What do you think is the main finding of this study? [AR games in Language Learning]

The creation of an innovative and transformational educational experience beyond the constraints of a physical place (classroom) that engaged and motivated students to get immersed in their learning process is what I found more striking. However, video games (in general) have this effect on students (and even adults!...like me). A good video game can provide rich opportunities for students (players) to experience problem-solving and goal-pursuing processes.

As an educator I’m prone to learn how to implement new technologies in my practices. But, wait... Do all teachers (on top of EVERYTHING they do on a daily basis) have to become programmers now? Well, NO! ARIS is an online platform that allows teachers (without programming background) to create Augmented Reality games for educational purposes from scratch.

Having this support in mind, for me the main finding of this study is the considerations teachers must have when using these online tools which most of the time are overshadow because of the novelty of the technology…

Support for teachers – AR games researched in this study required research team members to help teachers throughout the gameplay sessions in order to distribute and collect all hardware, keep groups together, answer content and handheld interface questions, and provide alternative handhelds to students whose machines had crashed (hardware and software problems). All these factors directly impact the feasibility of scalability.

Students safety - While playing a game teachers and researchers had to corralled students who were so immersed in the game that ignored the physical space around them to focus exclusively on the data being presented via the handheld which incorporates a safety issue to be considered.

Blurry novelty - students can become so engrossed in beaming information to each other that they run out of time to complete important activities

GPS failures - due to software instability or handheld device wrong configuration

Students cognitive load - students may report feeling overwhelmed and confused with complex tasks and large amounts of material.

Outside use - some devices are not designed to be used outside due to their screens that are difficult to read on bright sunny days or because their audio tends to wash out and become difficult to hear in large open areas.

I have a feeling or I want to have a feeling?

Sherry Turkle’s words still sound in my head: “I have a feeling so I want to make a call (or text)” or “I want to have a feeling so I need to send a text”. This paradoxical scenario takes us to the question: What are we really using technology for? Do people really need to share or communicate something or they just can’t face the fact of being with themselves which makes them get engage in meaningless virtual interactions?

Even though I feel I can control it, I felt myself part of this game short ago.

I’ve always used my phone to get (or send) some pieces of information to complete my daily tasks (google an address, ask a colleague to send me a document I need to work on, saying someone I love you, schedule a meeting with some friends, send a funny meme to cheer up someone else’s day, etc.) but most of the times prioritizing face to face interaction because that’s the way we really understand and know each other.

However, since I got to NY distance has make technology be the only way I can get in touch with my love ones from my home country. I became more dependent of my cell phone and other technological devices. My interactions through technology increased at the point that I would prefer online interaction over offline. I’ve even tried to get in touch with others in lonely moments through meaningless interactions, as Sherry stated: to feel less anxious, to feel alive… to try to feel something.  

To be in a relationship with someone much more dependent than myself from online interactions has been the key to open my eyes and see the problem as an “affected” outsider and experience what this addiction to the “I post therefore I am” situation can really cause in the construction of relationships. How unnecessary is to try to be everywhere else when the person you love is right in front to you trying to speak his/her heart out.  

Virtual Environments/Life Online

Virtual environments can provide learners with real life contexts that help them develop high cognitive skills as stated by cognitive constructivism which main focus is to provide a learning context that supports the learning in constructing experience-based knowledge.  Imagine this scenario: students learning fractions in a virtual environment where they can actually not only visualize but also manipulate blocks using their own hands. If the learning experience is designed with clear goals and objectives the learners can make the most of this rewarding experience. However, these virtual environments for educational purposes have to be regulated by a tutor (teacher, responsible adult) who can take the responsibility for what may happen in this world. As presented in “Second Thoughts About Second Life”, a virtual entity (controlled by a real person) may be exposed to sexual, racist, homophobic, or offensive behavior. Nowadays there’s no legal regulation in these open virtual environments (i.e. Second Life) where users’ anonymity can lead to coward acts towards others. Do teachers really want to take this risk and incorporate this into their practices?

In terms of academic achievement, I don’t think “life online” has a direct correlation to it. Nor “Facebook”, “Snapchat”, or the popular “PokémonGO”. The overexposure to each of these technologies is what really has a correlation to it. Unfortunately, nowadays most people (especially children and teenagers) think can execute two (sometimes even more) activities at the same time without losing efficiency or effectiveness. Reading and IMing, posting on Facebook and listening to your professor, even driving and Snapchatting. In my opinion (as a former multitasker) the best way to deal with this is to learn how to prioritize your activities (online/offline).