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NMC Horizon Report > 2012 Higher Education Edition

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The NMC (New Media Consortium) is an international community of experts in educational
technology — from the practitioners who work with new technologies on campuses everyday;
to the visionaries who are shaping the future of learning at think tanks, labs, and research
centers; to its sta and board of directors; to the advisory boards and others helping the NMC
conduct cutting edge research.

> The NMC helps its members stay at the leading edge of emerging technology.
> The key interest of the NMC community is in technologies and applications that make
learning more relevant and more engaging.
> As a community, we engage in research that catalyzes discussion, we convene people
around new ideas, and we build communities and networks that encourage exploration
and experimentation.

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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 identi es and
describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact over the coming ve years in education
around the globe.

1

Contents > Click on a topic or page number to jump to that page.

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

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NMC

The NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition is a collaboration between the
New Media Consortium and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, an EDUCAUSE Program.

The research behind the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education The NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education
Edition is jointly conducted by the New Media Consortium (NMC) and Edition is made possible via a grant from HP.
the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI), an EDUCAUSE Program. The ELI’s
critical participation in the production of this report and their strong HP creates innovative technology solutions that bene t individuals,
support for the NMC Horizon Project is gratefully acknowledged. To businesses, governments and society. HP’s O ce for Global Social
learn more about ELI, visit www.educause.edu/eli; to learn more about Innovation applies HP’s global reach, broad portfolio of products and
the NMC, visit www.nmc.org. services, and the expertise of its employees to support initiatives in
education, healthcare and communities around the world. As the
© 2012, The New Media Consortium. world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio
that spans printing, personal computing, software, services, and IT
ISBN 978-0-9846601-3-1 infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP
is available at www.hp.com.
Permission is granted under a Creative Commons Attribution License to
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that attribution is provided as illustrated in the citation below. To view By Kate Morgan, Director of University Relations at Penn State Lehigh
a copy of this license, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or Valley. As part of the University’s Mobile Media pilot, two honors biology
send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, students at Penn State Lehigh Valley document, edit, and upload lab
California 94305, USA. procedures for Bio 110 students to reference, using only iPod Touch 4Gs.
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Citation
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3

Executive Summary

T
he internationally recognized NMC Horizon topics that appear here in the NMC Horizon Report: 2012
Report series and regional NMC Technology Higher Education Edition. The examples and readings
Outlooks are part of the NMC Horizon Project, under each topic area are meant to provide practical
a comprehensive research venture established models as well as access to more detailed information.
in 2002 that identi es and describes emerging The precise research methodology employed is detailed
technologies likely to have a large impact over the in the closing section of this report.
coming ve years in education around the globe. This
volume, the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education The report’s format is consistent from year to year and
Edition, was again produced in a collaborative e ort edition to edition, and opens with a discussion of the
with the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, an EDUCAUSE trends and challenges identi ed by the advisory board
Program, and examines emerging technologies for their
potential impact on teaching, learning, and creative
inquiry within the higher education environment. The technologies featured in each
To create the report, an international body of experts in
education, technology, and other elds was convened
edition of the NMC Horizon Report are
as an advisory board. The group engaged in discussions
around a set of research questions intended to surface
embedded within a contemporary
signi cant trends and challenges and to identify a wide
array of potential technologies for the report. This dialog
context that reﬂects the realities of
was enriched by a wide range of resources, current
research, and practice that drew on the expertise of
the time, both in the sphere of higher
both the NMC community and the communities of
the members of the advisory board. These interactions
education and in the world at large.
among the advisory board are the focus of the NMC as most important for the next ve years. The format
Horizon Report research, and this report details the areas of the main section of this edition closely re ects the
in which these experts were in strong agreement. focus of the NMC Horizon Project itself, centering
on the applications of emerging technologies — in
Each of the three global editions of the NMC Horizon this case for higher education settings. Each section
Report — higher education, primary and secondary is introduced with an overview that describes what
education, and museum education — highlights six the topic is, followed by a discussion of the particular
emerging technologies or practices that are likely to relevance of the topic to teaching, learning, and creative
enter mainstream use with their focus sectors within inquiry in higher education. Several concrete examples
three adoption horizons over the next ve years. Key of how the technology is being used are given. Finally,
trends and challenges that will a ect current practice each section closes with an annotated list of suggested
over the same period frame these discussions. Over readings and additional examples that expand on the
the course of just a few weeks in the late fall of 2011, discussion in the report. These resources, along with
the advisory board came to a consensus about the six countless other helpful projects and readings, can all

