technology and outdoor education: some experiential possibilities
TRANSCRIPT
Slide 1
Technology &
outdoor education
Some experiential possibilities
Dr. James Neill
Centre for Applied Psychology
University of Canberra
National Outdoor Education Conference, Jan. 10-13, 2010
James T. Neill
University of Canberra16th National Outdoor Education Conference,
10-13 January, 2010Copyright for this presentation: Creative
Commons Attribution 3.0,
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wilderdom/4232592124/Image author: James NeillImage license: CC-by-SA 2.0: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
Copyright:
Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Presentation url:
http://bit.ly/5P3HwQ
(wilderdom.com)
Email:
[email protected]
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/jtneill
Contacts & resources
Abstract
Philsophical tensionbetweenoutdoor education& technologyOn
one hand,
outdoor educators
seek to distance
participants
from technology
in order to provide
a place apart.On the other hand,
OE programs rely
on a growing plethora
of technology e.g.,
outdoor activity, safety,
navigation,
communication,
transport and
multimedia gear.
A
creative,necessarytension?Image name: Why are waves coolImage
author: Kevin Dooley, http://www.flickr.com/people/pagedooley/Image
source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/2671269820/Image
licence: CC-by-A 2.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lefthand.svgImage source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Righthand.svg
Proposal
That there is (or can be) a
symbiotic rather than antagonistic
relationship (between tech & OE)
and that outdoor education
can contribute to facilitating
experiential and adventurous
learning with
and about technology.Image name: Why are waves coolImage author:
Kevin Dooley, http://www.flickr.com/people/pagedooley/Image source:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/2671269820/Image licence:
CC-by-A 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lefthand.svgImage source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Righthand.svg
Thesis: That there is (or can be) a symbiotic rather than antagonistic relationship and that outdoor education can contribute to facilitating experiential and adventurous learning with and about technology.
Session aim
to explore the creative tension and
experiential possibilities of different kinds of technology in
outdoor educational settings
Image name: Why are waves coolImage author: Kevin Dooley, http://www.flickr.com/people/pagedooley/Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/2671269820/Image licence: CC-by-A 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
PhilosophyHistoryPossibilities
(Applications & Trends)Discussion
Overview
Image name: Why are waves coolImage author: Kevin Dooley, http://www.flickr.com/people/pagedooley/Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/2671269820/Image licence: CC-by-A 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
OE & Technology:
Philosophical dilemma
Is outdoor education a victim of technology?
e.g., invaded, colonised, overtaken by technology?
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katmere/92121158/Image author: katmere, http://www.flickr.com/people/katmere/Image license: CC-by-A 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
OE & Technology:
Philosophical dilemma
Or will we work with technology?
e.g. use technology to enhance outdoor education skills and
understanding?
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katmere/92121158/Image author: katmere, http://www.flickr.com/people/katmere/Image license: CC-by-A 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
OE & Technology:
Philosophical dilemma
Is modern technology
a problem
or an opportunityfor outdoor education?
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katmere/92121158/Image author: katmere, http://www.flickr.com/people/katmere/Image license: CC-by-A 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
OE & Technology:
Philosophical dilemma
...but this is an
intimate & necessary tension
Tech & OE are
uneasy bedfellows
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katmere/92121158/Image author: katmere, http://www.flickr.com/people/katmere/Image license: CC-by-A 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
OE & Technology:
Philosophical dilemma
Outdoor education relies on technology because OE exists as
a
cultural reaction to industralisation.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katmere/92121158/Image author: katmere, http://www.flickr.com/people/katmere/Image license: CC-by-A 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
OE & Technology:
Philosophical dilemma
Conventional outdoor education practices rely significantly on
modern technology
(e.g., transport,
outdoor gear, mobile communication).
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katmere/92121158/Image author: katmere, http://www.flickr.com/people/katmere/Image license: CC-by-A 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
OE & Technology:
Philosophical dilemma
Technology is
NOT the antithesis of the outdoors
(indoors is) Tech is a vital component of OE
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katmere/92121158/Image author: katmere, http://www.flickr.com/people/katmere/Image license: CC-by-A 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Tech is a vital component of OE directly and indirectly.
A brief history of technology in the outdoors
Have thingschangedthat much?
Image name: * Blackboard *Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/3279725831/Image author: pareeerica, http://www.flickr.com/people/8078381@N03/Image license:CC-by-A 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Image author: Frikinzero
What is technology?
Artificial aid e.g., tool
(Useful) cultural artifact
Capacity not inheritedHard (gear)
Soft (know-how)
Image author: Frikinzero
Wild gorillas are
handy with a stick
In the Republic of Congo, researchers observed an adult female gorilla was observed at the edge of a pool of water, looking intently at the water in front of her. She walked into the water, but stopped and returned to the edge when the water reached her waist. She then walked back into the water, grabbed a branch, detached it, and, grasping it firmly, repeatedly jabbed the water in front of her with the end of the branch, apparently using it to test the water depth or substrate stability. She continued walking across the pool, branch in hand, using it as a walking stick for postural support.
