OER ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Building models of tutors is only one of the dimensions at stake here. We need also to consider models of the knowledge domains and how they become embedded in simulations, visualizations, and serious games. For example, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) in conjunction with Brown University and USC has built Immune Attack,[1] a game that models our immune system.[2] The game lets students control immune cells, battle disease, solve infections, etc. The game takes place in the bloodstream much like in the science fiction film Fantastic Voyage.[3] Another example of “getting a feel for” a subject domain involves new deeply immersive 3-D visualization of protein folding that allows student to walk inside a protein—using an immersive cave—and to touch and explore proteins.[4]
It is hard to imagine more powerful experiential learning than these above, but this is barely scratching the surface of what is coming. For example, above we talked about the Redistricting Game. Though the game is not yet computer mediated, the conversations it evokes reveal how a small number of personal experiences can impress a player with how political systems are judged as being fair or not, even if they remain within the rules’ allowable actions.
All these examples point to expanding learning theories that include situated learning and learning-to-be (within an epistemic frame) rather than just learning-about. The stage is being set to reformulate many of Dewey’s theories of learning informed by and leveraging newer cognitive and social theories of learning and delivered in computationally rich experiential learning environments.
3.3 Other Complementary Transformative Initiative Areas
These enablers and others are already powering initial transformations in the who, what, and how learning and discovery is done: OER, e-science/CI-enhanced science, and CI-enhanced humanities. We suggest that the Hewlett Foundation build on its leadership in OER and build bridges to these other complementary movements. The e-science initiatives will benefit from the complementary focus on open learning, and the open learning initiatives will benefit from the focus on discovery and the financial investments going into e-science. There is huge potential synergy.
- ↑ http://www.fas.org/immuneattack/
- ↑ The FAS has also recently issued a report from a Summit on Educational Games, available at http://fas.org/gamesummit/.
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Voyage
- ↑ Until a few years ago this required millions of dollars of computing but now by using cluster computing and a set of nvidia game boards these visualizations can be rendered in real time.
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