4 NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition

be found in the project’s open content database — the adoption of cloud-based applications and services
NMC Horizon Project Navigator (navigator.nmc.org) All is changing not only the ways we con gure and use
the ephemera of the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher software and le storage, but also how we conceptualize
Education Edition, including the research data, the those functions. It does not matter where our work is
interim results, the topic preview, and this publication, stored; what matters is that our information is accessible
can be downloaded for free on iTunes U (go.nmc.org/ no matter where we are or what device we choose
itunes-u). to use. Globally, in huge numbers, we are growing
accustomed to a model of browser-based software
Key Trends that is device independent. While some challenges
The technologies featured in each edition of the NMC still remain, speci cally with notions of privacy and
Horizon Report are embedded within a contemporary sovereignty, the promise of signi cant cost savings is an
context that re ects the realities of the time, both in the important driver in the search for solutions.
sphere of higher education and in the world at large. To
ensure this context was well understood, the advisory
board engaged in an extensive review of current
articles, interviews, papers, and new research to identify
3 The world of work is increasingly collaborative,
driving changes in the way student projects are
structured. Because employers value collaboration as
and rank trends that are currently a ecting teaching, a critical skill, silos both in the workplace and at school
learning, and creative inquiry in higher education. Once are being abandoned in favor of collective intelligence.
detailed, the list of trends was then ranked according To facilitate more teamwork and group communication,
to how signi cant each was likely to be for higher projects rely on tools such as wikis, Google Docs, Skype,
education in the next ve years. The highest ranked and easily shared le-storage sites including Dropbox.
of those trends had signi cant agreement among the Students are increasingly evaluated not just on the
advisory board members, who considered them to be overall outcome, but also on the success of the group
key drivers of educational technology adoptions for the dynamic. In many cases, the way an online collaboration
period 2012 through 2017. They are listed here in the tool is used is an equally important outcome. Like the
order in which the advisory board ranked them. wiki used to create this report, such sites preserve the
process and the multiple perspectives that lead to the

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

increasingly busy world where learners must balance
demands from home, work, school, and family poses
a host of logistical challenges with which today’s ever
4 The abundance of resources and relationships
made easily accessible via the Internet is
increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as
more mobile students must cope. Work and learning educators. Institutions must consider the unique
are often two sides of the same coin, and people want value that each adds to a world in which information
easy and timely access not only to the information on is everywhere. In such a world, sense-making and
the network, but also to tools, resources, and up-to-the- the ability to assess the credibility of information are
moment analysis and commentary. These needs, as well paramount. Mentoring and preparing students for
as the increasingly essential access to social media and the world in which they will live and work is again at
networks, have risen to the level of expectations. The the forefront. Universities have always been seen as
opportunities for informal learning in the modern world the gold standard for educational credentialing, but
are abundant and diverse, and greatly expand on earlier emerging certi cation programs from other sources are
notions like “just-in-time” or “found” learning. eroding the value of that mission daily.

2 The technologies we use are increasingly
cloud-based, and our notions of IT support
are decentralized. The continuing acceptance and
5 Education paradigms are shifting to include
online learning, hybrid learning and collaborative
models. Budget cuts have forced institutions to re-

Executive Summary 5

evaluate their education strategies and nd alternatives factors in any decision to adopt — or not to adopt — a
to the exclusive face-to-face learning models. Students given technology.
already spend much of their free time on the Internet,
learning and exchanging new information — often via Even institutions that are eager to adopt new
their social networks. Institutions that embrace face-to- technologies may be critically constrained by the
face/online hybrid learning models have the potential lack of necessary human resources and the nancial
to leverage the online skills learners have already wherewithal to realize their ideas. Still others are
developed independent of academia. We are beginning located within buildings that simply were not designed
to see developments in online learning that o er to provide the radio frequency transparency that
di erent a ordances than physical campuses, including wireless technologies require, and thus nd themselves
opportunities for increased collaboration while shut out of many potential technology options. While
equipping students with stronger digital skills. Hybrid acknowledging that local barriers to technology
models, when designed and implemented successfully, adoptions are many and signi cant, the advisory board
enable students to travel to campus for some activities, focused its discussions on challenges that are common
while using the network for others, taking advantage of to the higher education community as a whole. The
the best of both environments. highest ranked challenges they identi ed are listed
here, in the order in which the advisory board ranked

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

Challenge-based learning and similar methods foster
more active learning experiences, both inside and
outside the classroom. As technologies such as tablets
1 Economic pressures and new models of education
are bringing unprecedented competition to the
traditional models of higher education. Across the
and smartphones now have proven applications in board, institutions are looking for ways to control costs
higher education institutions, educators are leveraging while still providing a high quality of service. Institutions
these tools, which students already use, to connect are challenged by the need to support a steady — or
the curriculum with real life issues. The active learning growing — number of students with fewer resources
approaches are decidedly more student-centered, and sta than before. As a result, creative institutions
allowing them to take control of how they engage with are developing new models to serve students, such as
a subject and to brainstorm and implement solutions to streaming introductory courses over the network. As
pressing local and global problems. The hope is that if these pressures continue, other models may emerge
learners can connect the course material with their own that diverge from traditional ones. Simply capitalizing
lives, their surrounding communities, and the world as a on new technology, however, is not enough; the new
whole, then they will become more excited to learn and models must use these tools and services to engage
immerse themselves in the subject matter. students on a deeper level.

