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The internationally recognized NMC Horizon Report series and regional NMC Technology Outlooks are part of the NMC Horizon Project, a comprehensive research venture established in 2002 that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact over the coming five years in education around the globe.

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Executive Summary 3

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less> Mobile Apps 10> Tablet Computing 14

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Two to Three Years > Game-Based Learning 18> Learning Analytics 22

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Four to Five Years> Gesture-Based Computing 26> Internet of Things 30

Methodology 34

The NMC Horizon Project: 2012 Higher Education Advisory Board 36

Contents >Clickonatopicorpagenumbertojumptothatpage.

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The research behind the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education

Edition is jointlyconductedbytheNewMediaConsortium(NMC)and

theEDUCAUSELearningInitiative(ELI),anEDUCAUSEProgram.TheELI’s

critical participation in the production of this report and their strong

support for the NMC Horizon Project is gratefully acknowledged. To

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©2012,TheNewMediaConsortium.

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Citation

Johnson,L.,Adams,S.,andCummins,M.(2012).

The NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition.Austin,Texas:

TheNewMediaConsortium.

The NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition isacollaborationbetweentheNewMediaConsortiumandtheEDUCAUSELearningInitiative,anEDUCAUSEProgram.

The NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition is made possible via a grant from HP.

HP creates innovative technology solutions that benefit individuals,

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Cover photograph

By Kate Morgan, Director of University Relations at Penn State Lehigh

Valley.AspartoftheUniversity’sMobileMediapilot,twohonorsbiology

students at Penn State Lehigh Valley document, edit, and upload lab

proceduresforBio110studentstoreference,usingonlyiPodTouch4Gs.

http://mediacommons.psu.edu/mobilemedia.

InsideFront Cover Photograph

©Ohmega1982/Shutterstock

InsideBack Cover Photograph

©JordanRoseGrulke

Designbyemgusa.com

he internationally recognized NMC Horizon Report series and regional NMC Technology Outlooks are part of the NMC Horizon Project,a comprehensive research venture establishedin 2002 that identifies and describes emerging

technologies likely to have a large impact over thecomingfiveyears ineducationaroundtheglobe.Thisvolume,theNMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition, was again produced in a collaborative effortwith the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, an EDUCAUSEProgram,andexaminesemergingtechnologiesfortheirpotential impact on teaching, learning, and creativeinquirywithinthehighereducationenvironment.

Tocreatethereport,aninternationalbodyofexpertsineducation, technology,andotherfieldswasconvenedasanadvisoryboard.Thegroupengagedindiscussionsaroundasetofresearchquestionsintendedtosurfacesignificanttrendsandchallengesandtoidentifyawidearrayofpotentialtechnologiesforthereport.Thisdialogwas enriched by a wide range of resources, currentresearch, and practice that drew on the expertise ofboth the NMC community and the communities ofthemembersoftheadvisoryboard.Theseinteractionsamong the advisory board are the focus of the NMC Horizon Reportresearch,andthisreportdetailstheareasinwhichtheseexpertswereinstrongagreement.

Each of the three global editions of the NMC Horizon Report — higher education, primary and secondaryeducation, and museum education — highlights sixemerging technologies or practices that are likely toenter mainstream use with their focus sectors withinthree adoption horizons over the next five years. Keytrends and challenges that will affect current practiceover the same period frame these discussions. Overthe course of just a few weeks in the late fall of 2011,theadvisoryboardcametoaconsensusaboutthesix

topicsthatappearhereintheNMC Horizon Report:2012 Higher Education Edition. The examples and readingsunder each topic area are meant to provide practicalmodelsaswellasaccesstomoredetailedinformation.Thepreciseresearchmethodologyemployedisdetailedintheclosingsectionofthisreport.

Thereport’sformatisconsistentfromyeartoyearandedition to edition, and opens with a discussion of thetrendsandchallengesidentifiedbytheadvisoryboard

as most important for the next five years.The formatof the main section of this edition closely reflects thefocus of the NMC Horizon Project itself, centeringon the applications of emerging technologies — inthis case for higher education settings. Each sectionis introduced with an overview that describes whatthe topic is, followed by a discussion of the particularrelevanceofthetopictoteaching,learning,andcreativeinquiryinhighereducation.Severalconcreteexamplesofhowthetechnologyisbeingusedaregiven.Finally,eachsectioncloseswithanannotatedlistofsuggestedreadings and additional examples that expand on thediscussion in the report. These resources, along withcountless other helpful projects and readings, can all

ExecutiveSummary

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TThe technologies featured in each edition of the NMC Horizon Report are embedded within a contemporary context that reflects the realities of the time, both in the sphere of higher education and in the world at large.

befoundintheproject’sopencontentdatabase—theNMCHorizonProjectNavigator(navigator.nmc.org)Allthe ephemera of the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition, including the research data, theinterimresults,thetopicpreview,andthispublication,can be downloaded for free on iTunes U (go.nmc.org/itunes-u).

Key TrendsThe technologies featured in each edition of the NMCHorizon Report are embedded within a contemporarycontextthatreflectstherealitiesofthetime,bothinthesphereofhighereducationandintheworldatlarge.Toensure thiscontextwaswellunderstood, theadvisoryboard engaged in an extensive review of currentarticles,interviews,papers,andnewresearchtoidentifyand rank trends that are currently affecting teaching,learning,andcreativeinquiryinhighereducation.Oncedetailed, the list of trends was then ranked accordingto how significant each was likely to be for highereducation in the next five years. The highest rankedof those trends had significant agreement among theadvisoryboardmembers,whoconsideredthemtobekeydriversofeducationaltechnologyadoptionsfortheperiod 2012 through 2017.They are listed here in theorderinwhichtheadvisoryboardrankedthem.

1 People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want to. Life in an

increasingly busy world where learners must balancedemands from home, work, school, and family posesa host of logistical challenges with which today’s evermore mobile students must cope. Work and learningareoftentwosidesofthesamecoin,andpeoplewanteasyandtimelyaccessnotonlytothe informationonthenetwork,butalsototools,resources,andup-to-the-momentanalysisandcommentary.Theseneeds,aswellastheincreasinglyessentialaccesstosocialmediaandnetworks, have risen to the level of expectations.Theopportunitiesforinformallearninginthemodernworldareabundantanddiverse,andgreatlyexpandonearliernotionslike“just-in-time”or“found”learning.

2 The technologies we use are increasingly cloud-based, and our notions of IT support

are decentralized. The continuing acceptance and

adoption of cloud-based applications and servicesis changing not only the ways we configure and usesoftwareandfilestorage,butalsohowweconceptualizethose functions. It does not matter where our work isstored;whatmattersisthatourinformationisaccessibleno matter where we are or what device we chooseto use. Globally, in huge numbers, we are growingaccustomed to a model of browser-based softwarethat is device independent. While some challengesstill remain, specifically with notions of privacy andsovereignty,thepromiseofsignificantcostsavingsisanimportantdriverinthesearchforsolutions.

3 The world of work is increasingly collaborative, driving changes in the way student projects are

structured. Because employers value collaboration asacriticalskill,silosbothintheworkplaceandatschoolarebeingabandonedinfavorofcollectiveintelligence.Tofacilitatemoreteamworkandgroupcommunication,projectsrelyontoolssuchaswikis,GoogleDocs,Skype,andeasilysharedfile-storagesites includingDropbox.Students are increasingly evaluated not just on theoveralloutcome,butalsoonthesuccessof thegroupdynamic.Inmanycases,thewayanonlinecollaborationtool isused isanequally importantoutcome.Likethewikiusedtocreatethisreport,suchsitespreservetheprocessandthemultipleperspectivesthat leadtotheendresults.

4 The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is

increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators. Institutions must consider the uniquevalue that each adds to a world in which informationis everywhere. In such a world, sense-making andthe ability to assess the credibility of information areparamount. Mentoring and preparing students forthe world in which they will live and work is again atthe forefront. Universities have always been seen asthe gold standard for educational credentialing, butemergingcertificationprogramsfromothersourcesareerodingthevalueofthatmissiondaily.

5 Education paradigms are shifting to include online learning, hybrid learning and collaborative

models. Budget cuts have forced institutions to re-

NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition4

evaluatetheireducationstrategiesandfindalternativestotheexclusiveface-to-facelearningmodels.StudentsalreadyspendmuchoftheirfreetimeontheInternet,learningandexchangingnewinformation—oftenviatheirsocialnetworks.Institutionsthatembraceface-to-face/onlinehybrid learningmodelshave thepotentialto leverage the online skills learners have alreadydevelopedindependentofacademia.Wearebeginningto see developments in online learning that offerdifferentaffordancesthanphysicalcampuses,includingopportunities for increased collaboration whileequipping students with stronger digital skills. Hybridmodels,whendesignedandimplementedsuccessfully,enablestudentstotraveltocampusforsomeactivities,whileusingthenetworkforothers,takingadvantageofthebestofbothenvironments.

6 There is a new emphasis in the classroom on more challenge-based and active learning.

Challenge-based learning and similar methods fostermore active learning experiences, both inside andoutsidetheclassroom.Astechnologiessuchastabletsand smartphones now have proven applications inhighereducationinstitutions,educatorsareleveragingthese tools, which students already use, to connectthecurriculumwithreal life issues.Theactivelearningapproaches are decidedly more student-centered,allowingthemtotakecontrolofhowtheyengagewithasubjectandtobrainstormandimplementsolutionstopressinglocalandglobalproblems.Thehopeisthatiflearnerscanconnectthecoursematerialwiththeirownlives,theirsurroundingcommunities,andtheworldasawhole,thentheywillbecomemoreexcitedtolearnandimmersethemselvesinthesubjectmatter. Significant ChallengesAny discussion of technology adoption must alsoconsiderimportantconstraintsandchallenges,andtheadvisory board drew deeply from a careful analysis ofcurrent events, papers, articles, and similar sources, aswell as from personal experience, in detailing a longlist of challenges higher education institutions facein adopting any new technology. Several importantchallenges are detailed below, but it was clear thatbehind them all was a pervasive sense that individualorganizationalconstraintsarelikelythemostimportant

factorsinanydecisiontoadopt—ornottoadopt—agiventechnology.

Even institutions that are eager to adopt newtechnologies may be critically constrained by thelack of necessary human resources and the financialwherewithal to realize their ideas. Still others arelocatedwithinbuildingsthatsimplywerenotdesignedto provide the radio frequency transparency thatwirelesstechnologiesrequire,andthusfindthemselvesshut out of many potential technology options.Whileacknowledging that local barriers to technologyadoptionsaremanyandsignificant,theadvisoryboardfocuseditsdiscussionsonchallengesthatarecommonto the higher education community as a whole. Thehighest ranked challenges they identified are listedhere, in the order in which the advisory board rankedthem.

1 Economic pressures and new models of education are bringing unprecedented competition to the

traditional models of higher education. Across theboard,institutionsarelookingforwaystocontrolcostswhilestillprovidingahighqualityofservice.Institutionsare challenged by the need to support a steady — orgrowing — number of students with fewer resourcesand staff than before. As a result, creative institutionsaredevelopingnewmodelstoservestudents,suchasstreaming introductory courses over the network. Asthese pressures continue, other models may emergethat diverge from traditional ones. Simply capitalizingon new technology, however, is not enough; the newmodels must use these tools and services to engagestudentsonadeeperlevel.

2 Appropriate metrics of evaluation lag the emergence of new scholarly forms of authoring,

publishing, and researching. Traditionalapproachestoscholarlyevaluation,suchascitation-basedmetrics,areoftenhardtoapplytoresearchthat isdisseminatedorconductedvia socialmedia.New formsofpeer reviewand approval, such as reader ratings, inclusion in andmention by influential blogs, tagging, incoming links,andre-tweeting,arearisingfromthenaturalactionsofthe global community of educators, with increasinglyrelevantandinterestingresults.Theseformsofscholarly

5ExecutiveSummary

corroborationarenotyetwellunderstoodbymainstreamfaculty and academic decision-makers, creating a gapbetweenwhatispossibleandwhatisacceptable.

3 Digital media literacy continues its rise in importance as a key skill in every discipline

and profession. Despite the widespread agreementontheimportanceofdigitalmedialiteracy,traininginthe supporting skills and techniques is rare in teachereducationandnon-existentinthepreparationofmostuniversity faculty. As lecturers and professors beginto realize that they are limiting their students by nothelpingthemtodevelopandusedigitalmedialiteracyskillsacross thecurriculum,the lackof formal trainingis being offset through professional development orinformal learning, but we are far from seeing digitalmedia literacy as an expected norm for academicprofessionals,norasakeypartofdegreeprograms.

4 Institutional barriers present formidable challenges to moving forward in a constructive

way with emerging technologies. Too often it iseducation’s own processes and practices that limitbroader uptake of new technologies. Much resistancetochangeissimplycomfortwiththestatusquo,butinothercases, suchas inpromotionandtenure reviews,experimentationwithoradoptionsofclearlyinnovativeapplicationsoftechnologiesisoftenseenasoutsidetheroleofresearcherorscientist.

