Technologies to Consider

Note:  This is a repost of a discussion post for the Walden 6177 course in
Using Technology to Enhance Adult Learning I'm currently taking.  We had to post about two emerging technologies we were considering for a grant proposal we will be writing later.

Two emerging technologies I’m considering for my proposal are Social Media and Virtual Reality.  Both technologies are being used for training in some capacities already.  I am curious about how they might be used in an adult education setting or even corporate training, from a human resource development perspective.     

Social Media has the potential to support peer to peer interactions that might not even be available in a seated classroom.  

http://www.trainingmag.com/how-train-employees-using-social-media  

People can share things on Facebook that they might not be comfortable sharing in person.  An example of how I might use social media in an online learning environment includes having students gather artifacts related to a concept, such as transformational leadership, and share them on a class FB page.  Students could also share personal accounts of complex topics as posts on the class FB page.   

Another emerging technology I am curious about is virtual reality.  The article here shows how the Army is using virtual reality to provide soldiers with realistic combat experience in a safe and controlled environment.  

http://www.army.mil/article/84453/

I’ve seen virtual reality used to train behaviorist concepts such as painting an aircraft.  I’m curious about applying that technology to more cognitive concepts such as leadership development and business acumen.  I have had involvement with experiential training such as role plays and computer simulations, but I have not seen virtual reality used in cognitive or constructivist learning.  

Sometimes in business or management you have to act or make decisions on the spot or you may lose your competitive edge.  Virtual reality could be used to put students in positions where they could test different responses to a situation and see which one works best.  For example, as supervisor, you overhear two employees talking about another employee in an unprofessional manner.  What do you do?  Or as a senior manager, you are approached by a customer with a request for services that may be beyond your organization’s ability to provide, how do you handle that conversation?  

Cheers,

Ron N.