On 2/28/18, Emerging Technology Consortium hosted an interactive workshop featuring Google solutions like Daydream (AR & VR) and G Suite (including Jamboard) with the goals of:
Integrate demos to showcase implementation in teaching & learning
Experience Daydream headsets
Discuss use cases for Google's higher education AR/VR pilot
Meet and discuss with Google's product team
Provide feedback and feature requests to influence product design
We had opening remarks from Parixit about the ETC and how the idea for this unique day came into shape.
Marta from Google laid out our goals for the day
Leslie from the Future Design School gave some background on what they do and how they would facilitate our time together.
Team Up!
We organized into groups of 5 for our workshop. Here's how we did it:
- made one long line of all attendees down center of the room (without talking) that went from roles closest to students to those furthest from students
- participants then counted off down the line (1 through 5) to form their groups for the day; all 1's together, all 2's together, etc. At least one student in each group, and maybe one instructor as well
- group members introduce each other
Demos
Emerging Tech leaders from the Future Design School in Canada and Google introduced us to the many new possibilities in teaching and learning using AR/VR:
Jamboard
For a warmup and introduction to Google's Jamboard, we played our own version of the 80's tv show "Win, Lose or Draw". Each team is given two tablets. As one person is given a phrase to draw on his tablet, other team members try to guess the phrase while watching the drawing appear in real time on their own tablets.
A part of the G Suite family, Jamboard is a collaborative, digital whiteboard that makes it easy to create without boundaries and share ideas in real time.
Google Expeditions AR
Using the Expeditions app and a smart phone, we viewed 3D objects from every angle including bacteria and a virus. The experience was immersive and engaging, making the user want to physically interact with the virtual object.
Google Expeditions VR
With a smart phone and Google Cardboard glasses, we virtually first visited the Congo and then felt the experience of a student having an anxiety attack before an exam.
Tour Builder
Storytelling with maps, we visited the site of Civil War reenactments in Antietam.
Using Tour Builder it's clear there are are many ways to show students locations and experiences using 360 still photos and with the ability to add photos, text, and other enhancements.
How do we prepare our students for tomorrow?
The future is radically different. Future Design School employs a design/innovation framework and process to approach problems while incorporating new technologies into potential solution prototypes.
During the next segment of the workshop, teams developed ideas to solve problems:
- one instructor or student per team
- choose one learning goal from an actual course
Use Jamboard to develop a list of attributes for an exceptional learning experience
Each team shares one item from ideal experience list with group:
- practical examples
- ongoing feedback collaboration
- team-based learning
- visualization
- engagement, high-interest
What is the current actual learning experience like?
How might we... Leverage AR/VR to create a learning experience that {utilizes tenet of exceptional learning} and meets student need for [identified unmet student needs]
Crazy 8's game:
The Concept:
- each group member got one blank sheet of legal sized paper
- worked as individuals to create a solution to the group's "how might we" question and then pitch their best ideas to teammates
The Steps:
- fold blank paper 3 times to create 8 equal sections
- each participant drew 8 separate ideas for potential solutions
- sharpies only...no erasing or striving for perfection
- 40 seconds per box to draw each idea (music played as the timer cue)
- Teammates then used a shared Google slide deck (created in advance) to further develop and explain their ideas to each other
- discussion within groups about which ideas they liked the best
- after choosing best solution, each group shared that one with the entire forum
Culminating Activity
What could we do right away beginning on Monday using these tools?
Groups discussed among themselves and agreed on one practical takeaway that could be used immediately.
These ideas were then shared with the larger group.