5 New modes of scholarship are presenting significant challenges for libraries and university

collections, how scholarship is documented, and the business models to support these activities. Whiletheuniversitylibraryhastraditionallyhousedcollectionsofscholarlyresources,socialnetworksandnewpublishingparadigms, such as open content, are challenging thelibrary’s role as curator. Students and educators areincreasinglyabletoaccessimportant,historicresearchinwebbrowsersondevicesoftheirchoosing.Assuch,librariesareundertremendouspressuretoevolvenewwaysofsupportingandcuratingscholarship.These trends and challenges are a reflection of theimpactoftechnologythatisoccurringinalmosteveryaspectofourlives.Theyareindicativeofthechanging

natureofthewaywecommunicate,accessinformation,connect with peers and colleagues, learn, and evensocialize. Taken together, they provided the advisoryboardaframethroughwhichtoconsiderthepotentialimpactsofnearly50emergingtechnologiesandrelatedpracticesthatwereanalyzedanddiscussedforpossibleinclusioninthiseditionoftheNMC Horizon Report series.Sixofthosewerechosenthroughsuccessiveroundsofranking;theyaresummarizedbelowanddetailedinthemainbodyofthereport.

Technologies to Watch The six technologies featured in the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition are placed alongthreeadoptionhorizonsthatindicatelikelytimeframesfor their entrance into mainstream use for teaching,learning, and creative inquiry. The near-term horizonassumes the likelihood of entry into the mainstreamforhighereducationinstitutionswithinthenexttwelvemonths;themid-termhorizon,withintwotothreeyears;andthefar-term,withinfourtofiveyears.ItshouldbenotedattheoutsetthattheNMCHorizon Reportisnotapredictivetool.Itismeant,rather,tohighlightemergingtechnologieswithconsiderablepotential forourfocusareas of education and interpretation. Each of the sixisalreadythetargetofworkatanumberofinnovativeorganizations around the world, and the projects weshowcasehererevealthepromiseofawiderimpact.

Near-term HorizonOn the near-term horizon — that is, within the next12months—aremobileappsand tablets.These twotopicshavebecomepervasiveineverydaylife,atleastinthedevelopedworld,andstudentsatuniversitiesandcolleges have ever-increasing expectations of beingabletolearnonthesedeviceswheneverandwherevertheymaybe.Thisyeartabletshavebeenseparatedfrommobilesasadistinctcategory,preservingmobilesasadescriptorusedfortypicalhand-helddevicesdesignedtomakecalls.

> Mobile apps are the fastest growing dimension ofthemobilespaceinhighereducationrightnow,withimpacts on virtually every aspect of informal life,and increasingly, every discipline in the university.Always-connected Internet devices using 3G

NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition6

and similar cellular networks, imbedded sensors,cameras, and GPS have proved to be a feature setwith hundreds of thousands of applications. Appsthattakeadvantageofrecentdevelopmentsinthesetools, along with advances in electronic publishingand the convergence of search technology andlocation awareness, made this category of softwareenormouslyinterestinginahighereducationcontext.Highereducationinstitutionsarenowdesigningappstailoredtoeducationalandresearchneedsacrossthecurriculum.

> Tablet computing presents new opportunities toenhance learning experiences in ways simply notpossiblewithotherdevices.High-resolutionscreensallowusersoftablets,suchastheiPad,toeasilysharecontent with each other and pore over images andvideosonthescreen.Aspeopletendtousetabletstosupplement and not replace smartphones, they areviewedaslessdisruptivetools(nophoneringingandnoincomingtextmessages),whichmakesthemidealtools for learningopportunities.Becausetabletsareabletotapintoalltheadvantagesthatmobileappsbringtosmallerdevices,butinalargerformat,highereducationinstitutionsareseeingthemnotjustasanaffordablesolutionforone-to-onelearning,butalsoas a feature-rich tool for field and lab work, oftentimesreplacingfarmoreexpensiveandcumbersomedevicesandequipment.

Mid-term HorizonThe second adoption horizon, two to three years out,is where we will begin to see widespread adoptionsof two technologies that are experiencing growinginterestwithinhighereducation:game-basedlearningand learning analytics. Educational gaming bringsan increasingly credible promise to make learningexperiences more engaging for students, while atthe same time improving important skills, such ascollaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Overthe past year, learning analytics has garnered a lot ofattention. The ability to synthesize data in real-timeis exciting because it changes the structure of thelearning dynamic — educators can use the data tomake adjustments to their teaching style that bettercaterstostudentneeds.

> Game-based learning hasgrowninrecentyearsasresearch continues to demonstrate its effectivenessfor learning. Games for education span the rangefrom single-player or small-group card and boardgames all the way to massively multiplayer onlinegames and alternate reality games. Those at the

first end of the spectrum are easy to integrate intothe curriculum, and have long been an option inmanyhighereducationinstitutions;butthegreatestpotentialofgamesforlearningliesintheirabilitytofoster collaboration and engage students deeply inthe process of learning. Once educational gamingproviderscanmatchthevolumeandqualityoftheirconsumer-driven counterparts, games will garnermoreattention.

> Learning analytics loosely joins a variety of data-gathering tools and analytic techniques to studystudent engagement, performance, and progressin practice, with the goal of using what is learnedto revise curricula, teaching, and assessment in realtime.BuildingonthekindsofinformationgeneratedbyGoogleAnalyticsandothersimilartools,learninganalyticsaimstomobilizethepowerofdata-miningtools in the service of learning, and embrace thecomplexity,diversity,andabundanceofinformationthatdynamiclearningenvironmentscangenerate.

Far-term HorizonOnthefar-termhorizon,setatfourtofiveyearsawayfromwidespread adoption, are gesture-based computingand the Internet ofThings. Gesture-based technology

7ExecutiveSummary

The NMC Horizon Report is not a predictive tool. It is meant, rather, to highlight emerging technologies with considerable potential for our focus areas of education and interpretation.

hasenabledstudentstolearnbydoing.Interfacesthatreacttotouch,movement,voice,andfacialexpressionallow more freedom in how we interact with ourdevices.TheInternetofThings,anotionfirstoutlinedbyVintCerfasoneofthemanyreasonstomovetoIPv6toexpandtheaddressspaceoftheInternet,isconvergingwithsmartobjects,andfuelingconsiderableinnovationinhowthesedevicescommunicatewitheachotherandwith us. Smart objects are already well established in

the commercial sector and range along a continuumfrom RFID sensors to near field communication (NFC).Thesetechnologytopicsdonotyethaveanabundanceof well-documented project examples in highereducation,butthehighlevelof interestfoundinbothareasindicatesthattheyareworthfollowingclosely.

> Gesture-based computing moves the controlof computers from a mouse and keyboard tothe motions of the body, facial expressions, andvoice recognition via new input devices. It makesinteractions with computational devices far moreintuitive and embodied. From the touchscreens onsmartphonestothegestureandvoiceinterpretationof the latest gaming systems (Xbox Kinect andNintendo Wii) and virtual assistants, gesture-basedcomputing enables users to learn by doing andfacilitatestheconvergenceofauser’sthoughtswiththeirmovements.Largemulti-touchdisplayssupportcollaborativework,allowingmultipleuserstointeractwithcontentsimultaneously.

> The Internet of Things is the latest turn in theevolution of smart objects — a category of smalldevices or methods that enable an object to beassigned a unique identifier; contain small bits ofinformation, such as the object’s age, shelf life, and

environmentaldatasuchastemperatureorhumidity(andmuchmore)attachedtoit;andthencommunicatethe status of that information on demand, whetheroptically or via electromagnetic frequencies. WiththeadventofthenewinternetProtocol,versionsix,thoseobjectscannowhaveanIPaddress,enablingtheir information store to be accessed in the sameway a webcam might be, allowing real-time accesstothatinformationfromanywhere.Atthesametime,newwirelesscommunicationstrategies,suchasnearfield communication, are making it easier for smartobjects to connect to networks. The implicationsare not yet clear, but it is evident that hundreds ofbillions of devices — from delicate lab equipmentto refrigerators to next-generation home securitysystems—willsoonbedesignedtotakeadvantageofsuchconnections.

Eachofthesetechnologies isdescribedindetail inthemain body of the report, where a discussion of whatthe technology is and why it is relevant to teaching,learning, or creative inquiry may also be found. Giventhe practical focus of the report, a listing of examplesofthetechnologyinuse,especiallyinhighereducation,isakeycomponentofeachofthesixmaintopics.Ourresearchindicatesthatallsixofthesetechnologies,takentogether, will have a significant impact on learning-focusedorganizationswithinthenextfiveyears.

The NMC Horizon Project This report is part of a longitudinal research study ofemergingtechnologiesthatbeganinMarch2002.Sincethattime,underthebanneroftheHorizonProject,theNMC and its research partners have held an ongoingseries of conversations and dialogs with its advisoryboards—nowmorethan450technologyprofessionals,campustechnologists,facultyleadersfromcollegesanduniversities,museumprofessionals,teachersandotherschool professionals, and representatives of leadingcorporationsfrommorethanthirtycountries.Formorethanadecade,theseconversationshavebeenminedtoprovide the insights on emerging technology that arepublishedannuallyintheNMC Horizon Reportseries.

This report, the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition, kicks off the tenth year of the

NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition8

Interfaces that react to touch, movement, voice, and facial expression allow more freedom in how we interact with our devices.

series, which is dedicated to charting the landscapeof emerging technologies for teaching, learning, andcreative inquiry in higher education globally. In 2008,theNMCaddedtothethreemainNMC Horizon Reports anewseriesofregionalandsector-basedstudies,calledthe NMC Technology Outlooks, with the dual goals ofunderstanding how technology is being absorbedusing a smaller lens, and also noting the contrastsbetween technology use in one area compared toanother. To date, the NMC has conducted studies oftechnology uptake in Australia, New Zealand, the UK,andIberoamerica,andhasplansinplacetoexpandthatresearchtoCentralEurope,India,Singapore,andAfrica.Thisreport,theflagshippublicationoftheNMCHorizonProject, is translated into multiple languages everyyear.Overalleditions, the readershipof the reports isestimated at more than one million worldwide, withreadersinsome100countries.

The 47 members of this year’s advisory board werepurposely chosen to represent a broad spectrum ofthe higher education sector; key writers, thinkers,technologists, and futurists from education, business,and industry rounded out the group. They engagedin a comprehensive review and analysis of research,articles, papers, blogs, and interviews; discussedexistingapplications,andbrainstormednewones;andultimately ranked the items on the list of candidatetechnologies for their potential relevance to teaching,learning, or creative inquiry. This work took placeentirelyonlineandmaybereviewedontheprojectwikiathorizon.wiki.nmc.org.

The effort to produce the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education EditionbeganinNovember2011,andconcluded when the report was released in February2012, a period of just over three months. The sixtechnologiesandapplicationsthatemergedatthetopofthefinalrankings—twoperadoptionhorizon—aredetailedinthechaptersthatfollow.

Each of those chapters includes detailed descriptions,links to active demonstration projects, and a widearrayofadditionalresourcesrelatedtothesixprofiledtechnologies.Those profiles are the heart of the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition, and will

fuel the work of the NMC Horizon Project throughout2012. For those wanting to know more about theprocesses used to generate the NMC Horizon Report series,manyofwhichareongoingandextendtheworkinthereports,wereferyoutothereport’sfinalsectionontheresearchmethodology.

9ExecutiveSummary

The 47 members of this year’s advisory board were purposely chosen to represent a broad spectrum of the higher education sector; key writers, thinkers, technologists, and futurists from education, business, and industry rounded out the group.

here is a revolution that is taking place in software development that parallels the changes in recent years in the music, publishing, and retail industries. Mass market is giving way to niche market, and with it, the era of

highly priced large suites of integrated software is giving way to a new view of what software should be. Smartphones including the iPhone and Android have redefined what we mean by mobile computing, and in the past three to four years, the small, often simple, low cost software extensions to these devices — apps — have become a hotbed of development. New tools are free or sell for as little as 99 cents, and anyone can be a developer. A popular app can see millions of downloads in a short time, and that potential market has spawned a flood of creativity that is instantly apparent in the extensive collections available in the app stores — themselves a new way of delivering software that reduces distribution and marketing costs significantly. Apple’s app store opened in July 2008; Google’s followed in October of that year. Since then, simple but useful apps have found their way into almost every form of human endeavor.