Congo, 2005Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gorilla_tool_use.pngImage license: CC-by-A 2.5This adult female gorilla in Nouabal-Ndoki National Park, northern Congo, uses a branch as a walking stick to gauge the water's depth, proving that gorillas use tools too.
From the magazine: as part of an ongoing study of western gorillas in Nouabal-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo, Thomas Breuer, Mireille Ndoundou-Hockemba, and Vicki Fishlock reveal that gorillas are just as resourceful as the other great apes. From an observation platform at Mbeli Bai, a swampy forest clearing that gorillas frequently visit to forage, Breuer et al. observed an adult female gorilla named Leah (a member of a long-studied gorilla group) at the edge of a pool of water, looking intently at the water in front of her. Leah walked upright into the water, but stopped and returned to the edge when the water reached her waist. She then walked back into the water, grabbed a branch in front of her, detached it, and, grasping it firmly, repeatedly jabbed the water in front of her with the end of the branch, apparently using it to test the water depth or substrate stability. She continued walking across the pool, branch in hand, using it as a walking stick for postural support.
Homo sapiens are not the only hominids to use tools
e.g., Neanderthals did too
Otzi - Iceman - 5300 years ago
Bow & arrows
Bread
Copper axe
Fire starting kit
Knives
Medicine
Shoes / Snowshoes
Tattoos
Frozen, mummified body discovered in 1991 on the Italy/Australian border.
Otzi had the latest technology.
Image source: https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/wiki/File:%C3%96tzischuh_2.jpgImage author: Helge Sternke at de.wikipediaImage license: CC-by-SA 2.5
Mt Everest Expedition, 1953 Gear (Hillary and Tenzing)
Cotton tents 2-3 x heavier than today
Wool, leather and canvas clothing
Primitive ice-climbing equipment e.g., wooden-handled ice-axes
Value of oxygen weight debatable
Information source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/exposure/gear.htmlImage source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/exposure/gear.htmlImage license: Unknown
History of
tool usage
Industrial machines:
150 yearsStone/Wood: 500,000? years
Computers:
20 years
Copper/Iron:
3,000 years
- Humans have been characterised by their association with tools and technology through the agesTool-making and the use of technology arguably dates from when man first mastered fire, roughly about 500,000 years ago?Humans became able to extract metals from the ground, e.g., Iron Age in Britain ~ 750 BC to early AD150 years ago, human work in the Western world became characterized by its focus on finer tools, e.g., machines20 years ago, this tool-making lead to the creation of computers; 10 years ago the internet went into the public domain.http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/prehistory/ironage_intro_01.shtml
Modern electronic technologies are leap-frogging
industrial development
Image source: Unknown
Disruptive technology
Innovations that improve a product or service in ways that the market does not expect, typically by being lower priced or designed for a different set of consumers.
Disruptive technologies threaten to virally leap-frog and make redundant expensive mainstream technologies.
e.g., digital cameras vs. film cameras
e.g., wireless vs. landline
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_designhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_technology
4 waves of technological change
(Peter Russell, 1983, Global Brain)
Agriculture
Industry
Information
Mind
21st century age of biotech/cybertech?
From Peter Russells Global Brain, approx. 29 minutes
Open design
Development of physical products, machines and systems through use of publicly shared design information.
Consistent with philosophy of free & open source software & information.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_design
Goals and philosophy are identical to free and open source software.Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sustainable_Portable_Classroom_-_The_Learning_Kit.jpg
Appropriate technology
Effective, ethical technologies for addressing the social and
environmental needs in developing societies. e.g.,
WhirlwindPedal-powered
wheelchairwashing machine
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_designhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_technology
Web 1.0: Read
Web
User
StaticPassive
Web 2.0: Read & Write
Web
User
Dyna-
micExper-
iential
Singularity (Kurzweil)
Hypothetical point of
massive interconnection
Paradigm shifts & technological innovations occur unprecedently rapidly.
Whenever technology approaches a barrier, new technologies will cross it.
Kurzweil, 2001, 2005
Singularity (Kurzweil)
leading to technological change so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history
Singularity will occur before the end of the 21st century, ~2045.
Kurzweil, 2001, 2005
Some technological applications & trends
for outdoor education
Image name: * Blackboard *Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/3279725831/Image author: pareeerica, http://www.flickr.com/people/8078381@N03/Image license:CC-by-A 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
International Life Cycle
(Priest, 1999)
Source: Priest, S.(1999).National life cycles in outdoor adventure programming. The Outdoor Network, 10 (1),16-17, 34-35.
