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Home What
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can Internet2 do for me? Examples
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What can
Internet2 do for me? As we enter the 21st Century, knowing how to use tools and knowledge within only one setting or under one set of circumstances is not enough. People must be able to apply knowledge and use tools within different settings and under different situations (Grabinger, 1996). People within both the educational and business worlds must be creative and have good problem solving skills if they want to succeed (Lynton, 1989). According to the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1993), knowledge that is taught or acquired under abstract circumstances is not easily transferred to new situations. To overcome this, rich learning environments can be used to "promote study and investigation within authentic contexts", as well as create an atmosphere of cooperative learning (Grabinger, 1996). Internet2 can have the following benefits for those
who would like to use rich learning environments for teaching or conducting
research:
Collaboration Today, many educators and researchers alike support the use of collaboration. Proponents believe that learning can be enhanced and improved through "conversations with those who have differing opinions, backgrounds, or skills" (Shute & Psotka, 1996). With the ongoing development of new technologies,
learning environments can be created that support high levels of interaction
(Shute & Psotka, 1996). Using Internet2, learners, as well as instructors
and researchers can share the same experience through the sharing of data
sources or even the linking of instruments.
Digital Libraries It is the belief of some researchers of social and
personality psychology that human cognition and understanding is not always
a solitary event taking place within a single mind. Rather, they argue
that knowledge is socially constructed through the collaboration of individuals
(Salomon, 1993). Advanced applications, such as Digital Libraries, enable
collaboration and interactive access to information and resources. Through
the use of streaming high-fidelity video and audio, Digital Libraries
provide ways to collect and store data. Once organized, this data is then
available to researchers and learners for searching, retrieval, and processing.
Major content areas explored with these applications include education,
science, commerce, medicine, and the arts (Flanagan, N. 1999).
Virtual Reality Virtual realities are simulated three-dimensional
environments created using computer technology. Using these technologies,
sound and touch, as well as visual perception can create a form of experiential
learning that can be applied to the real world (Shute & Psotka, 1996).
Originally designed to help scientists visualize data, virtual reality
has become accepted among artists and other professions alike. During
the 1990's, the data gathering and feedback uses of virtual reality have
been used in projects as diverse as the pitching of a baseball by Roger
Clemens of the Boston Red Sox, to the musical performances of world famous
Cellist Yo Yo Ma (McLellan, 1996). Instruction In addition to educational research, Internet2 applications and technology hold great potential for instruction in higher education. Early projects within Internet2 have included the content areas of the sciences, arts, humanities, health care, business, law, and administration. For examples using the Virtual Reality Modeling Language, please see VRML links
References Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (CTGV) (1993). Integrated media: toward a theoretical framework for utilizing their potential. Journal of Special Education Technology, 12(2), 76-89. Flanagan, N., Li, X,
& Kuzminiskiy, J. (1999). Use digital library resources to enhance
undergraduate education, [web site]. Education Center on Computational
Science and Engineering. Available: http://www.edcenter.sdsu.edu/repository/navDigLib. Grabinger, R. S. (1996) Rich environments for active learning. In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook of research for educational communications and technology (pp. 665-692). New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA. Lynton, E. (1989). Higher education and American competitiveness. National Center on Education and the Economy. McLellan, H. (1996). Virtual realities. In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook of research for educational communications and technology (pp. 457-487). New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA. Salomon, G. (Ed.). (1993). Distributed cognitions: Psychological and educational considerations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Shute, V. J., & Psotka, J. (1996). Intelligent tutoring systems: Past, present, and future. In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook of research for educational communications and technology (pp. 570-600). New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA.
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