Overview Withtheadventofmobileapps,thewaywethinkaboutsoftware itself is changing, and whole industries areadjusting to a new world in which sophisticated butsimpletoolsroutinelysellfor99cents.Incontrastwiththe model for desktop applications that stack featureupon feature in a one-size-fits-all approach, mobileapps are small, simple, and elegant. They generallydo one thing, or a small list of tightly related things,extraordinarilywell.Theycostsolittle,trialversionsareunnecessary,anditissimpletooutfitatabletormobilephone with exactly the feature set you want for farless than you would pay for typical desktop software.Both Apple and Google have developed extensive

collectionsofapps,andaddingtoyoursetisassimpleasitisinexpensive.

Theappsoftwaremodelisclearlyworking:ABIresearchshowsthatover18billionappshadbeendownloadedintheApplemarketplacebyOctober2011,andovertenbillion in the Android marketplace by December thesame year. Those numbers just scratch the surface oftheanticipatedgrowthofmobileapps.Arecentstudyby Distimo predicted that 44 billions apps will havebeendownloadedby2016—or,aroundsevenappsperpersonacrosstheentirepopulationoftheearth.

Theassortmentofavailableappsiswide-ranging,fromthosethatextendthecameraorsensorsonthedevice(“Siesmometer”,“Hipstamatic,”and“360”);tonewformsofnewspapersandmagazines(“McSweeny’s”);togamesthatmakeuseofgesturesincleverways(“AngryBirds”);to new forms of mapping tools (“StarWalk”); to appsthat make restaurant recommendations based on theuser’s location (“Urbanspoon”).What makes apps as acategoryinterestingaretwokeyfactors:thefirstisthatthere are so many to choose from — one can find anapptosupportalmostanyinterestorendeavor,andthepossibilitiesexpandeveryday.Thesecondisthattheyareinexpensive—rareisanapponsomeone’smobilethat costs more than $1.99.Taken together, the resultis that it is both easy and economical to completelycustomizeadevicetosuitone’sowninterests.

Thebestappsaretightlyintegratedwiththecapabilitiesof the device itself, using location data, motiondetection,gestures,accesstosocialnetworks,andwebsearch,toseamlesslycreateafull-featuredexperience.As just one example, users are now able to not onlyreadanarticleforegroundedbecauseof itsrelationtotheuser’slocation,butalsotoshareitwiththeirsocialnetworks,makecomments,swipeoveranimagetosee

NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition10

MobileAppsTime-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less

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video, audio, and imaging. Mobile apps encompassit all, and innovation in mobile device developmentcontinuesatanunprecedentedpace.

The potential of mobile computing is already beingdemonstrated in hundreds of projects at highereducation institutions. Since 2009, Abilene ChristianUniversity has provided each student with an iPhoneor iPod Touch, in addition to offering professors

mobile training and support.The institution has beendeveloping apps to extend learning outside of theclassroomanddocumentingtheresultsalongthewayin an annual mobile learning study. At the most basiclevel, many universities and colleges have developedmapanddirectoryappsforcurrentstudentstonavigatecampusesand forprospectivestudents to takevirtualtoursortoenhancephysicaltours.

As institutions begin to understand the potential ofapps, theyhavebuilt in features forstudents tochecktheir grades, or to update them with sports scores orbreakingcampusnews.OhioStateUniversity’smobileappincludesacampusdirectory,pluslibraryresourcesandpersonalinformationthatistiedtoeachstudent’sID. Higher education institutions have also beendesigning apps that enhance the classroom learningexperience.TheUniversityofWarwickintheUKcreatedan app that quizzes medical students on the humananatomyandvarious laboratoryscenariosusingvideoandaudioclips.

Whileinstitutionsarerapidlydevelopingtheirownapps,theyarealsomakinguseofexternalones.Popularappsinclude those that help students and educators stayorganizedandexchangetheirfindingsand ideaswithpeers.Manyapps,whencoupledwithdigitaltextbooks,ease the transition for students who are accustomedto print books. For example,“Good Reader” is an app

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more,andstorespecificcontenttoreadatalaterdate—allwithinatypicalnewspaperapp.

In the last year, new additions to mobile operatingsystemshavemadeiteasierfornewspapers,periodicals,and other subscription-based publications to migrateto mobile devices. Print and online publications, suchas Time, Wired, or Mashable, provide users with newmaterial on a regular basis, sometimes sending theuseralertswhenthereisanewedition,breakingnews,orastorythatisrelevanttotheuser’sinterests.Mobileappsdesignedfor tabletshavegivenmanytraditionalprint-basedpublicationsanewlife,andnewtools,suchas iBook Author, are making it very easy for anyoneto create and publish media-rich interactive pieces.The newest version of iBook is optimized for viewinginteractive textbooks, and it seems that the e-readersfor the Kindle and Android platforms are heading thesamedirection.

The mobile app marketplace reflects an expandingworld of resources that fits into the palm of a hand.While the adoption of apps has been especiallyapparentintheconsumersector,therehasalsobeenagreatinterestinappsthatillustratescientificandrelatedconceptsviatools thatalsohavepracticalapplication.Apps that support learning are commonplace. Fun,easy-to-use tools can be found for budding chefs,astronomers,physicists,artists,musicians,book lovers,andwriters—andallofthemaredesignedtogowithyouanywhereandtobeavailablewithataponascreen.Thehighereducationsector isbeginningtocapitalizeonthisbyintegratingmobileappsintothecurriculumanddesigningtheirowntoencompasscoursematerialsandcampusmaps.

Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or Creative InquiryMobile apps embody the convergence of severaltechnologies that lendthemselves toeducationaluse,including annotation tools, applications for creationand composition, and social networking tools. GPSand compasses allow sophisticated location andpositioning,accelerometersandmotionsensorsenablethe apps to be designed and used in completely newways, digital capture and editing bring rich tools for

The mobile app marketplace reflects an expanding world of resources that fits into the palm of a hand.

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that enables users to highlight, annotate, sketch, andaddfootnotestoe-books—justastheywould intheprint version. “JotNot Pro” is another app that allowsprofessorstodigitallydistributecoursedocumentsandstudentstoinstantlyscanprinteddocumentsandstorethemontheirdevice.

As mobile apps become an important fixture in thebusiness world, many universities and colleges havedeployed special courses and programs to teachstudent entrepreneurs how to design, develop, andmarket them. Vanderbilt University founded theVanderbiltMobileApplicationTeamin2009topreparetheirstudentsforhightechnologyjobs.Sincethegroupwas founded, participating students have developedthree award-winning apps. All of their work is opensource, and can be used as a learning model at otherinstitutions. At the University ofWisconsin-Madison, afacultyassociateintheSchoolofJournalismandMassCommunication has incorporated app developmentinto her magazine publishing class, recognizing thatmobile devices are taking on a prominent role in themagazineindustry.

The increasing availability of network access meansthatthegrowingcapabilitiesofmobilesareavailabletomorestudentsinmorelocationseachyear.Educationalinstitutions around the world are investing in theinfrastructurethatsupportsmobileaccess,sponsoringprogramsthatprovidedevicestostudentswhodonotalreadyhavethem,andcommissioningcustommobileapplicationstoservetheircommunities.

A sampling of applications of mobile apps acrossdisciplinesincludesthefollowing:

> Multimedia Production. Students in theInstructional Systems program at Penn StateUniversity are developing a mobile video app forvideoethnographerstorecordandannotatevideointhefield.Theappallowsuserstoadd,edit,anddeletetext annotations displayed alongside the videofootage.go.nmc.org/waxvi

> Project Management. Using the mobile app“MindJet,” students can create mind maps and

organized outlines in addition to attaching notesto specific topics or automatically arranging thembasedoncommonthemes.Theapphasbuiltinsocialfeatures that allow students to share their projectplanswitheachother.go.nmc.org/qnquw

> University Services. Professor Catheryn Cheal atOakland University, Michigan sends her students tofivespecificcampuslocationswiththe“SCVNGR”appontheirsmartphones.Theyanswerquestionsaboutvisual rhetoricalspace intotheirphoneateachsite.Oncebackintheclassroom,theyhavethebackgroundtowritetheiressaysinalearningmanagementsystem.go.nmc.org/hochw

Mobile Apps in PracticeThefollowinglinksprovideexamplesofmobileappsinuseinhighereducationsettings:

Berkeley Mobile International Collaborativego.nmc.org/pramkIn the Berkeley Mobile International Collaborative,student-created mobile apps will be judged based onbusiness model and utility, with ten finalist universityteamscompetinginBarcelona.

The Cleveland Historical Appgo.nmc.org/aeeue“ClevelandHistorical”isaninteractiveandGPS-enabledapp, providing historical information on specific siteswithinthecityintheformofimages,audio,andvideoclips. “Cleveland Historical” is curated by the Centerfor Public History and Digital Humanities with storiescontributed from community members, teachers,professors,andstudents.

iPrincetongo.nmc.org/oadcpPrincetonUniversity’sfree“iPrinceton”appenablesusersto catch up on athletic and academic news, browse afulllibrarycatalog,andconnecttotheuniversity’ssocialmediapages.TheappalsoconnectswithBlackboardfordirectcoursesupportatanypoint.

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Stanford University’s iPhone and iPad Apps Coursego.nmc.org/tvlvsLectures and slides from Stanford’s iPhone and iPadapplication development course can now be freelyaccessed online through iTunes U. The appearanceof the course material made iTunes history with onemilliondownloadsbytheseventhweek.

The University of Michigan’s Mobile Apps Centergo.nmc.org/nfhcpUniversity of Michigan’s Mobile Apps Center bringstogether instruction and app building resources toallow students and faculty to create and distributeusefulappstotheU-Mcommunity.

University of Virginia iPhone and Android Appsgo.nmc.org/xaessTheUniversityofVirginiahasdevelopeditscampusappthrough WillowTree apps. Augmented reality featuresallowuserstopersonalizetheirmaps.Theapphasmanycomponents useful for alumni too, allowing them tofollowsportingeventsliveandeasilyconnectwithUVAclubsandcontacts.For Further Reading Thefollowingarticlesandresourcesarerecommendedforthosewhowishtolearnmoreaboutmobileapps:

7 Things You Should Know about Mobile App Developmentgo.nmc.org/velrd(EDUCAUSE, 19 April 2011.) This guide provideshigher education institutions with helpful informationto take into consideration when building an app,includingaccessibilitystandardsandenterprisesystemintegrationopportunities.

Can the iPhone Save Higher Education?go.nmc.org/abuoc(JohnCox,NetworkWorld,23March2010.)Exploringtheeffectofdigitaldevicesforteachingandlearning,AbileneChristianUniversityhasfocusedonmobilephonesandhow they are changing the classroom.The lecturer tostudent model is becoming a more collaborative andinteractive model, now that instructors and studentshaveubiquitousandequalaccesstoinformation.

How to Build a University Mobile Application: Best Practice and Insightgo.nmc.org/qnbcv(Karen Eustice, The Guardian, 8 December 2011.) Thisarticle compares the different avenues universitiesaretakingincreatingandupdatingtheirmobileapps,showing the efficiency and reasoning behind eachoptionfromthedeveloper’sperspective.

Smartphones on Campus: the Search for ‘Killer’ Appsgo.nmc.org/wskke(Jeffrey R. Young, The Chronicle of Higher Education,8 May 2011.)There is no one size fits all app becausediversity in professors and courses leads to mobileappsbeingusedinvaryingdegreesandmanners.Thisarticle explores different examples of apps benefitingprofessors and students, and how they are providinglinksfromtheclassroomtothecommunity.

Taking Mobile Applications Into the Cloudgo.nmc.org/zzrut(Mary Grush, Campus Technology, 31 August 2011.)Becausemobiledevicesarelimitedintheircapabilities,researchers are looking to resource-rich cloud-basedservices that, when integrated with mobile apps, willexpand the depth of information mobile phones canaccessandtherangeoftheirfunction.

University Leverages Mobile App to Keep Students Connectedgo.nmc.org/ehjiw(Jeff Goldman, Mobile Enterprise, 17 October 11.) ThisarticleonIndianaStateUniversity’smobileapppoweredbyPryxisMobiledescribesthechallengesanddecisionsthatwereapartoftheappbuildingprocess,aswellasmarketingandmonitoringthefinishedproduct.

n the past year, advances in tablet computers have captured the imagination of educators around the world. Led by the incredible success of the iPad, which in the fourth quarter of 2011 was selling at the rate of more than 3 million units a month,

other similar devices such as the Samsung Galaxy and Sony’s Tablet S have also begun to enter this rapidly growing new market. In the process, tablets (a form that is distinct from tablet PCs) have come to be viewed as not just a new category of mobile devices, but indeed a new technology in its own right — one that blends features of laptops, smartphones, and earlier tablet computers with always-connected Internet, and thousands of apps with which to personalize the experience. As these new devices have become more used and understood, it is clear that they are independent and distinct from other mobile devices such as smartphones, e-readers, or tablet PCs. With significantly larger screens and richer gestured-based interfaces than their smartphone predecessors, they are ideal tools for sharing content, videos, images, and presentations because they are easy for anyone to use, visually compelling, and highly portable.

