Bagdikian, 2005; Davis, 2004; Farkas, 2006, 2007; Lessig, 2001, 2002, 2004; McChesney, 2004; Tapscott & Williams, 2006; Willinsky, 2006).
Eleventh, professors, researchers, and instructors will be able to publish digitally with the peer review system, or without the peer review system that would radically change what gets published, who gets published, and which universities will obtain grants, power, and prestige (Bagdikian, 2000, 2005; Davis, 2004; Lessig, 2001, 2002, 2004; Willinsky, 2006).
Twelfth, universities will have to reconsider the tenure process; since, they may not be able to legally own research that adjunct professors developed as graduate students and professionals in the field that is published digitally on the Internet through streaming, podcasts, or downloads (Apple, 2007; Davis, 2004; Lessig, 2001, 2002, 2004; Willinsky, 2006) .
Thirteenth, websites and blog researchers may have to reconsider their research and examine the research of screen makers and device makers regarding the use of the color black as a background color for video, photographs and rich media content (Nielsen, 2000).
Fourteenth, curricula changes that incorporate the use of edutainment and convergence for all students; the use of edutainment and convergence for ongoing professional education; and the creation of a multi-disciplinary major called edutainment and convergence with several concentrations.
The concept of developing and utilizing multiple portals to extend the university experience and individual university marketing brands has created what I call an Extendternet that enables universities, and even businesses, to utilize reliable and trusted third party Internet providers to host their content on blogs, video sites, online stores, social networking sites, social bookmarking sites, and online groups such as iTunesU, Facebook, Wordpress, Blip.tv, Blogger, Vox, MySpace, Orkut, Yahoo Groups, and YouTube (Apple, 2007; Delicious, 2007; Digg, 2007; Duke University, 2007; Farkas, 2006, 2007; Google, 2007; Microsoft, 2007; MIT, 2007; Stanford, 2007; University of California-Berkeley, 2007; University of Southern California, 2007; YouTube, 2007).
Philosophical approach and profound comments of each participant.
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.This study utilized the edutainment technique of digital storytelling and convergence technology to gather data, discover emerging themes, and analyze data. This portion of the chapter provides a succinct summary of each participant’s philosophical approach and their individual responses along with what I considered my favorite and their most profound statement from each of them.
My favorite quote from Aaron was when he explained what communications and technological skill sets modern educators would need in the future: “All of them! Kids have an amazing grasp on emerging technologies. Educators will need to understand them just to be part of the conversation. Students need to want to go to school. If schools can’t compete with emerging technologies for the attention of their students, the credibility of the education system will be undermined.”
Cesario, the doubter, discussed the use of edutainment and convergence in the classroom as a tool; however, he was a strong supporter of socialization as well. Cesario maintained that edutainment and convergence can be utilized in higher education and transferred through tools like the iPod and the Internet; however, Cesario also was not aware of the military’s uses of these technologies, but once he was made aware of this fact Cesario maintained that the military was using these technologies because they work. Highly critical of the educational establishment Cesario described it as antiquated. He was also critical of the fact that elite universities and their students utilized edutainment and convergence technology en masse while the educational establishment has not supported mass adoption of the use of edutainment and convergence. Cesario cited that digital literacy would be important for all teachers, and recommended that teachers and professors be trained as motion picture producers and directors who create stars out of the students. Cesario suggested the use of new media such as blogging for digital storytelling purposes.
My favorite quote from Cesario was, “ We must all be up-to-speed in the learning department. If edutainment and convergence is the key then we must all embrace this way of thinking and move with it. No matter what their social status is everyone needs to have more than just a fighting chance. Our future is at stake, and now we do have various mediums at our disposal. Therefore it is a moral must that we give everyone a wholehearted chance.”
Erin, the socializer, advocated the use of edutainment and convergence. Erin maintained the importance of the physical appearance of the professor, and suggested that the physical appearance of the professor impacts students and the professors. She saw professors as role models preparing students for the professional world where appearance is important to employers and employees attempting to advance. She believed that teachers receive edutainment training on how to use visual techniques and improving their appearance because of their status as role models.
Enthusiastic about the use of edutainment techniques because her mother utilized visual edutainment techniques to assist her in learning in high school to overcome dyslexia, Erin suggested that convergence technology such as the Internet and handhelds can assist students with disabilities, minorities, and working students through virtual education. She advocated that edutainment and convergence can be utilized in higher education and can be transferred to higher education in visually based formats. Erin even suggested that students could educate the educators on how to utilize convergence technologies for learning purposes. Finally, Erin maintained that the military was ahead of the rest of society on the use of edutainment and convergence, and she was personally aware of this through her work with the military.
My favorite comment from Erin was:“ Oh, wow! There's no end to the possibilities. The technology is changing all the time…for the better. You can literally have virtual classrooms with students from around the world, so you have not just educational opportunities, but cultural exchange, too. A perfect example is the commercial with the boy dancing that is shared around the world through the Internet and crosses all cultures.”
Eric, the advocate, was the most supportive participant of the use of edutainment and convergence in the classroom and outside of the classroom based on the fact that he admitted to using You Tube, MySpace, Facebook, iTunes, Brightcove, videogames, and other video sharing and social networking sites for learning, homework, class work and practical experience. Eric’s dual role as an experienced producer (twenty years) and as a professor (a decade) added a unique dimension to the study.
Eric also advanced the notion that academia as a whole will have to embrace edutainment and convergence as part of the learning process for students and professors inside and outside of the classroom setting. Citing support for new media technologies that encouraged user generated content, social networking and video sharing for learning and entertainment purposes, Eric asserted that a new form of community news through digital means has been created.