Source: Priest, S.(1999).National life cycles in outdoor adventure programming. The Outdoor Network, 10 (1),16-17, 34-35.
Low
techHigh
techIntimate TensionMid
techMinimalistNormalExperimental
HistoricalTypicalElectronic
Hand-madeCommonWeb 2.0
Levels of technology
& outdoor education
Low tech: Primitive skills programs
NavigationLow
tech
High
techGPSMap
CompassSextantGoogle
EarthMemorySonglines
tzi's shoes
Waterproof and wide (seemingly designed for walking across the snow)
Bearskin soles, deer hide for the top panels, netting made of tree bark.
Soft grass went around the foot and in the shoe and functioned like modern socks.
Plans for commercial production
Frozen, mummified body discovered in 1991 on the Italy/Australian border.
Image source: https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/wiki/File:%C3%96tzischuh_2.jpgImage author: Helge Sternke at de.wikipediaImage license: CC-by-SA 2.5
Minimalist footwear
High tech
or low tech?
http://flickr.com/photos/trucolorsfly/301701664/
Oscar Pistorius
Blade-runner -
the fastest man on no legs
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oscar_Pistorius-2.jpgOriginal image author: Elvar Plsson, http://www.flickr.com/people/erlendurkafari/Image license: CC-by-A 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Barefoot living?
http://willderdom.com/wiki/Barefoot
Waterproof
Dropproof
Wind-up
Mesh
Educational
Cheap
OLPC-XO computer used for taking photos on a hike (Thailand)
See also: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Learning_activities/Bug_Blitz
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OLPC-Thailand-Hiking01.jpgImage license: CC-by-A 2.5, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/deed.enImage author: UnknownSee also: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Image:Hiking01.jpg
OLPC-XO computer used for taking photos on a hike (Thailand)
See also: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Learning_activities/Bug_Blitz
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OLPC_pilot_Thailand_-_Ban_Samkha_06.jpgImage license: CC-by-A 2.5, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/deed.enImage author: UnknownSee also: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Image:Hiking02.jpg
Technology trends
Web 2.0 (read/write web)
Mobility
Virtualisation
Singularity
Openess / Freedom
Diffusion of innovations
(Rogers, 1962)
Rogers, E. (1962) Diffusion of innovations. Free Press, NY.
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diffusionofideas.PNGImage license: Public domainRogers, E. (1962) Diffusion of innovations. Free Press, London, NY, USA.
Outdoor
education
could aim to
educate across
the technology
spectrumOutdoor education:
Across the technology spectrum
There could be a pedagogical argument for moving from modern to ancient or ancient to modern.
New & old
technology couldbe synthesised
towards our goalse.g., recreation,
education,
development,
therapy,
sustainability Outdoor education:
Across the technology spectrum
There could be a pedagogical argument for moving from modern to ancient or ancient to modern.
Web 2.0
= Collaboration
Collective Intelligence
(via recording, sharing, reflection, discussing etc.)
Outdoor education - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outdoor_education
Outdoor education - Wikiversity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outdoor_education
Outdoor education - Wikibooks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outdoor_education
Jessica Watson:
Youngest Solo Circumnavigation Attempt
http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/http://youngestround.blogspot.com/
Jessica Watson:
Most Watched Blog in Australia
Outdoor education groups e.g., on facebook
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outdoor_education
Apple Tree Flat Hike Route
StartCliff line safetyRiver crossingsOurHikeRoute
Off track hikingUnmarked Cliff lines
Attribution: Ian Boyle
Glengarry Looking West
Apple Tree Flat Camp Site 24km West of GlengarryAttribution: Ian Boyle
Collaborative mapping
Community-generated Google Map of Ropes Course locations
Images: http://wilderdom.com/oe/map.html (from Frappr)
Collaborative mapping:
Google Picasa + Google Maps
Interactive image sources: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/albumMap?uname=JamesTNeill&aid=5404277789608045121#maphttp://picasaweb.google.com/JamesTNeill/GibraltarFalls/people
Greenwich Emotion Map
5ooMB MPEG4 from http://www.archive.org/details/GreenwichEmotionMap
Photo-sharing
Image: http://flickr.com/photos/tranquilo/sets/72157600734297162/
Tag Cloud
Tag cloud: http://del.icio.us/jtneill
Future OE conferences
Live streamed presentations
Auto-recorded & uploaded
Hashtags:#NOEC2010, #NOEC2012
#OECurriculum
Back-channel conversations
Editable, commentable, mashable
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augmented_reality_-_heads_up_display_concept.jpgImage license: CC-by-A 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Bio
feed
back
Image source: http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/assets/heartmath-emwave-2.jpgSee also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedback
Biofeedback
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Biofeedback_EN.gifImage license: CC-by-A 3.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Image author: Marek Jacenko
Mood ring
http://cagreetings.com/images/moodring.jpg
Infield biofeedback tools to enhance stress management
training
(ORIC, 2008, 2009)
See also: http://www.oric.org.au/Conference/Conf09/SpeakersPresentations.html
Virtual Worlds
Virtual worlds
computer-based simulated environments
http://flickr.com/photos/trucolorsfly/301701664/
What outdoor education can we do in virtual worlds?