OverviewLedbythecategory-definingphenomenonthat is theAppleiPad,tabletshaveearnedtheirownlistingintheNMC Horizon Report thisyear,completelydistinct frommobiles. According to a recent study from comScore,the iPad now accounts for 97% of all tablet-basedweb traffic in the U.S. and 46.8% of all mobile webtraffic. Similar statistics show tablets are increasinglythe device of choice not just for web browsing, butalso social networking and reading news. Competingmodels, including Motorola’s Xoom and Samsung’sGalaxyTabhavenotyetenjoyedthesuccessoftheiPad,buttogether,thesecompanieshavesolidifiedtabletsasthenewfamilyofdevicestowatch.

Immensely portable, tablets are already a significantdistribution element for magazines and e-books. iOS5 even includes a newsstand that allows quick andeasy access to newspapers and magazines and newsubscriptions — with a mere touch. Even withoutextending their functionality via the full range ofmobileapps,tabletsserveasnicelysizedvideoplayerswith instantaccesstoanenormous libraryofcontent;digital readers forbooks,magazines,andnewspapers;real-timetwo-wayvideophones;easilysharablephotoviewers and even cameras; fast, easy email and webbrowsers; and rich, full-featured game platforms —all in a slim, lightweight, portable package that fits ina purse or briefcase — but which significantly omitsa traditional keyboard. That design choice, and theimplicationsitbringsforinteractingwiththedevice,isakeyreasonthattabletsarenotanewkindoflightweightlaptop,butratheracompletelynewcomputingdevice.

WhentheiPadwasintroduced,itwasdescribedasa“leanback” experience as contrasted to the “lean forward”experienceoftypicalcomputers.Whilesecondmarketandwirelesskeyboardsareavailablefortablets,therealinnovation inthesedevices is inhowtheyareused.Aswipe,atap,orapinchallowstheusertointeractwiththedeviceincompletelynewwaysthataresointuitiveandsimpletheyrequirenomanualsorinstructions.Thedevice itself encourages exploration of its capabilities,something easily demonstrated by simply placing thedevice inthehandsofasmallchild.Fortimeswhenakeyboard is needed, a custom-configured softwarekeyboard appears, but the best-designed apps makelittleornouseofit.

Screen technology has advanced to the point thattablets are exceptionally effective at displaying visualcontent,suchasphotographs,books,andvideo;similaradvances in gesture-based computing have moved

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TabletComputingTime-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less

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tablets far beyond the point and click capabilities oftouchscreens, and tablets are engaging and intuitivedevices to use. These combinations of features areespecially enticing to educational institutions at alllevels, and many K-12 institutions are consideringtablets as a cost-effective alternative to the netbookwhen planning a one-to-one deployment. In theseand other group settings, their large screens — andthe ease with which the image automatically adjustsits orientation to the viewer — make it easy to sharecontent.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of tablets is thattheyowetheirheritagenottothedesktop,buttothemobile phone. Both iOS and Android-based tabletsare designed with the app model firmly in mind, andhundredsofthousandsofspecializedappsareavailabletoextendthe functionalityof tablets.Apps for tabletshave many features in common with mobile apps,such as seamless use of location awareness, networkconnections,andotherbuilt-insensors,but the largerscreen real estate allows for more detailed interfacesorviewingarea.Alsosimilartosmartphoneapps,appsfortabletsareinexpensiveandveryeasytoaddtothedevice,usingthesametoolsandonlinestores.

Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or Creative InquiryBecause of their portability, large display, andtouchscreen, tablets are ideal devices for one-to-onelearning, as well as fieldwork. Many institutions arebeginning to rely on them in place of cumbersomelaboratory equipment, video equipment, and variousotherexpensivetoolsthatarenotnearlyasportableorasinexpensivetoreplace.

Forexample,theiPadhasbecomeanintegralinstrumentinthecadaverlaboratoriesattheUniversityofCalifornia,Irvine.Imagesofbodystructuresandradiographicfilmscanbeeasilyexploredandmanipulatedon-screen,andapps such as “Epocrates Essentials” provide a mobiledrug and disease reference at students’ fingertips (go.nmc.org/epeif ). Similarly, Duke University has beenexploring the use of the iPad as an efficient way tocollectglobalhealthresearch(go.nmc.org/fqxpm).

Moreandmoreinstitutionsareprovidingtheirstudentswith iPad devices that come pre-loaded with coursematerials,digitaltextbooks,andotherhelpfulresources.Under the GriffinTechnology Advantage at Seton HillUniversity,forexample,allfull-timestudentsreceiveaniPad2.Similarly,theUniversityofSouthernMississippiis piloting up to 1,000 Galaxy Tab 10.1 devices thatwill be issued to students, loaded with BlackboardMobile™ Learn. Students and professors, sharing thesamehardwareandsoftware,willexperienceandshareaudio,video,andotherlearningmaterials.

Because these types of tablet programs are relativelynew, many universities and colleges are conductingin depth studies to measure their outcomes. Studiesincluding those at Abilene Christian University,OberlinCollege,theMissouriUniversityofScienceandTechnology, and many others have generally found

that integrating tablets into the curriculum has led toincreased student engagement and has enhancedlearning experiences. However, higher educationinstitutions are just beginning to delve into moreresearchsurroundingsomeofthemanypotentialusesoftablets,includingthereplacementofprinttextbookswith e-books, the wide use of specialized apps, theexpanded use of the devices’ built-in sensors, GPS,gesture interface,cameras,videoandaudiotools,andmore.

With their growing number of features, tablets givetraction to other educational technologies — fromfacilitatingthereal-timedataminingneededtosupportlearninganalyticstoofferingaplethoraofgame-basedlearning apps.What makes tablets so powerful is thatstudents already use these or very similar devicesoutside the classroom to download apps, connect

15Time-to-AdoptionHorizon:OneYearorLess

Because of their portability, large display, and touchscreen, tablets are ideal devices for one-to-one learning, as well as fieldwork.

to their social networks, and immerse themselves ininformal learning experiences. As such, students arealreadyquitecomfortableusingtheminbothacademicandsocialsettings.

A sampling of tablet computing applications acrossdisciplinesincludesthefollowing:

> Chemistry. In organic chemistry laboratories at theUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, wall-mounted iPads are equipped with a kiosk app todeliver video reviews of the lab techniques mostneeded by the students. Students also use theiPads throughout the chemistry courses to clarifyexperiment set-up and answer other proceduralquestions.go.nmc.org/hjjvi

> Lecture Capture. Tabletapps,suchasMcGrawHill’s“Tegrity,” are used by the University of Colorado,Georgia Tech University, Fordham Law School, andmanyothersasacampus-widesolutionforrecordinganddeployingclasslectures.go.nmc.org/zmgnp

> Mathematics. As a collaborative project betweenthe math support centers at three universities —Swinburne in Australia, Limerick in Ireland, andLoughboroughintheUK—“MathsCasts”arevideosofmathematicalexplanationsrecordedbywritingonatablet.Theycovertopicswithwhichundergraduatestudents typically struggle. All “MathsCasts” carry aCreativeCommonslicenseandareavailableforfreeontheSwinburnewebsiteandoniTunesU.go.nmc.org/igmlf

> Writing. DesignedanddevelopedbytheUniversityofQueensland,UQMarkupisaniPadappdevelopedto facilitate the integration of contextualized audioandwrittenfeedbackinstudentwritingassessments.The feedback fromtheapp ispersonalized,andtheresponses are provided in a short, fixed, and easilyunderstoodformat.go.nmc.org/hwzcu

Tablet Computing in PracticeThe following links provide examples of tabletcomputinginuseinhighereducationsettings:

iPad Makes Wall Street Debutgo.nmc.org/swnbtDuringDrewUniversity’sWallStreetSemesterprogram,studentswillbeequippedwithan iPadandapps thataccessandinterpretfinancialinformation.Conveniently,studentscanreadcoursematerialsontheiriPadsinsteadof carrying books, and digitally compose documents,spreadsheets,andpresentations.

The iPad Replaces University Textbooksgo.nmc.org/vblpbThe University of Adelaide will replace textbookswith Apple iPads for first year students in its Scienceprogram.TheUniversityseesthisasawaytoallowtheevolutionofstudentlearningenvironmentstoaugmentindividualstudentgrowth.

Solar-Powered iPad Devicesgo.nmc.org/ctjzqInpartnershipwithApple,theZimbabwegovernmentisbringingsolar-powerediPaddevicestoruralinstitutionsacrossAfricathathavenothadconsistent—orany—computeraccessinthepastduetolackofelectricity.

University of Dayton Undergraduate Viewbookgo.nmc.org/wdcwmThe free University of Dayton Viewbook app givespotentialundergraduatestudentsavirtualorientationto the school using video content, slideshows, andinteractive feeds to explore academic facilities,programs,opportunities,andstudentlife.

Valparaiso College of Engineering Releases iPad Appgo.nmc.org/yqqhwRecentValparaisoUniversitygraduateshavedevelopeda new interactive digital magazine for the iPad thatincorporatesvideosandphotogalleries intostoriessothat students, faculty, alumni, and anyone interestedcanconnecttonewsandhappeningswithintheCollegeofEngineering.

For Further Reading Thefollowingarticlesandresourcesarerecommendedfor those who wish to learn more about tabletcomputing:

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6 Reasons Tablets are Ready for the Classroomgo.nmc.org/lcrin(Vineet Madan, Mashable, 16 May 2011.) This articleexplorestheapplicationsoftabletcomputersinhighereducation,basedonreportsfromclassroomsthathaveparticipated in pilot studies, citing that iPads fit withstudents’currentlifestyles.

The B-School Case Study Gets a Digital Makeovergo.nmc.org/delwj(Erin Zlomek, Bloomberg Business Week, 25 July 2011.)Thisarticledemonstrateshowtabletsallowstudentsaconvenient way to access and interact with the manybusiness case studies that are a core part of businessschoolcurriculum.

Campus Tour Now Comes with an iPadgo.nmc.org/hszrt(Jody S. Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 9 October 2011.)Bradley University is now distributing iPads duringcampus tours so that when prospective students areshownareasofthecampus,theycanalsowatchvideosof events that have taken place there throughout theyear.Seeing laboratoriesand lecturehalls inusegivesstudents an understanding of what busy campuslife will be like, even when touring during holidays orsummermonths.

Educators Evaluate Learning Benefits of iPadgo.nmc.org/whlnr(IanQuillen,Education Week,15June2011.)ThisarticlediscussestheuseofiPaddevicesaslearningtools,anddelvesintotheongoingdiscourseaboutwhethertheyaremoreviableforone-to-onesolutionsoraspartofagroupofshareddevices.

An iPad University: Giving It the Old College Trygo.nmc.org/zxqiy(Lena Groeger, Wired, 22 July 2011.) The University ofSouthernCaliforniahasteamedupwithTouchAppMediaand 2tor, Inc. to create an online distance learningexperience fully accessible with an iPad or mobiledevice,featuringsocialintegrationslikevideochatwithclassmatesandsharingnotesandideasoncoursewallsandforums.

Kindle Fire: Changing the Game in Higher Education?go.nmc.org/hdoru(Vineet Madan, Geek Wire, 15 November 2011.) ThisarticlemeasuresthenewKindleFireto itscompetitor,theiPad,citingthatthesmallerscreenoftheKindleFireis themainshortcomingof thedevice foreducationalpurposes,sincestudentsarelookingtousethedeviceto read and access multimedia, such as images andvideos.

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Tablets have come to be viewed as not just a new category of mobile devices, but indeed a new technology in its own right — one that blends features of laptops, smartphones, and earlier tablet computers with always-connected Internet, and thousands of apps with which to personalize the experience.

ame-based learning has gained considerable traction since 2003, when James Gee began to describe the impact of game play on cognitive development. Since then, research, and interest in, the potential of gaming on learning has

exploded, as has the diversity of games themselves, with the emergence of serious games as a genre, the proliferation of gaming platforms, and the evolution of games on mobile devices. Developers and researchers are working in every area of game-based learning, including games that are goal-oriented; social game environments; non-digital games that are easy to construct and play; games developed expressly for education; and commercial games that lend themselves to refining team and group skills. Role-playing, collaborative problem solving, and other forms of simulated experiences are recognized for having broad applicability across a wide range of disciplines.OverviewAccording to Trip Wire Magazine, 61.9 million peopleparticipated in online social games in 2011, up nearly9 million people from 2010. Forty percent of thesegamersarebetweentheagesof20and34.TheaverageageoftheAmericangamerisnow35-years-old,whichcorrelateswiththeearly1980stimelineinwhichthefirstdigitalgamesappearedwiththefirsthomecomputers.Tenyearslater,thewebwasborn,andgamesbegantobe delivered over the Internet.The three most recentcohorts of children — those born in the early 1980s,theearly1990s,andtheearly2000s—havegrownupin a world where digital games have always been animportantpartoftheirlives,andenteredorgraduatedfrom higher education institutions with hundreds ofhoursofgamingexperience.