Signi cant Challenges
Any discussion of technology adoption must also
consider important constraints and challenges, and the
2 Appropriate metrics of evaluation lag the
emergence of new scholarly forms of authoring,
publishing, and researching. Traditional approaches to
advisory board drew deeply from a careful analysis of scholarly evaluation, such as citation-based metrics, are
current events, papers, articles, and similar sources, as often hard to apply to research that is disseminated or
well as from personal experience, in detailing a long conducted via social media. New forms of peer review
list of challenges higher education institutions face and approval, such as reader ratings, inclusion in and
in adopting any new technology. Several important mention by in uential blogs, tagging, incoming links,
challenges are detailed below, but it was clear that and re-tweeting, are arising from the natural actions of
behind them all was a pervasive sense that individual the global community of educators, with increasingly
organizational constraints are likely the most important relevant and interesting results. These forms of scholarly


corroboration are not yet well understood by mainstream nature of the way we communicate, access information,
faculty and academic decision-makers, creating a gap connect with peers and colleagues, learn, and even
between what is possible and what is acceptable. socialize. Taken together, they provided the advisory
board a frame through which to consider the potential

3 Digital media literacy continues its rise in
importance as a key skill in every discipline
and profession. Despite the widespread agreement
impacts of nearly 50 emerging technologies and related
practices that were analyzed and discussed for possible
inclusion in this edition of the NMC Horizon Report series.
on the importance of digital media literacy, training in Six of those were chosen through successive rounds of
the supporting skills and techniques is rare in teacher ranking; they are summarized below and detailed in the
education and non-existent in the preparation of most main body of the report.
university faculty. As lecturers and professors begin
to realize that they are limiting their students by not Technologies to Watch
helping them to develop and use digital media literacy The six technologies featured in the NMC Horizon
skills across the curriculum, the lack of formal training Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition are placed along
is being o set through professional development or three adoption horizons that indicate likely timeframes
informal learning, but we are far from seeing digital for their entrance into mainstream use for teaching,
media literacy as an expected norm for academic learning, and creative inquiry. The near-term horizon
professionals, nor as a key part of degree programs. assumes the likelihood of entry into the mainstream
for higher education institutions within the next twelve

4 Institutional barriers present formidable
challenges to moving forward in a constructive
way with emerging technologies. Too often it is
months; the mid-term horizon, within two to three years;
and the far-term, within four to ve years. It should be
noted at the outset that the NMC Horizon Report is not a
education’s own processes and practices that limit predictive tool. It is meant, rather, to highlight emerging
broader uptake of new technologies. Much resistance technologies with considerable potential for our focus
to change is simply comfort with the status quo, but in areas of education and interpretation. Each of the six
other cases, such as in promotion and tenure reviews, is already the target of work at a number of innovative
experimentation with or adoptions of clearly innovative organizations around the world, and the projects we
applications of technologies is often seen as outside the showcase here reveal the promise of a wider impact.
role of researcher or scientist.
Near-term Horizon

5 New modes of scholarship are presenting
signi cant challenges for libraries and university
collections, how scholarship is documented, and the
On the near-term horizon — that is, within the next
12 months — are mobile apps and tablets. These two
topics have become pervasive in everyday life, at least
business models to support these activities. While the in the developed world, and students at universities and
university library has traditionally housed collections of colleges have ever-increasing expectations of being
scholarly resources, social networks and new publishing able to learn on these devices whenever and wherever
paradigms, such as open content, are challenging the they may be. This year tablets have been separated from
library’s role as curator. Students and educators are mobiles as a distinct category, preserving mobiles as a
increasingly able to access important, historic research descriptor used for typical hand-held devices designed
in web browsers on devices of their choosing. As such, to make calls.
libraries are under tremendous pressure to evolve new
ways of supporting and curating scholarship. > Mobile apps are the fastest growing dimension of
the mobile space in higher education right now, with
These trends and challenges are a re ection of the impacts on virtually every aspect of informal life,
impact of technology that is occurring in almost every and increasingly, every discipline in the university.
aspect of our lives. They are indicative of the changing Always-connected Internet devices using 3G