Image name: crags! green ones! Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/70285332@N00/3677756252Image license: CC-by-SA 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.enImage author: Torley, http://www.flickr.com/photos/torley/
Botanical Landscaping, Garden and Environmental Design Center (Second Life)
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/torley/4254726035/
Camping in the digital wilderness
http://www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/research/groups/interact/publications/chi02.pdfPitching a tent and spending the night under canvass, with friends, a rucksack, a flashlight, surrounded by strange shadows and sounds, is an exciting experience for most children. It is also often the closest that many come to the wilderness, a primitive unfamiliar place that is far removed from their everyday world. What better environment is there for experiencing stories?Previous research reported at CHI has discussed using a tent as a projection interface for ambient and informal experiences [5]. This paper explores the use of a tent interface to give young children an engaging and shared experience of a virtual world, targeted at public spaces such as museums, theme parks and classrooms.Figure 1: The structure of the tentPOINTING WITH FLASHLIGHTSOur first interaction technique employs flashlights, essential items of camping equipment, as pointing devices(figure 2). Video cameras placed alongside the projectors track the positions of beams of light thrown onto the surface of the tent from inside and outside.
Augmented reality
Live view of a real-world environment whose elements are merged with (or augmented by) virtual computer-generated imagery - creating a mixed reality.
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augmented_reality_-_heads_up_display_concept.jpgImage license: CC-by-A 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Milgram's
Reality-Virtuality Continuum
Milgram, P., & Kishino, A. F. (1994). Taxonomy of mixed reality visual displays. IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems, E77-D(12), 1321-1329.
Image source:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Milgram_Continuum.pngImage license: Public domain
Milgram, P., & Kishino, A. F. (1994). Taxonomy of mixed reality visual displays. IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems, E77-D(12), 1321-1329.
QR codes
Image source: http://s3.amazonaws.com/ppt-download/augmentedrealitypatrickcollings-090307154220-phpapp02.pdf?Signature=4ZpGJRwnW8k1GaltrGnRysJyseg%3D&Expires=1263086591&AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJLJT267DEGKZDHEQ
QR codes
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Japanese_poster_with_QR_codes.jpgImage license: CC-by-A 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.enImage author: Alexis Rondeau from L.E.S., USA
Wikitude World Browser
http://www.wikitude.org/
Wikitude World Browser is an augmented reality (AR) browser for the Android platform based on location-based Wikipedia and Qype content. It is a handy application for planning a trip or to find out about landmarks in your surroundings; 350,000 world-wide points of interest may be searched by GPS or by address and displayed in a list view, map view and Augmented Reality cam view.
The latest version of WIKITUDE World Browser includes an Augmented Reality Photo Feature, which allows you to capture and share the AR camera view you experience through your mobile.http://www.mobilizy.com/en/wikitude-ein-reisefuhrer
Augmented reality: Social applications
Image source: http://www.slideshare.net/trendmatcher/augmented-reality-arno-coenders/30
Discussion
Practices? (What are we doing?)
Issues? (Problems encountered?)
Ideas? (What could we do?)
Opportunities? (Collaborations?)
Image name: * Blackboard *Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/3279725831/Image author: pareeerica, http://www.flickr.com/people/8078381@N03/Image license:CC-by-A 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
References
Boyle, I. (2008). Technology and outdoor education. http://www.slideshare.net/digger_boyle/technology-and-outdoor-ed-presentation
Green, J., Schndelbach, H., Koleva, B., Benford, S., Pridmore, T., & Medina, K. (2002). Camping in the digital wilderness: tents and flashlights as interfaces to virtual worlds. In Proceedings of CHI '02 extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems, Minneapolis, MI, 780-781. Retrieved January 10, 2010, from http://www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/research/groups/interact/publications/chi02.pdf
Milgram, P., & Kishino, A. F. (1994). Taxonomy of mixed reality visual displays. IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems, E77-D(12), 1321-1329.
Priest, S.(1999).National life cycles in outdoor adventure programming. The Outdoor Network, 10 (1),16-17, 34-35.
Rogers, E. (1962). Diffusion of innovations. Free Press, NY.
South, D. (2009). The use of infield bio-feedback tools to enhance stress management training. Presentation to the Outdoor Recreation Industry Council Conference, Novotel Hotel, Sydney.