Earlystudiesofconsumergameshelpedtoidentifytheaspectsofgamesthatmakethemespeciallyengaging

and appealing to players of various ages and of bothgenders: the feeling of working toward a goal; thepossibilityofattainingspectacularsuccesses;theabilitytoproblemsolve,collaboratewithothers,andsocialize;aninterestingstoryline;andothercharacteristics.Thesequalitiesarereplicableforeducationalcontent,thoughthey can be difficult to design well. This challenge isonereasonwhygame-basedlearningcontinuestobeplacedonthemid-termhorizon.

InthemostrecentNationalEducationTechnologyPlan,gaming was named as an ideal method of assessingstudent knowledge comprehension, citing the abilityofgamestoprovideimmediateperformancefeedbackto the players. Students are engaged because theyare motivated to do better, get to the next level, andsucceed. Proponents also underscore the productiverole of play, which allows for experimentation, theexplorationofidentities,andevenfailure.

In recent years, the Serious Games movement hasfocused on uniting significant educational contentwith play. The games within this genre layer socialissues or problems with game play, helping playersgain a new perspective through active engagement.Research shows that players readily connect withlearningmaterialwhendoingsowillhelpthemachievepersonally meaningful goals. Purdue University’sSeriousGamesCenterisjustoneofthemanyprogramsdedicated to conducting research and finding newmeans of collaboration with Serious Games in virtualenvironments.

Anotherareaofgamingthatisincreasinglyinterestingfor higher education institutions is simulation-basedgames.Militariesworldwidehaveadoptedgamesandsimulations across the entire range of skills trainingthey provide, and the game-design insights from that

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tremendous body of work are beginning to informsimulations designed for graduate students studyingand training in specific subjects including medicine.“Emergency Room: Code Red” is one such populargame.

The 2011 edition of this report viewed massivelymultiplayer online (MMO) games as still a few yearsfurther out for learning, but increasingly interesting.Thisyear,therehasbeenmoretractionsurroundingthisgenre of gaming. Online games including“Minecraft”and “World of Warcraft” have been integrated intocourse curriculum, with educators and educationaltechnology writers frequently documenting theirstories and outcomes.This type of game brings manyplayers together to work on activities that requirecollaborative problem solving.They are complex, andinclude solo and group content, as well as goals thattietoastorylineortheme.Theirlinktoeducationexistsinthehighestlevelsofinteractioninwhichgame-playrequiresteamwork,leadership,anddiscovery.

Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or Creative InquiryGame-based learning reflects a number of importantskills higher education institutions strive for theirstudents to acquire: collaboration, problem solving,communication, critical thinking, and digital literacy.What makes educational gaming appealing today istheplethoraofgenresandapplicationsassociatedwithit. From role-playing games to online social games toentire courses created around teaching better gamedesign,aspectsofgamemechanicsarewellintegratedinhighereducationcurriculum.

Games related specifically to course content helpstudents gain a fresh perspective on material andcan potentially engage them in that content in morecomplex and nuanced ways. Alternate reality games(ARGs), in which players find clues and solve puzzlesin experiences that blur the boundary between thegameandreallife,offeraclearexampleinwhichcoursecontent and game play can overlap. Recent examplesof large-scaleARGs includeJaneMcGonigal’s“EVOKE,”a social networking game that simulates real globalissuestoempowerpeopletofindnewand innovative

solutions. The ideas players have proposed haveearnedthemopportunitiestoputtheirproposals intopracticethroughinternshipswithsocialinnovatorsandbusiness leaders around the world, and scholarshipsor funding for their own ventures. Stanford Universitycreated “Septris,” an HTML5 mobile simulation gamethat teaches practicing physicians and nurses aboutSepsis (blood poisoning) identification, triage, andmanagement. Learners play the part of a physician

managingpatientsastheirhealthdeteriorates.Learnersread history, order labs, and assign treatments tomultiplepatientsatatime.

The browser-based game “Ikariam” simulates life inancientcivilizations,andplayerslearnabouteconomicsandcivicresponsibilitybybuildinguptheeconomyandcaringfortheresidentsonvirtual islands.Somehighereducation institutions are taking the incorporationof socially aware games a step further and designingentire courses around them. St. Edward’s Universityrecently launchedapilotsectionofarequiredCulturalFoundations course with an emphasis on the use ofsocial media and experiential learning approaches.Their “Global Social Problems” course was designedusing “heroic gaming” strategies. All course activitieswererootedinacommonsetofheroicvaluesandwererepresentedas“charactertraits”oneachstudent’sprofile.

Open-ended, challenge-based, truly collaborativegamesareanemergingcategoryofgamesthatseemsespeciallyappropriateforhighereducation.Gameslikethese,whichoccurinbothonlineandnon-digitalforms,can draw on skills for research, writing, collaboration,problem solving, public speaking, leadership, digitalliteracy, and media-making. When embedded in thecurriculum,theyofferapathintothematerialthatallows

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Proponents underscore the productive role of play, which allows for experimentation, the exploration of identities, and even failure.

thestudenttolearnhowtolearnalongwithmasteringthe subject matter. These games lend themselves tocurricular content, requiring students to discover andconstructknowledge inorder tosolveproblems.Theyare challenging to design well, but the results can betransformative.

The challenge that persists with educational games—agoodindicatorofwhytheystillresideonthemid-term horizon — is embedding traditional educational

contentsothat it looksandfeels likeanaturalpartofplayingthegame.Facultymembersmayfinditdifficultto make pronounced connections between specificcourse content and the gaming objectives. What isknown, however, is that these games spark interest instudentstoexpandtheirlearningoutsideofthegame.Constance Steinkuehler, for example, founding fellowof the Games+Learning+Society Initiative, found thattheaverageMMOgamerspends10-15hoursperweekconductingonlineresearchrelatedtothegame.Digitaland communication literacy goes hand in hand withgame play, which is why it continues to be of greatinteresttoeducators.

A sampling of applications of game-based learningacrossdisciplinesincludesthefollowing:

> Music. In McGill University’s “Open Orchestra” simulationgame,aworkstationuseshighdefinitionpanoramic video and surround sound to providemusicians with the experience of playing in anorchestraorsinginginanopera.Atouchscreeninthemusicstanddisplaysanelectronicversionofthescoreandthesystemcontrols,aswellasavisualizationthat

compares the student’s performance to that of aprofessionalmusician.go.nmc.org/udrgw

> Online Learning. Students in an Adult Educationundergraduate online course at the University ofBritish Columbia are participating in a role-playinggame, in which they are reporters who are writingarticlesforanimaginaryjournalcalledAdult Educator Weekly. They also post comments as “readers” andvoteforthebestarticle.TheresultsshowedthatthestudentspostedmoreinthejournalthantheyusedtoinLMSdiscussionforums.go.nmc.org/yvrzz

> Science. “MicroExplorer3D,” developed by NorthCarolina State University, provides an avenue forstudents who do not have access to a microscopylab to learn the parts of a compound microscope.Studentsinteractwiththe3Dmodelofacompoundmicroscope by clicking (web) or touching (mobile),zoom into detailed views of the parts, and openmenu items and descriptions with photograph andvideoexamples.go.nmc.org/kwgmb

Game-Based Learning in PracticeThe following links provide examples of game-basedlearninginuseinhighereducationsettings:

3D GameLab go.nmc.org/vedmbDeveloped by Boise State University, 3D GameLab isa unique quest-based learning platform that can turnany classroom into a living game. 3D GameLab helpsteacherstieinnovativelearningactivitiestostandards,providing learners choice while they game their waythroughacompetency-basedcurriculum.

Cycles of Your Cognitive Learning, Expectations, and Schemago.nmc.org/gcogyA University at Albany research team is developing avideogamethatwillshowpeoplenegativeaspectsoftheirowndecision-makingprocesses,specificallywhenthey are confronted with incomplete information andoperatingundertimepressure.

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Open-ended, challenge-based, truly collaborative games are an emerging category of games that seems especially appropriate for higher education.

GAMeS Lab at Radford Universitygo.nmc.org/qlohzThe purpose of the Games, Animation, Modeling, andSimulation (GAMeS) Lab at Radford University is todesigninteractivemobilegamesandstudytheirimpactonstudentengagementandlearning.TheGAMeSLabhasdesignediPodTouchandiPadgamesforschoolsinrural, southwestern Virginia, and is collaborating withthe participating educators to determine how best tointegratethesegameswithintheexistingcurricula.

Meet the Earthwork Buildersgo.nmc.org/cyaowFundedbytheNationalEndowmentfortheHumanities,a team of content specialists and game developers ismaking a video game prototype about the NewarkEarthworks, an ancient lunar observatory in Newark,Ohio. Through the game, players will learn about thelunarobservatoryandgainamoreglobalunderstandingofdifferentcultures.

SciEthics Interactivego.nmc.org/khrebThis project, funded by HP and the National ScienceFoundation,isdesignedtocreatevirtualsimulationswithascienceandethics focus.Upper levelundergraduateand graduate students can experience real worldsituationsinthesafetyofavirtualenvironment.

simSchoolgo.nmc.org/dkbblA flight simulator for teachers, simSchool provideschallenging teaching scenarios that develop theknowledge and skills needed for classroom success.Research has indicated that training time on thesimulator makes a significant difference in a teacher’sself-efficacyandsenseofthefocusofcontrol.

For Further Reading Thefollowingarticlesandresourcesarerecommendedfor those who wish to learn more about game-basedlearning:

5 Teaching Tips for Professors — From Video Gamesgo.nmc.org/lssnv(Jeffrey R.Young, The Chronicle of Higher Education,24January2010.)Thisarticlesharesbestpracticesonhow

tosuccessfully incorporategamingintouniversityandcollege curriculum, underscoring that game-basedlearningisnotasolutionforallsubjectsandthatgamesarenoquickfix,buttakeresearchandclassroomtestingbytheeducatortoascertaintheirsuccess.

Games and Learning: Teaching as Designinggo.nmc.org/cooat(JamesGee, The Huffington Post,21April2011.) JamesGee builds a case for games as catalysts for moreinteraction, creativity, and critical thinking in learning.Helikensgamerstodesignersastheymustunderstandthe“rulesystem”tobesuccessful.

Games in the Librarygo.nmc.org/fmtam(Anastasia Salter, The Chronicle of Higher Education,13 December 2011.) This article takes a logisticalperspective to game-based learning, focusing on thedifficulty of disseminating a gaming experience to alargeclassroomofvaryingstudents,andproposingthatagamelibrary isagoodoptiontoprovideaccessandinformationaswellastotrackinventory.

A Neurologist Makes the Case for the Video Game Model as a Learning Toolgo.nmc.org/rqvxp(Judy Willis, Edutopia, 14 April 2011.) The neurologistbehindthisarticleequatesthesuccessofgame-basedlearningwiththereleaseofdopamine,aphysiologicalresponsetoaprosperouschoiceoraction,andoutlinesthephasesofthisnaturallearningprocess.

What Does Game-Based Learning Offer Higher Education?go.nmc.org/qcuno(Justin Marquis, OnlineUniversities.com, 14 October2011.) This article explores the benefits of gaming atthe university level by breaking down a hypothesisby game designer, Jane McGonigal, which recognizesspecificpositiveattributesofgamersthatcantranslatetoproductivityintheclassroomandbeyond.

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earning analytics refers to the interpretation of a wide range of data produced by and gathered on behalf of students in order to assess academic progress, predict future performance, and spot potential issues. Data are collected from explicit

student actions, such as completing assignments and taking exams, and from tacit actions, including online social interactions, extracurricular activities, posts on discussion forums, and other activities that are not directly assessed as part of the student’s educational progress. The goal of learning analytics is to enable teachers and schools to tailor educational opportunities to each student’s level of need and ability in close-to-real time. Learning analytics promises to harness the power of advances in data mining, interpretation, and modeling to improve understandings of teaching and learning, and to tailor education to individual students more effectively. Still in its early stages, learning analytics responds to calls for accountability on campuses and aims to leverage the vast amount of data produced by students in academic activities.OverviewAt its heart, learning analytics is about analyzing thewealth of information about students in a way thatwould allow schools to make informed adjustmentsto a student’s learning experience, drawing on newways of observing patterns in complex data. Thissort of intervention is not new — school counselorsand student services professionals have long usedinformationsuchasstudentattendancerecords,grades,teacherobservations,testscores,andtheliketoidentifyat-risk students. Learning analytics builds on thisheritage,butaimstogomuchfurtherthanthesetriedandtruestrategies,merginginformationfromdisparatesourcestocreateafarmorerobustandnuancedpictureof learningas ithappensthatcanbeusedto improvebothteachingandlearningenvironments.