Executive Summary 7

and similar cellular networks, imbedded sensors, > Game-based learning has grown in recent years as
cameras, and GPS have proved to be a feature set research continues to demonstrate its e ectiveness
with hundreds of thousands of applications. Apps for learning. Games for education span the range
that take advantage of recent developments in these from single-player or small-group card and board
tools, along with advances in electronic publishing games all the way to massively multiplayer online
and the convergence of search technology and games and alternate reality games. Those at the
location awareness, made this category of software
enormously interesting in a higher education context.
Higher education institutions are now designing apps The NMC Horizon Report is not a
tailored to educational and research needs across the
curriculum. predictive tool. It is meant, rather,
> Tablet computing presents new opportunities to
enhance learning experiences in ways simply not
to highlight emerging technologies
possible with other devices. High-resolution screens
allow users of tablets, such as the iPad, to easily share
with considerable potential for
content with each other and pore over images and
videos on the screen. As people tend to use tablets to
our focus areas of education and
supplement and not replace smartphones, they are
viewed as less disruptive tools (no phone ringing and
interpretation.
no incoming text messages), which makes them ideal rst end of the spectrum are easy to integrate into
tools for learning opportunities. Because tablets are the curriculum, and have long been an option in
able to tap into all the advantages that mobile apps many higher education institutions; but the greatest
bring to smaller devices, but in a larger format, higher potential of games for learning lies in their ability to
education institutions are seeing them not just as an foster collaboration and engage students deeply in
a ordable solution for one-to-one learning, but also the process of learning. Once educational gaming
as a feature-rich tool for eld and lab work, often providers can match the volume and quality of their
times replacing far more expensive and cumbersome consumer-driven counterparts, games will garner
devices and equipment. more attention.

Mid-term Horizon > Learning analytics loosely joins a variety of data-
The second adoption horizon, two to three years out, gathering tools and analytic techniques to study
is where we will begin to see widespread adoptions student engagement, performance, and progress
of two technologies that are experiencing growing in practice, with the goal of using what is learned
interest within higher education: game-based learning to revise curricula, teaching, and assessment in real
and learning analytics. Educational gaming brings time. Building on the kinds of information generated
an increasingly credible promise to make learning by Google Analytics and other similar tools, learning
experiences more engaging for students, while at analytics aims to mobilize the power of data-mining
the same time improving important skills, such as tools in the service of learning, and embrace the
collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Over complexity, diversity, and abundance of information
the past year, learning analytics has garnered a lot of that dynamic learning environments can generate.
attention. The ability to synthesize data in real-time
is exciting because it changes the structure of the Far-term Horizon
learning dynamic — educators can use the data to On the far-term horizon, set at four to ve years away from
make adjustments to their teaching style that better widespread adoption, are gesture-based computing
caters to student needs. and the Internet of Things. Gesture-based technology


has enabled students to learn by doing. Interfaces that environmental data such as temperature or humidity
react to touch, movement, voice, and facial expression (and much more) attached to it; and then communicate
allow more freedom in how we interact with our the status of that information on demand, whether
devices. The Internet of Things, a notion rst outlined by optically or via electromagnetic frequencies. With
Vint Cerf as one of the many reasons to move to IPv6 to the advent of the new internet Protocol, version six,
expand the address space of the Internet, is converging those objects can now have an IP address, enabling
with smart objects, and fueling considerable innovation their information store to be accessed in the same
in how these devices communicate with each other and way a webcam might be, allowing real-time access
with us. Smart objects are already well established in to that information from anywhere. At the same time,
new wireless communication strategies, such as near
eld communication, are making it easier for smart
Interfaces that react to touch, objects to connect to networks. The implications
are not yet clear, but it is evident that hundreds of
movement, voice, and facial billions of devices — from delicate lab equipment
to refrigerators to next-generation home security
expression allow more freedom in systems — will soon be designed to take advantage
of such connections.
how we interact with our devices. Each of these technologies is described in detail in the
the commercial sector and range along a continuum main body of the report, where a discussion of what
from RFID sensors to near eld communication (NFC). the technology is and why it is relevant to teaching,
These technology topics do not yet have an abundance learning, or creative inquiry may also be found. Given
of well-documented project examples in higher the practical focus of the report, a listing of examples
education, but the high level of interest found in both of the technology in use, especially in higher education,
areas indicates that they are worth following closely. is a key component of each of the six main topics. Our
research indicates that all six of these technologies, taken
> Gesture-based computing moves the control together, will have a signi cant impact on learning-
of computers from a mouse and keyboard to focused organizations within the next ve years.
the motions of the body, facial expressions, and
voice recognition via new input devices. It makes The NMC Horizon Project
interactions with computational devices far more This report is part of a longitudinal research study of
intuitive and embodied. From the touchscreens on emerging technologies that began in March 2002. Since
smartphones to the gesture and voice interpretation that time, under the banner of the Horizon Project, the
of the latest gaming systems (Xbox Kinect and NMC and its research partners have held an ongoing
Nintendo Wii) and virtual assistants, gesture-based series of conversations and dialogs with its advisory
computing enables users to learn by doing and boards — now more than 450 technology professionals,
facilitates the convergence of a user’s thoughts with campus technologists, faculty leaders from colleges and
their movements. Large multi-touch displays support universities, museum professionals, teachers and other
collaborative work, allowing multiple users to interact school professionals, and representatives of leading
with content simultaneously. corporations from more than thirty countries. For more
than a decade, these conversations have been mined to
> The Internet of Things is the latest turn in the provide the insights on emerging technology that are
evolution of smart objects — a category of small published annually in the NMC Horizon Report series.
devices or methods that enable an object to be
assigned a unique identi er; contain small bits of This report, the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher
information, such as the object’s age, shelf life, and Education Edition, kicks o the tenth year of the