Learning analytics was featured in the NMC Horizon Report: 2011 Higher Education Edition on the far-termhorizon.Thisyear, largelybecauseofamajor initiativefocused on its refinement, the topic has been movedto the mid-term horizon, and is poised to make thetransitionfromconcepttopractice.In2010,EDUCAUSEannounced a major program in partnership with theGatesFoundationundertheNextGenerationLearningInitiative that identified learning analytics as one offivekeyareasfordevelopment.Thatsameyear,theHPCatalyst Initiative established the Measuring LearningConsortium,ledbyCarnegieMellonUniversity,inwhichseveral large-scale international learning analyticsprojectsareworkingtowardscommonsolutions.Theseprojects, and others located at a number of highereducationinstitutions,aredrivingnotonlythesciencebehind learning analytics, but also interest. As thescienceandtechnicalaspectsof learninganalyticsaresolved,onecanexpecttoseesignificantdevelopmentactivity as campuses begin to implement learninganalyticsstrategies.

Thisinteresthasnotescapedlargepublishers,suchasMcGrawHill (“Connect”)andPearson(“MyLabs”),whohave begun to establish their own learning analyticssolutionsandhavehireddedicatedemployeeswhosejob is to provide learning analytics expertise as theemerging technology evolves. The initial focus ofthese efforts is on integration with existing learningmanagement systems (LMS). Several researchersfeel that this is a necessary part of a comprehensivesolution,butisinsufficient.Tomovelearninganalyticsforward,manywouldarguethatanalyticsmustincludemorethanLMSdata.Otherfactors,suchastheimpactof the learning environment (especially online, butalso physical environments), knowledge gained viainformal learning, and metrics on skills includingcreativity, leadership, and innovation are seen as

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equally important indicators of the overall quality ofstudentperformance.

Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or Creative InquiryUntilrecently,researchonlearninginhighereducationhas centered primarily on identifying students whomightbeat riskof failure inacourseorprogram,anddesigning interventions to address short-term issuesthatmaybepreventingthemfromsucceedingintheircoursework. The Signals project at Purdue Universityis an exemplary instance of this use. Initiated in2007, Signals gathers information from SIS, coursemanagement systems, and course grade books togeneratearisklevelforstudents,andthosedesignatedas at-risk are targeted for outreach. Similarly, theUniversityofMaryland,BaltimoreCountysupplementstheir Blackboard course management system with aself-service feedback tool for students and educatorscalled“CheckMyActivity.”

The larger promise of learning analytics, however, isthat when correctly applied and interpreted, it willenable faculty to more precisely understand students’learning needs and to tailor instruction appropriatelyfar more accurately and far sooner than is possibletoday. This has implications not simply for individualstudent performance, but in how educators perceivetheprocessesofteaching,learning,andassessment.Byofferinginformationinrealtime,learninganalyticscansupportimmediateadjustments,suggestingamodelofcurriculumthatismorefluidandopentochange.

Prospectsforlearninganalyticstoolsincludecommercialapplicationsdesignedforotherpurposesthatmightbeadapted to support a learning analytics use case, andthose developed specifically to accomplish learninganalytics tasks. It is still a bit early in the life cycle ofthis technology for specialized tools, but applicationssuchasMixpanelanalytics,whichoffersreal-timedatavisualization documenting how users are engagingwith material on a website, have obvious potential inhybrid and online courses. Similarly, Userfly, designedfor usability testing, allows the behavior of visitors onawebsitetoberecorded,afterwhichitcanbereplayedandanalyzed.

Broader sorts of analytics tools have a widerapplicabilityforlearninganalytics,andGephiisagoodexample.Thisfree,opensourceinteractivevisualizationand exploration platform allows not only easy visualexplorationofcomplexdata,butalsoprovidestoolslikesocial network analysis, link relationships in scale-freenetworks,andmuchmore.

Among the tools developed specifically for learninganalyticsisSocrato,anonlinelearninganalyticsservicethat designs custom diagnostic and performancereports for tutoring or training centers and schools.SNAPP (Social Networks Adapting PedagogicalPractice),developedbytheUniversityofWollongongin

Australia,isdesignedtoexpandonthebasicinformationgathered within learning management systems; thisinformationsettypicallycentersonhowoftenandforhowlongstudentsinteractwithpostedmaterial.SNAPPuses visual analysis to show how students interactwith discussion forum posts. Teachscape’s ClassroomWalkthrough program allows teachers to collect dataand analysis on student knowledge comprehensionusingtheirmobiledevices.Acrosstheboard,however,itisclearthatafull-featuredsetoflearninganalyticstoolsisstillsometimeway.

Ashighereducationinstitutionscontinuetorefinethetheory and practice of learning analytics — especiallyastheybegintodesigntheirownplatforms—theywillneed to preemptively tackle the issue of data privacyanddeterminewhatextentofinformationtosharewithstudentsandotherinstitutions.

The goal of learning analytics is to enable teachers and schools to tailor educational opportunities to each student’s level of need and ability in close-to-real time.

Asamplingofapplicationsof learninganalyticsacrossdisciplinesincludesthefollowing:

> Business and Communications. Students at theUniversityofBritishColumbiaareexaminingwebandsocialanalyticstodeciphermeaningfultrendsabouthumanbehavior.go.nmc.org/ugtei

> Medicine. Learning analytics was used at theGraduate School of Medicine at the University ofWollongong to help design a new curriculum witha strong clinical focus. The approach providedevidence of appropriate curriculum coverage,student engagement, and equity while studentswereonclinicalplacement.go.nmc.org/zgxnk

> Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Engineering (STEM). The University of Michigan uses a systemcalled ECoach in large introductory STEM courses.ECoach uses information about student background,motivations, and recent performance to providefeedback,encouragement,andadvicethataretailoredtoeachstudent.go.nmc.org/vvoqp

Learning Analytics in PracticeThe following links provide examples of learninganalyticsinuseinhighereducationsettings:

Collaborative Assessment Platform for Practical Skills (video)go.nmc.org/rhymfAmrita University is reaching more students in ruralIndiaviaamultilingualcollaborativeplatformthatcanbeusedremotelytoteachlanguage,promoteadaptivelearning,andrunvirtualexperiments.Theplatformwillinclude a framework for the assessment of reportingand procedural skills, so that students can betterconcentratetheireffortsonthesubjectareastheyneedtomaster.

CoreDogsgo.nmc.org/bypupCoreDogs is a platform for creating digital textbooksfor blended learning courses. While completing theexercises in the books, students receive formativefeedback and assessments on their knowledge

comprehension.The platform also provides educatorswithdataonstudentbehavior.

Grade Discrepancy Projectgo.nmc.org/lfbnuThe University of Minnesota is using data from theircoursemanagementsystemstodeterminewhethertheuseofanonlinegradebookcanserveasamitigatingfactor for helping lower achieving students estimatetheir final grades more accurately. The goal is toprovide students with better information to guidetheir preparation for end-of-term exams, papers, andprojects.

Learning Catalyticsgo.nmc.org/mymtvDeveloped by the Mazur Group at Harvard University,Learning Catalytics supports peer-to-peer instruction,and provides real-time feedback during class. Facultycan engage students with questions about coursematerialwithnumerical,algebraic,textual,orgraphicalresponses, and the platform helps group students forfollow-updiscussions.

SoLAR’s Open Online Learning Analytics Coursego.nmc.org/pntpbHosted by Athabasca University for the Society forLearning Analytics Research (SoLAR), this free onlinecourse isan introductionto learninganalyticsandtherole the approach plays in knowledge development.Also included is an overview of learning analyticsplatformsandtheoptimalorganizationofinformationflow.

For Further Reading Thefollowingarticlesandresourcesarerecommendedfor those who wish to learn more about learninganalytics:

Data Mining and Online Learninggo.nmc.org/nyhsn(Jim Shimabukuro, Educational Technology & Change Journal,7August2011.)Inordertobenefitfromlearninganalytics,educatorsmustincorporateitintotheirdailyworkflow, which can be time consuming. The authorexplainshismethodoftimelyanalysisandresponse.

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How Data and Analytics Can Improve Educationgo.nmc.org/btans(AudreyWatters,O’Reilly Radar,25July2011.)Analyticsanddatacapturedbydigitalplatformsandprogramscanbehelpfulforthelearnertoaccessaswellaseducators.ThisinterviewwitheducationtheoristGeorgeSiemensaddressestheimportanceandconsequencesofprivacyissueswithinlearninganalytics.

Learning Analytics: The Coming Third Wavego.nmc.org/mknvy(Malcolm Brown, EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, April2011.) This article discusses the current position oflearning analytics in education, and how third partyapplications are beginning to make the tools morecost-effective. It also addresses the ethics involved indeployinglearninganalyticsplatforms.

Monitoring the PACE of Student Learning: Analytics at Rio Salado Collegego.nmc.org/apwgj(Mary Grush, Campus Technology, 14 December 2011.)Rio Salado’s PACE (Progress and Course Engagement)automated tracking system generates reports so thatinstructorscaneasilyseewhoisatriskinagivencourse,ontheeighthdayofthecourse,whenthereisstillplentyoftimetoaddressthesituation.

Social Learning Analytics: Technical Reportgo.nmc.org/nvbjg(Simon Buckingham Shum and Rebecca Ferguson,Knowledge Media Institute, the Open University, UK,June2011.)Thispaperstudiesthetechnologicalneedsofimplementingaccuratelearninganalyticsinanonlineacademic setting. Unprecedented amounts of digitaldataarenowavailablefromonlinesocialplatforms,butthe goal is to narrow analytics to only pedagogicallyrelevantinformation.

What are Learning Analytics? go.nmc.org/nqxvg(George Siemens, eLearnspace, 25 August 2010.) Thisarticle presents an overview of learning analyticsand discusses how it might be applied in learninginstitutions.Achartisincludedtodepicttheprocessoflearninganalytics.

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By offering information in real time, learning analytics can support immediate adjustments, suggesting a model of curriculum that is more fluid and open to change.

t is already common to interact with a new class of devices entirely by using natural movements and gestures. The Microsoft Surface, Apple’s iOS devices (iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch), and other gesture-based systems accept input in the

form of taps, swipes, and other ways of touching. The Nintendo Wii and Microsoft’s Kinect system extend that to hand and arm motions, or body movement. These are the first in a growing array of alternative input devices that allow computers to recognize and interpret natural physical gestures as a means of control. Gesture-based computing allows users to engage in virtual activities with motions and movements similar to what they would use in the real world, manipulating content intuitively. The idea that simple gestures and natural, comfortable motions can be used to control computers is opening the way to a host of input devices that look and feel very different from the keyboard and mouse — and that are increasingly enabling our devices to infer meaning from the movements and gestures we make.

OverviewGesture-based devices are already commonplace.Tappingorswipingafingeracrossascreenisthewaymillions of people interact with their mobile devicesevery day. The screens for the iPhone and iPad, andAndroid-based tablets and smartphones, for example,allreacttopressure,motion,andeventhenumberanddirectionoffingerstouchingthedevices.Somedevicesreacttoshaking,rotating,tilting,ormovingthedeviceinspace.

Overthepastfewyears,gamingsystemshaveincreasinglyincorporatednewgesture-basedtechnology.XboxKinectand Nintendo Wii, for example, continue to explore thepotentialofhumanmovementingaming.TheWiifunctionsbycombiningahandheld,accelerometer-basedcontroller

with a stationary infrared sensor to determine position,acceleration,anddirection.TheKinectsystemeliminatesthe hand-held controller and discerns commands andinputbyanalyzingthevisualfield.Developmentinthisareacentersoncreatingaminimalinterface,andinproducinganexperienceofdirectinteractionsuchthat,cognitively,the hand and body become input devices themselves.These systems recognize and interpret patterns in grossmotormovements,includingbodymovementsandfacialexpressions.Playerscanjump,dance,point,andmoreandtheir actions catalyze the actions that take place on thescreen.

In previous years, the NMC Horizon Report hasdocumentedtwomajordevelopmentpathsforgesture-basedcomputing:marker-basedandmarkerless.Whileboth pathways continue to see development, whatmakesgesture-basedcomputingespeciallyinterestingthisyearistwo-fold.Firstistheincreasinglyhighfidelityofsystemsthatunderstandgesturesandtheirnuances.This is allowing much more subtle hand and armgestures — and even facial gestures — to be used tocontroldevices.

Thesecondinterestingdevelopmentistheconvergenceof gesture-sensing technology with voice recognition,allowing, just as it does in human conversation, forboth gesture and voice to communicate the user’sintentionstodevices.Siri,thevirtualassistantincludedin the iPhone 4s, is a particularly successful exampleof this convergence, seamlessly juxtaposing the voiceinterface alongside the now routine taps and swipes.AnotherindicationofthisconvergenceisthatbothLGand Samsung recently announced “smart” televisionsequippedwithbothgestureandvoicecontrol.

Gesture-based computing is changing the ways thatwe interact with computers, both physically and

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mechanically.Assuch, it isatoncetransformativeanddisruptive. Researchers and developers are gaininga sense of the cognitive and cultural dimensions ofgesture-basedcommunicating,andthe full realizationof the potential of gesture-based computing withinhighereducationwillrequireintensiveinterdisciplinarycollaborations and innovative thinking about the verynatureofteaching,learning,andcommunicating.

Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or Creative InquiryIt is clear that gesture-based computing has found anaturalhomeingamingandinmobiledevices,butitspotentialusesarebroader.Softwarethat reliesnotonspecific languages, but on natural human movementscommon to all cultures has a compelling utility incountriessuchasIndia,whichhas30nativelanguageswith more than a million speakers. A natural interfaceopensupakeybarrierbetweentheuserandhisorhermachine, and indeed all that is required to see this istoputagesture-enableddeviceinthehandsofatwo-year-old.

Devicesthatencourageuserstotouchthem,move,orotherwiseuseplayasameanstoexploreareparticularlyintriguingtoschools.Suchdevices,whichcurrentlyareprimarilyillustratedbyAndroidandApplesmartphonesand tablets, the Microsoft Surface and Promethean’sActivPanel,andtheNintendoWiiandMicrosoftKinectsystems, open up a wide range of uses for learners.Gesture-enableddevicesaidcollaboration,sharing,andgroupinteractions.

Nonetheless, while gesture-based computing isgarnering a lot of excitement in the consumer space,an extensive review was unable to uncover manycurrentexamplesinhighereducationofgesture-basedsoftware or devices being applied to specific learningexamples. As an enabling or assistive technology,however, gesture-sensing techniques are alreadyhaving profound implications for special needs anddisabledindividuals.Forexample,deviceswithgesturecontrolarealreadyhelpingblind,dyslexic,orotherwisedisabled students, reducing their dependence onkeyboards. Researchers at McGill University are

developing a system that allows those with visualimpairments to get more feedback with fine degreesoftouch.Gesture-basedcomputingalgorithmsarealsobeing used to interpret body language and even signlanguage.

As an experimental media, however, it is easy to findexamples of projects that are pushing the edges ofgesture-recognition, especially as it converges with

voicerecognitioninnaturaluserinterfaceapplications.The idea of being able to have a completely naturalinteractionwithyourdeviceisnotnew,butneitherhasitsfullpotentialbeenrealized.Recentadvancesacrossthe board in the underlying technologies, along withstrong interest in the consumer electronics segment,bodewellforthiscategoryoftechnologiestocontinuetoseenewandcompellingdevelopments.

Asamplingofapplicationsforgesture-basedcomputingacrossdisciplinesincludesthefollowing:

> Art and Fashion Design.CreatedbystudentsatBallState University,“Morp Holuminescence” uses bodygestures to adjust the light in a room for optimalviewing results. Designed for use in the fashionindustry,thesystemoffersanintegratedlightingandsensorsystem,muchofitbuiltusingtheopen-sourceArduinoprototypingplatform.go.nmc.org/bnikw

> Music. The EyeMusic project at the University ofOregon uses eye-tracking sensors to composemultimedia productions based on the movements

Gesture-based computing allows users to engage in virtual activities with motions and movements similar to what they would use in the real world, manipulating content intuitively.

of the user’s eye movement. The performer looks at a physical location to visually process it or to create a sound, and EyeMusic reconciles those two motivations to achieve perceptual-motor harmony. go.nmc.org/hmhxq

> Science and Medicine. Researchers at Norrkoping Visualization Centre and the Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization in Sweden have created a

virtual autopsy using a multi-touch table. Detailed CT scans are created from a living or dead person and transferred to the table where they are manipulated with gestures, allowing forensic scientists to examine a body, make virtual cross-sections, and view layers including skin, muscle, blood vessels, and bone. go.nmc.org/edaic

Gesture-BasedComputinginPracticeThe following links provide examples of gesture-based computing in use in higher education settings:

3GearSystemsgo.nmc.org/tahtrA pair of MIT graduate students created a marker-based gesture interaction system that would cost about one US dollar to produce, using off the shelf computer cameras and a pair of Lycra gloves. This economical advancement in user interfaces will make human interaction with computers and digital devices more natural.

IziTechnologygo.nmc.org/ophomEuropean-based company Extreme Reality is creating software that will allow users to control computer programs, games, and mobile devices with their hand gestures and movements. The technology will work with mechanisms already built into computers and mobile devices so no extra hardware will be required.

Mogees:Gesture-BasedRecognitionwithContact-Microphonego.nmc.org/kepykUsing a contact microphone, two researchers connected to a system that processes sound in real-time and turns any surface into its own touchscreen. This system is transforming the vibrations transmitted from touch into waveforms that a computer will recognize. MudPadgo.nmc.org/xjtekResearchers in the Media Computing Group at RWTH Aachen University are developing a localized active haptic feedback interface, called MudPad, for fluid touch interfaces in order to offer more nuanced ways to interact with screens through touch.

ZeroTouchgo.nmc.org/xpsgeResearchers at Texas A&M University have developed a multi-touch system from infrared sensors that allows precision free-air interaction. Users reach into a frame lined with sensors, and can use their hands, elbows, arms, head, or any object, such as a pen, to create compositions on their computer screens.

ForFurtherReadingThe following articles and resources are recommended for those who wish to learn more about gesture-based computing:

7AreasBeyondGamingwhereKinectCouldPlayaRolego.nmc.org/yskco(Alex Howard, O’Reilly Radar, 3 December 2010.) This article looks at how the gesture-based Kinect System from Microsoft can have broad use beyond its intended

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Gesture-based computing is changing the ways that we interact with computers, both physically and mechanically. As such, it is at once transformative and disruptive.

useasagamingplatform.Usesincludeapplicationsinart,health,andeducation.

Gesture Recognition Moves Beyond Gaminggo.nmc.org/auimq(Steve Sechrist, Software Quality Connection, 23 May2011.) In the context of the major developments ingesturerecognition,theauthordiscussesthepotentialforKinect-stylenaturaluserinterfaces.

LG adds Google TVs, Smart TVs get Voice and Gesture Controlgo.nmc.org/eilfc(James K. Willcox, Consumer Reports, 9 January 2011.)LG Electronics is releasing televisions that double ascomputer monitors so users can download apps fromtheAndroidMarkettosurfthewebontheirtelevisions.TheSmartTVplatformwillalsohavevoiceandgesturecontrol, and built-inWi-Fi to beam content like music,photos, and videos from a notebook to the televisionset.

SoftKinetic Previews Next-Gen Gesture Interfaces (Video)go.nmc.org/qhjle(SoftKinetic, youtube.com, 29 March 2011.) In thisvideo prepared by SoftKinetic for the 2011 ConsumerElectronics Show, the next generation of gestureinterfaces is illustrated. SoftKinetic is developing 3Dgesturecontrolmiddlewareforawiderangeofdevicesandplatforms.

To Win Over Users, Gadgets Have to Be Touchablego.nmc.org/lagrp(ClaireCainMiller,New York Times,1September2010.)This article discusses how gesture-based computinghas become a prevalent way that we interact withour computers, especially mobile devices such assmartphonesandtablets.

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The idea of being able to have a completely natural interaction with your device is not new, but neither has its full potential been realized.

he Internet of Things has become a sort of shorthand for network-aware smart objects that connect the physical world with the world of information. A smart object has four key attributes: it is small, and thus easy to attach

to almost anything; it has a unique identifier; it has a small store of data or information; and it has a way to communicate that information to an external device on demand. The Internet of Things extends that concept by using TCP/IP as the means to convey the information, thus making objects addressable (and findable) on the Internet. Objects that carry information with them have long been used for the monitoring of sensitive equipment or materials, point-of-sale purchases, passport tracking, inventory management, identification, and similar applications. Smart objects are the next generation of those technologies — they “know” about a certain kind of information, such as cost, age, temperature, color, pressure, or humidity — and can pass that information along easily and instantly. They can be used to digitally manage physical objects, monitor their status, track them throughout their lifespan, alert someone when they are in danger of being damaged or spoiled — or even to annotate them with descriptions, instructions, warranties, tutorials, photographs, connections to other objects, and any other kind of contextual information imaginable. The Internet of Things would allow easy access to these data.

OverviewThe Internet of Things, a concept advanced by IP co-creator Vint Cerf, is the next step in the evolution ofsmartobjects—interconnecteditemsinwhichthelinebetween the physical object and digital informationabout it is blurred. The advent of IPv6 has extendedtheInternetaddressspacesignificantly,thusprovidinganavenueforanyobject,likeisdonewithtoday’sweb

camsorsharedprinters,tousetheInternettotransmitand receive data and information from an object orpiece of equipment. Vint Cerf noted that already wehave Internet-enabled phones, appliances, pictureframes, and office equipment. It is not a large step toenvision Internet-enabled electric meters that use theSmartGridtoletyourhouseknowtoraisetheambienttemperatureadegreetohelpoffsetapeakload.Indeed,Cerf sees the Smart Grid as an accelerator for theInternetofthings.

While there are examples, such as the Smart Grid, ofwhattheInternetofThingsmightlooklikeasitunfolds,it is still today more concept than reality. At the sametime, the underlying technologies that will make itpossible — smart sensors that can easily be attachedto everyday objects to monitor their environment orstatus;newformsoflow-energyradiotransmissionthatcanenablethesensortosenditsinformationwirelesslyorviaelectriclinestoanetworkhub;andanexpandedaddressspacefortheInternet—areallwellunderstood,easilymass-produced,andinexpensive.

Smart objects have appeared in several previouseditionsof theNMC Horizon Report,andaredescribedin the opening paragraph as having the attributesof being easy to attach, often much like a sticker;uniquely identifiable; a small data store; and a wayto read and write to that store of data. Several radio-based technologies are being explored as the firstpointof transmission, fromthesimpleandubiquitousRFID approach broadly used for inventory controlto the proximity-based secure data exchange madepossible via Nokia’s near field communication (NFC)technology.NFCwasdesignedtoallowuserstomakesecure payments to kiosks, gas pumps, or dispensingmachinesviasmartphones,butitwillalsoallowsmartobjectstocommunicatesecurelyoversmalldistances.

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Today, NFC is optimized for payment data, and thusworks over distances of just a few inches, but whenthat isextendedtoafewfeet,asRFIDistoday,securewireless communications between objects in a roomandawirelesshubwillbepossible.

Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or Creative InquiryTheadvantagesofSmartGridtechnologiesinefficientlymanaging energy resources are an obvious benefit toany organization, and similar remote monitoring andcontrol via the Internet is already finding its way intolaboratorieswheresuchsharingofexpensiveresourceshas long been a part of how institutions collaborate.Smartobjectswillallowasimilarapproachtobeappliedtoallsortsofmaterialsanddelicateartifacts.Thedevicesrequiredtodosoaresmall,donotrequirebatteriesorexternal power, can communicate wirelessly, and areinexpensive.They can be attached to any object verydiscretely, and then used to track, monitor, maintain,andkeeprecordsabouttheobject.

Anthropology and history departments will have aninstant window into the condition of the objects,with the Internet being the mechanism for real-timemonitoring of current location, environment, andmovementofanobjectintheircareorcollections.Oncesuch information is accessible, it is easy to imagineit being attached to other sorts of information inways that will blur the line between the object itselfand content related to it. For example, every bonein an Allosaurus skeleton has a story — when it wasdiscovered,itspositioninthebody,thetemperatureatwhichitisbeingstored,itsprovenanceinfo,andmore.AnInternetofThingswouldmakeitsimpletoattachallthatinformationdirectlytothebonesthemselvesviaanIP-enabledsmartobjectthataddsaconstantstreamofmonitoringinformationaboutthephysicalobject.

Intheclassroom,IP-addressableprojectorscanalreadystream the slides or videos professors are sharing sothat students who could not physically attend classcanviewthepresentationsand lecturematerials fromwherevertheyare.Similarly,smallsmartsensorsplacedinstudyroomsaroundcampusbuildingscouldprovidereal-time updates on the occupancy of the rooms via

the network. When placed inside loaner equipment,thesesensorswouldallowcampusmanagerstoknowif a sensitive camera or piece of equipment had beendropped or otherwise put at risk while on loan. Infieldwork, when attached to scientific samples, IP-enabledsensorscouldusetheInternettoalertscientistsand researchers to conditions that might impair thequalityorutilityofthesamples.