Executive Summary 9

series, which is dedicated to charting the landscape fuel the work of the NMC Horizon Project throughout
of emerging technologies for teaching, learning, and 2012. For those wanting to know more about the
creative inquiry in higher education globally. In 2008, processes used to generate the NMC Horizon Report
the NMC added to the three main NMC Horizon Reports series, many of which are ongoing and extend the work
a new series of regional and sector-based studies, called in the reports, we refer you to the report’s nal section
the NMC Technology Outlooks, with the dual goals of on the research methodology.
understanding how technology is being absorbed
using a smaller lens, and also noting the contrasts
between technology use in one area compared to
another. To date, the NMC has conducted studies of
technology uptake in Australia, New Zealand, the UK,
and Iberoamerica, and has plans in place to expand that The 47 members of this year’s
research to Central Europe, India, Singapore, and Africa.
This report, the agship publication of the NMC Horizon
Project, is translated into multiple languages every
advisory board were purposely
year. Over all editions, the readership of the reports is
estimated at more than one million worldwide, with
chosen to represent a broad
readers in some 100 countries. spectrum of the higher education
The 47 members of this year’s advisory board were
purposely chosen to represent a broad spectrum of
sector; key writers, thinkers,
the higher education sector; key writers, thinkers,
technologists, and futurists from education, business,
technologists, and futurists from
and industry rounded out the group. They engaged
in a comprehensive review and analysis of research,
education, business, and industry
articles, papers, blogs, and interviews; discussed
existing applications, and brainstormed new ones; and
rounded out the group.
ultimately ranked the items on the list of candidate
technologies for their potential relevance to teaching,
learning, or creative inquiry. This work took place
entirely online and may be reviewed on the project wiki
at horizon.wiki.nmc.org.

The e ort to produce the NMC Horizon Report: 2012
Higher Education Edition began in November 2011, and
concluded when the report was released in February
2012, a period of just over three months. The six
technologies and applications that emerged at the top
of the nal rankings — two per adoption horizon — are
detailed in the chapters that follow.

Each of those chapters includes detailed descriptions,
links to active demonstration projects, and a wide
array of additional resources related to the six pro led
technologies. Those pro les are the heart of the NMC
Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition, and will


Mobile Apps

T
here is a revolution that is taking place in collections of apps, and adding to your set is as simple
software development that parallels the as it is inexpensive.
changes in recent years in the music, publishing,
and retail industries. Mass market is giving The app software model is clearly working: ABI research
way to niche market, and with it, the era of shows that over 18 billion apps had been downloaded
highly priced large suites of integrated software is in the Apple marketplace by October 2011, and over ten
giving way to a new view of what software should be. billion in the Android marketplace by December the
Smartphones including the iPhone and Android have same year. Those numbers just scratch the surface of
rede ned what we mean by mobile computing, and in the anticipated growth of mobile apps. A recent study
the past three to four years, the small, often simple, by Distimo predicted that 44 billions apps will have
low cost software extensions to these devices — apps been downloaded by 2016 — or, around seven apps per
— have become a hotbed of development. New tools person across the entire population of the earth.
are free or sell for as little as 99 cents, and anyone
can be a developer. A popular app can see millions of The assortment of available apps is wide-ranging, from
downloads in a short time, and that potential market those that extend the camera or sensors on the device
has spawned a ood of creativity that is instantly (“Siesmometer”, “Hipstamatic,” and “360”); to new forms
apparent in the extensive collections available in the of newspapers and magazines (“McSweeny’s”); to games
app stores — themselves a new way of delivering that make use of gestures in clever ways (“Angry Birds”);
software that reduces distribution and marketing to new forms of mapping tools (“StarWalk”); to apps
costs signi cantly. Apple’s app store opened in July that make restaurant recommendations based on the
2008; Google’s followed in October of that year. Since user’s location (“Urbanspoon”). What makes apps as a
then, simple but useful apps have found their way into category interesting are two key factors: the rst is that
almost every form of human endeavor. there are so many to choose from — one can nd an
app to support almost any interest or endeavor, and the
Overview possibilities expand every day. The second is that they
With the advent of mobile apps, the way we think about are inexpensive — rare is an app on someone’s mobile
software itself is changing, and whole industries are that costs more than $1.99. Taken together, the result
adjusting to a new world in which sophisticated but is that it is both easy and economical to completely
simple tools routinely sell for 99 cents. In contrast with customize a device to suit one’s own interests.
the model for desktop applications that stack feature
upon feature in a one-size- ts-all approach, mobile The best apps are tightly integrated with the capabilities
apps are small, simple, and elegant. They generally of the device itself, using location data, motion
do one thing, or a small list of tightly related things, detection, gestures, access to social networks, and web
extraordinarily well. They cost so little, trial versions are search, to seamlessly create a full-featured experience.
unnecessary, and it is simple to out t a tablet or mobile As just one example, users are now able to not only
phone with exactly the feature set you want for far read an article foregrounded because of its relation to
less than you would pay for typical desktop software. the user’s location, but also to share it with their social
Both Apple and Google have developed extensive networks, make comments, swipe over an image to see