A sampling of applications of the Internet of Thingsacrossdisciplinesincludesthefollowing:

> Attendance. Northern Arizona University is usingstudentcards thatareembeddedwith RFID tags totracktheirclassattendance.Thisishelpingprofessorswhoteachlargeclassesbyautomatingaoncemanualprocess.go.nmc.org/jvhzg

> Marine Biology. Researchers are using an RFIDsystem to track marine animals’ behavior, even insaltwater, with a network of antennas set up in agivenareathatreaddatafromthetinytranspondersattached to the organisms as they pass by. go.nmc.org/cikkq

> Resource Management. TheElPasoHealthSciencesCenter atTexasTech University adopted a campus-wideRFIDsystemtotrackthelocationofsciencelabequipment and resources. A built in reporting suiteupdatesusersoncheck-inandcheck-outinformation,and the system also enables users to make onlineresourcetransfers.TheCenterhas reportedthat the

The advent of IPv6 has extended the Internet address space significantly, thus providing an avenue for any object to use the Internet to transmit and receive data and information from an object or piece of equipment.

time it takes to account for inventories has drastically decreased. go.nmc.org/qulqx

Internet of Things in PracticeThe following links provide examples of the Internet of Things in use in higher education settings:

Amarinogo.nmc.org/uyllxAmarino, developed by MIT, is a toolkit that allows users to control the lights in a room, and detect exposure levels to radiation or other potentially harmful environmental factors through their smartphones.

NYU’s Sensitive Buildings Classgo.nmc.org/nhqfjNew York University’s ITP program offers a course where students create smart habitats for city dwellers. Students learned how sensor management systems work and created their own prototypes with Digi products.

Otago Museum Radio Tracking Systemgo.nmc.org/pjouuIn an effort to increase security, Otago Museum launched a project that entails the installation of a radio tracking system to monitor all of its objects. Each artifact will be tagged, and RFID readers will track the items as they move around the museum space.

Penn State Behrend’s RFID Center of Excellencego.nmc.org/kxwlhPenn State Behrend’s RFID Center conducts research and outreach on RFID technology to better integrate it into the business school curriculum, assist IT providers to attain RFID expertise, and provide prototype testing services for customized applications.

Reborn Aiken Center an Energy Stargo.nmc.org/sxedkStudents and faculty in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources  have “rehabbed” the Aiken building which now has temperature sensors that advise when to open or shut the windows, and carbon dioxide sensors that trigger more fresh air into a classroom when the CO2 level gets too high.

Smart Grid Developments in 2011 (pdf )go.nmc.org/zlszmThis annual report by energy management firm, KEMA, tracks the progress of smart grid development around the globe. They consider three critical factors when evaluating the progress of Smart Grid deployments: technology advancement, deployment track record, and policy and regulatory drivers.

For Further Reading The following articles and resources are recommended for those who wish to learn more about the Internet of Things.

How the “Internet of Things” Is Turning Cities Into Living Organismsgo.nmc.org/cxmqs(Christopher Mims, Scientific American, 6 December 2011.) If city systems are able to react to information stored in the cloud, a city could be “a virtual nervous system” that immediately responds to environmental conditions like rainstorms.

The Internet Gets Physicalgo.nmc.org/yirhc (Steve Lohr, The New York Times, 17 December 2011.) Smart devices are already a major link in human interaction, but they are further linking humans to their environment in ways that will benefit energy conservation, transportation, health care, food distribution, and more.

Internetting Every Thing, Everywhere, All the Timego.nmc.org/tgyqn(Cherise Fong, CNN, 2 November 2008.) Any object can do the same things as a web page and smart objects are becoming more prevalent. This article outlines some current examples of how smart technology is actualizing “The Internet of Things,” where objects, beings, and data seamlessly interact.

Launching Google Wallet on Sprintgo.nmc.org/hurhd(Google Mobile Blog, 19 September 2011.) This announcement from Google explores Google Wallet — a new method of ecommerce that allows people

NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition32

to make purchases from their phones with near fieldcommunication as the secure mechanism for storingandtransmittinguserpaymentinformation.

NFC Technology: 6 Ways it Could Change Our Daily Livesgo.nmc.org/lumcp(Sarah Kessler, Mashable, 6 May 2010). Contactlesspayment and infotags containing schedules andannouncementsarebothcitedinthisarticleastwoofthe most potentially transformative features of nearfieldcommunication.

33Time-to-AdoptionHorizon:FourtoFiveYears

Anthropology and history departments will have an instant window into the condition of the objects, with the Internet being the mechanism for real-time monitoring of current location, environment, and movement of an object in their care or collections.

heprocessusedtoresearchandcreatethe NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition isverymuchrootedinthemethodsusedacrossalltheresearchconductedwithintheNMCHorizonProject. All editions of the NMC Horizon Report

areproducedusingacarefullyconstructedprocessthatis informed by both primary and secondary research.Dozensoftechnologies,meaningfultrends,andcriticalchallenges are examined for possible inclusion in thereport for each edition. Every report draws on theconsiderableexpertiseofan internationally renownedadvisory board that first considers a broad set ofimportant emerging technologies, challenges, andtrends,andthenexamineseachoftheminprogressivelymore detail, reducing the set until the final listing oftechnologies,trends,andchallengesisselected.

This process takes place online, where it is capturedandplacedintheNMCHorizonProjectwiki.Thewikiisintendedtobeacompletelytransparentwindowontotheworkoftheproject,andcontainstheentirerecordoftheresearchforeachofthevariouseditions.

Thesectionofthewikiusedforthe NMC Horizon Report: 2012Higher Education Editioncanbefoundathorizon.wiki.nmc.org.

The procedure for selecting the topics in the reportincluded a modified Delphi process now refined overyears of producing the NMC Horizon Report series,and began with the assembly of the advisory board.The board represents a wide range of backgrounds,nationalities, and interests, yet each member bringsa particularly relevant expertise. Over the decade ofthe NMC’s Horizon Project research, more than 450internationally recognized practitioners and expertshave participated on project advisory boards; in

any given year, a third of advisory board membersare new, ensuring a flow of fresh perspectives eachyear. Nominations to serve on the advisory board areencouraged—seego.nmc.org/horizon-nominate.

Once the advisory board for a particular edition isconstituted,theirworkbeginswithasystematicreviewof the literature — press clippings, reports, essays,and other materials — that pertains to emergingtechnology. Advisory board members are providedwithanextensivesetofbackgroundmaterialswhentheprojectbegins,andarethenaskedtocommentonthem,identifythosethatseemespeciallyworthwhile,andaddtotheset.Thegroupdiscussesexistingapplicationsofemergingtechnologyandbrainstormsnewones.Akeycriterionfortheinclusionofatopicinthiseditionisitspotential relevance to teaching, learning, and creativeinquiry inhighereducation.AcarefullyselectedsetofRSSfeedsfromdozensofrelevantpublicationsensuresthat background resources stay current as the projectprogresses.Theyareusedtoinformthethinkingoftheparticipantsthroughouttheprocess.

Following the review of the literature, the advisoryboard engages in the central focus of the research —theresearchquestionsthatareatthecoreoftheNMCHorizonProject.Thesequestionsweredesignedtoelicita comprehensive listing of interesting technologies,challenges,andtrendsfromtheadvisoryboard:

1 Which of the key technologies catalogued in the NMC Horizon Project Listing will be most

important to teaching, learning, or creative inquiry within the next five years?

2 What key technologies are missing from our list? Considertheserelatedquestions:

NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition34

Methodology

T

35Methodology

> What would you list among the established technologies that some educational institutions are using today that arguably all institutions should be using broadly to support or enhance teaching, learning, or creative inquiry?

> What technologies that have a solid user base in consumer, entertainment, or other industries should educational institutions be actively looking for ways to apply?

> What are the key emerging technologies you see developing to the point that learning-focused institutions should begin to take notice during the next four to five years?

3 What trends do you expect to have a significant impact on the ways in which learning-focused

institutions approach our core missions of teaching, research, and service?

4 What do you see as the key challenge(s) related to teaching, learning, or creative inquiry that

learning-focused institutions will face during the next five years?

Oneoftheadvisoryboard’smostimportanttasksistoanswer these questions as systematically and broadlyas possible, so as to ensure that the range of relevanttopicsisconsidered.Oncethisworkisdone,aprocessthat moves quickly over just a few days, the advisoryboard moves to a unique consensus-building processbasedonaniterativeDelphi-basedmethodology.

Inthefirststepof thisapproach, theresponsestotheresearchquestionsaresystematicallyrankedandplacedintoadoptionhorizonsbyeachadvisoryboardmemberusing a multi-vote system that allows members toweight their selections. Each member is asked to alsoidentify the timeframe during which they feel thetechnologywouldentermainstreamuse—definedforthepurposeoftheprojectasabout20%ofinstitutionsadopting itwithintheperioddiscussed. (Thisfigure isbasedontheresearchofGeoffreyA.Mooreandreferstothecriticalmassofadoptionsneededforatechnologytohaveachanceofenteringbroaduse.)Theserankings

are compiled into a collective set of responses, andinevitably, the ones around which there is the mostagreementarequicklyapparent.

Fromthecomprehensivelistoftechnologiesoriginallyconsideredforanyreport,thetwelvethatemergeatthetopofthe initial rankingprocess—fourperadoptionhorizon—arefurtherresearchedandexpanded.Oncethis“Short List” is identified, the group, working with

both NMC staff and practitioners in the field, beginsto explore the ways in which these twelve importanttechnologies might be used for teaching, learning,and creative inquiry in higher education. A significantamountoftimeisspentresearchingrealandpotentialapplications for each of the areas that would be ofinteresttopractitioners.

Foreveryedition,whenthatworkisdone,eachofthesetwelve“ShortList” items iswrittenup inthe formatofthe NMC Horizon Report. With the benefit of the fullpicture of how the topic will look in the report, the“shortlist”isthenrankedyetagain,thistimeinreverse.ThesixtechnologiesandapplicationsthatemergearethosedetailedintheNMCHorizon Report.

Foradditionaldetailontheprojectmethodologyortoreviewtheactualinstrumentation,theranking,andtheinterimproductsbehindthereport,pleasevisithorizon.wiki.nmc.org.

A key criterion for the inclusion of a topic in this edition is its potential relevance to teaching, learning, and creative inquiry in higher education.

NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition36

TheNMCHorizonProject:2012HigherEducationAdvisoryBoard

Larry JohnsonCo-Principal InvestigatorNew Media ConsortiumUnitedStates

Malcolm BrownCo-Principal InvestigatorEDUCAUSE Learning InitiativeUnitedStates

Samantha AdamsNew Media ConsortiumUnitedStates

Bryan AlexanderNational Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE)UnitedStates

Kumiko AokiOpen University of JapanJapan

Neil BaldwinThe Creative Research Center, Montclair State UniversityUnitedStates

Helga BechmannMultimedia Kontor HamburgGermany

Michael BermanCSU Channel IslandsUnitedStates

Melissa BurgessAmerican Public University SystemUnitedStates

Gardner CampbellVirginia TechUnitedStates

John CookLondon Metropolitan UniversityUnitedKingdom

Crista D. CoppLoyola Marymount UniversityUnitedStates

Douglas DarbyConsultant, Guidhall at SMUUnitedStates

Eva de LeraUniversitat Oberta de CatalunyaSpain

Veronica DiazEDUCAUSE Learning Initiative UnitedStates

Kyle DicksonAbilene Christian UniversityUnitedStates

Barbara DieuLycée Pasteur, Casa Santos DumontBrazil

Gavin DykesCellcove Ltd.UnitedKingdom

Julie EvansProject TomorrowUnitedStates

Allan GyorkePennsylvania State UniversityUnitedStates

Tom HaymesHouston Community CollegeUnitedStates

Deborah HealUniversity of OregonUnitedStates

Paul HicksNew Media ConsortiumUnitedStates

Phil IceAmerican Public University SystemUnitedStates

Helen KeeganUniversity of SalfordUnitedKingdom

Vijay KumarMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyUnitedStates

Joan LippincottCoalition for Networked InformationUnitedStates

Phillip LongUniversity of QueenslandAustralia

Jamie MaddenUniversity of QueenslandAustralia

Damian McDonaldUniversity of Leeds and University of YorkUnitedKingdom

Glenda MorganUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUnitedStates

Javier NóUPSASpain

Nick NoakesHong Kong University of Science and TechnologyChina

Olubodun OlufemiUniversity of LagosNigeria

David ParkesStaffordshire UniversityUnitedKingdom

Lauren PressleyWake Forest UniversityUnitedStates

Ruben PuenteduraHippasusUnitedStates

Dolors ReigEl CaparazónUniversitat Oberta de CatalunyaSpain

Jochen RobesHQ Interaktive Mediensysteme/ WeiterbildungsblogGermany

Jason RosenblumSt. Edward’s UniversityUnitedStates

Rolf SchulmeisterUniversity of HamburgGermany

Wendy ShapiroCase Western Reserve UniversityUnitedStates

Bill ShewbridgeUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore CountyUnitedStates

Paul SignorelliPaul Signorelli & AssociatesUnitedStates

Paul TurnerUniversity of Notre DameUnitedStates

Jim VanidesHP, Inc.UnitedStates

Alan WolfUniversity of Wisconsin – MadisonUnitedStates

Every NMC Horizon Report draws on the considerable expertise of an internationally renowned advisory board that first considers a broad set of important emerging technologies, challenges, and trends, and then examines each of them in progressively more detail, reducing the set until the final listing of technologies, trends, and challenges is selected.

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