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less 11

more, and store speci c content to read at a later date video, audio, and imaging. Mobile apps encompass
— all within a typical newspaper app. it all, and innovation in mobile device development
continues at an unprecedented pace.
In the last year, new additions to mobile operating
systems have made it easier for newspapers, periodicals, The potential of mobile computing is already being
and other subscription-based publications to migrate demonstrated in hundreds of projects at higher
to mobile devices. Print and online publications, such education institutions. Since 2009, Abilene Christian
as Time, Wired, or Mashable, provide users with new University has provided each student with an iPhone
material on a regular basis, sometimes sending the or iPod Touch, in addition to o ering professors
user alerts when there is a new edition, breaking news,
or a story that is relevant to the user’s interests. Mobile
apps designed for tablets have given many traditional
print-based publications a new life, and new tools, such
The mobile app marketplace reﬂects
as iBook Author, are making it very easy for anyone
to create and publish media-rich interactive pieces.
an expanding world of resources that
The newest version of iBook is optimized for viewing
interactive textbooks, and it seems that the e-readers
ﬁts into the palm of a hand.
for the Kindle and Android platforms are heading the mobile training and support. The institution has been
same direction. developing apps to extend learning outside of the
classroom and documenting the results along the way
The mobile app marketplace re ects an expanding in an annual mobile learning study. At the most basic
world of resources that ts into the palm of a hand. level, many universities and colleges have developed
While the adoption of apps has been especially map and directory apps for current students to navigate
apparent in the consumer sector, there has also been a campuses and for prospective students to take virtual
great interest in apps that illustrate scienti c and related tours or to enhance physical tours.
concepts via tools that also have practical application.
Apps that support learning are commonplace. Fun, As institutions begin to understand the potential of
easy-to-use tools can be found for budding chefs, apps, they have built in features for students to check
astronomers, physicists, artists, musicians, book lovers, their grades, or to update them with sports scores or
and writers — and all of them are designed to go with breaking campus news. Ohio State University’s mobile
you anywhere and to be available with a tap on a screen. app includes a campus directory, plus library resources
The higher education sector is beginning to capitalize and personal information that is tied to each student’s
on this by integrating mobile apps into the curriculum ID. Higher education institutions have also been
and designing their own to encompass course materials designing apps that enhance the classroom learning
and campus maps. experience. The University of Warwick in the UK created
an app that quizzes medical students on the human
Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or anatomy and various laboratory scenarios using video
Creative Inquiry and audio clips.
Mobile apps embody the convergence of several
technologies that lend themselves to educational use, While institutions are rapidly developing their own apps,
including annotation tools, applications for creation they are also making use of external ones. Popular apps
and composition, and social networking tools. GPS include those that help students and educators stay
and compasses allow sophisticated location and organized and exchange their ndings and ideas with
positioning, accelerometers and motion sensors enable peers. Many apps, when coupled with digital textbooks,
the apps to be designed and used in completely new ease the transition for students who are accustomed
ways, digital capture and editing bring rich tools for to print books. For example, “Good Reader” is an app


that enables users to highlight, annotate, sketch, and organized outlines in addition to attaching notes
add footnotes to e-books — just as they would in the to speci c topics or automatically arranging them
print version. “JotNot Pro” is another app that allows based on common themes. The app has built in social
professors to digitally distribute course documents and features that allow students to share their project
students to instantly scan printed documents and store plans with each other. go.nmc.org/qnquw
them on their device.
> University Services. Professor Catheryn Cheal at
As mobile apps become an important xture in the Oakland University, Michigan sends her students to
business world, many universities and colleges have ve speci c campus locations with the “SCVNGR” app
deployed special courses and programs to teach on their smartphones. They answer questions about
student entrepreneurs how to design, develop, and visual rhetorical space into their phone at each site.
market them. Vanderbilt University founded the Once back in the classroom, they have the background
Vanderbilt Mobile Application Team in 2009 to prepare to write their essays in a learning management system.
their students for high technology jobs. Since the group go.nmc.org/hochw
was founded, participating students have developed
three award-winning apps. All of their work is open Mobile Apps in Practice
source, and can be used as a learning model at other The following links provide examples of mobile apps in
institutions. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a use in higher education settings:
faculty associate in the School of Journalism and Mass
Communication has incorporated app development Berkley Mobile International Collaborative
into her magazine publishing class, recognizing that go.nmc.org/pramk
mobile devices are taking on a prominent role in the In the Berkeley Mobile International Collaborative,
magazine industry. student-created mobile apps will be judged based on
business model and utility, with ten nalist university
The increasing availability of network access means teams competing in Barcelona.
that the growing capabilities of mobiles are available to
more students in more locations each year. Educational The Cleveland Historical App
institutions around the world are investing in the go.nmc.org/aeeue
infrastructure that supports mobile access, sponsoring “Cleveland Historical” is an interactive and GPS-enabled
programs that provide devices to students who do not app, providing historical information on speci c sites
already have them, and commissioning custom mobile within the city in the form of images, audio, and video
applications to serve their communities. clips. “Cleveland Historical” is curated by the Center
for Public History and Digital Humanities with stories
A sampling of applications of mobile apps across contributed from community members, teachers,
disciplines includes the following: professors, and students.

> Multimedia Production. Students in the iPrinceton
Instructional Systems program at Penn State go.nmc.org/oadcp
University are developing a mobile video app for Princeton University’s free “iPrinceton” app enables users
video ethnographers to record and annotate video in to catch up on athletic and academic news, browse a
the eld. The app allows users to add, edit, and delete full library catalog, and connect to the university’s social
text annotations displayed alongside the video media pages. The app also connects with Blackboard for
footage. go.nmc.org/waxvi direct course support at any point.

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


Stanford University’s iPhone and iPad Apps Course How to Build a University Mobile Application: Best
go.nmc.org/tvlvs Practice and Insight
Lectures and slides from Stanford’s iPhone and iPad go.nmc.org/qnbcv
application development course can now be freely (Karen Eustice, The Guardian, 8 December 2011.) This
accessed online through iTunes U. The appearance article compares the di erent avenues universities
of the course material made iTunes history with one are taking in creating and updating their mobile apps,
million downloads by the seventh week. showing the e ciency and reasoning behind each
option from the developer’s perspective.
The University of Michigan’s Mobile Apps Center
go.nmc.org/sewzg Smartphones on Campus: the Search for ‘Killer’ Apps
University of Michigan’s Mobile Apps Center brings go.nmc.org/wskke
together instruction and app building resources to (Je rey R. Young, The Chronicle of Higher Education,
allow students and faculty to create and distribute 8 May 2011.) There is no one size ts all app because
useful apps to the U-M community. diversity in professors and courses leads to mobile
apps being used in varying degrees and manners. This
University of Virginia iPhone and Android Apps article explores di erent examples of apps bene ting
go.nmc.org/xaess professors and students, and how they are providing
The University of Virginia has developed its campus app links from the classroom to the community.
through WillowTree apps. Augmented reality features
allow users to personalize their maps. The app has many Taking Mobile Applications Into the Cloud
components useful for alumni too, allowing them to go.nmc.org/zzrut
follow sporting events live and easily connect with UVA (Mary Grush, Campus Technology, 31 August 2011.)
clubs and contacts. Because mobile devices are limited in their capabilities,
researchers are looking to resource-rich cloud-based
For Further Reading services that, when integrated with mobile apps, will
The following articles and resources are recommended expand the depth of information mobile phones can
for those who wish to learn more about mobile apps: access and the range of their function.

7 Things You Should Know about Mobile App University Leverages Mobile App to Keep Students
Development Connected
go.nmc.org/velrd go.nmc.org/ehjiw
(EDUCAUSE, 19 April 2011.) This guide provides (Je Goldman, Mobile Enterprise, 17 October 11.) This
higher education institutions with helpful information article on Indiana State University’s mobile app powered
to take into consideration when building an app, by Pryxis Mobile describes the challenges and decisions
including accessibility standards and enterprise system that were a part of the app building process, as well as
integration opportunities. marketing and monitoring the nished product.

Can the iPhone Save Higher Education?
go.nmc.org/abuoc
(John Cox, NetworkWorld, 23 March 2010.) Exploring the
e ect of digital devices for teaching and learning, Abilene
Christian University has focused on mobile phones and
how they are changing the classroom. The lecturer to
student model is becoming a more collaborative and
interactive model, now that instructors and students
have ubiquitous and equal access to information.


Tablet Computing

I
n the past year, advances in tablet computers have Immensely portable, tablets are already a signi cant
captured the imagination of educators around the distribution element for magazines and e-books. iOS
world. Led by the incredible success of the iPad, 5 even includes a newsstand that allows quick and
which in the fourth quarter of 2011 was selling easy access to newspapers and magazines and new
at the rate of more than 3 million units a month, subscriptions — with a mere touch. Even without
other similar devices such as the Samsung Galaxy and extending their functionality via the full range of
Sony’s Tablet S have also begun to enter this rapidly mobile apps, tablets serve as nicely sized video players
growing new market. In the process, tablets (a form with instant access to an enormous library of content;
that is distinct from tablet PCs) have come to be viewed digital readers for books, magazines, and newspapers;
as not just a new category of mobile devices, but real-time two-way video phones; easily sharable photo
indeed a new technology in its own right — one that viewers and even cameras; fast, easy email and web
blends features of laptops, smartphones, and earlier browsers; and rich, full-featured game platforms —
tablet computers with always-connected Internet, all in a slim, lightweight, portable package that ts in
and thousands of apps with which to personalize a purse or briefcase — but which signi cantly omits
the experience. As these new devices have become a traditional keyboard. That design choice, and the
more used and understood, it is clear that they are implications it brings for interacting with the device, is a
independent and distinct from other mobile devices key reason that tablets are not a new kind of lightweight
such as smartphones, e-readers, or tablet PCs. With laptop, but rather a completely new computing device.
signi cantly larger screens and richer gestured-based
interfaces than their smartphone predecessors, they When the iPad was introduced, it was described as a “lean
are ideal tools for sharing content, videos, images, back” experience as contrasted to the “lean forward”
and presentations because they are easy for anyone experience of typical computers. While second market
to use, visually compelling, and highly portable. and wireless keyboards are available for tablets, the real
innovation in these devices is in how they are used. A
Overview swipe, a tap, or a pinch allows the user to interact with
Led by the category-de ning phenomenon that is the the device in completely new ways that are so intuitive
Apple iPad, tablets have earned their own listing in the and simple they require no manuals or instructions. The
NMC Horizon Report this year, completely distinct from device itself encourages exploration of its capabilities,
mobiles. According to a recent study from comScore, something easily demonstrated by simply placing the
the iPad now accounts for 97% of all tablet-based device in the hands of a small child. For times when a
web tra c in the U.S. and 46.8% of all mobile web keyboard is needed, a custom-con gured software
tra c. Similar statistics show tablets are increasingly keyboard appears, but the best-designed apps make
the device of choice not just for web browsing, but little or no use of it.
also social networking and reading news. Competing
models, including Motorola’s Xoom and Samsung’s Screen technology has advanced to the point that
Galaxy Tab have not yet enjoyed the success of the iPad, tablets are exceptionally e ective at displaying visual
but together, these companies have solidi ed tablets as content, such as photographs, books, and video; similar
the new family of devices to watch. advances in gesture-based computing have moved


tablets far beyond the point and click capabilities of More and more institutions are providing their students
touchscreens, and tablets are engaging and intuitive with iPad devices that come pre-loaded with course
devices to use. These combinations of features are materials, digital textbooks, and other helpful resources.
especially enticing to educational institutions at all Under the Gri n Technology Advantage at Seton Hill
levels, and many K-12 institutions are considering University, for example, all full-time students receive an
tablets as a cost-e ective alternative to the netbook iPad 2. Similarly, the University of Southern Mississippi
when planning a one-to-one deployment. In these is piloting up to 1,000 Galaxy Tab 10.1 devices that
and other group settings, their large screens — and will be issued to students, loaded with Blackboard
the ease with which the image automatically adjusts Mobile™ Learn. Students and professors, sharing the
its orientation to the viewer — make it easy to share same hardware and software, will experience and share
content. audio, video, and other learning materials.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of tablets is that Because these types of tablet programs are relatively
they owe their heritage not to the desktop, but to the new, many universities and colleges are conducting
mobile phone. Both iOS and Android-based tablets in depth studies to measure their outcomes. Studies
are designed with the app model rmly in mind, and including those at Abilene Christian University,
hundreds of thousands of specialized apps are available Oberlin College, the Missouri University of Science and
to extend the functionality of tablets. Apps for tablets Technology, and many others have generally found
have many features in common with mobile apps,
such as seamless use of location awareness, network
connections, and other built-in sensors, but the larger
screen real estate allows for more detailed interfaces
Because of their portability, large
or viewing area. Also similar to smartphone apps, apps
for tablets are inexpensive and very easy to add to the
display, and touchscreen, tablets
device, using the same tools and online stores. are ideal devices for one-to-one
Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or learning, as well as ﬁeldwork.
Creative Inquiry
Because of their portability, large display, and that integrating tablets into the curriculum has led to
touchscreen, tablets are ideal devices for one-to-one increased student engagement and has enhanced
learning, as well as eldwork. Many institutions are learning experiences. However, higher education
beginning to rely on them in place of cumbersome institutions are just beginning to delve into more
laboratory equipment, video equipment, and various research surrounding some of the many potential uses
other expensive tools that are not nearly as portable or of tablets, including the replacement of print textbooks
as inexpensive to replace. with e-books, the wide use of specialized apps, the
expanded use of the devices’ built-in sensors, GPS,
For example, the iPad has become an integral instrument gesture interface, cameras, video and audio tools, and
in the cadaver laboratories at the University of California, more.
Irvine. Images of body structures and radiographic lms
can be easily explored and manipulated on-screen, and With their growing number of features, tablets give
apps such as “Epocrates Essentials” provide a mobile traction to other educational technologies — from
drug and disease reference at students’ ngertips (go. facilitating the real-time data mining needed to support
nmc.org/epeif ). Similarly, Duke University has been learning analytics to o ering a plethora of game-based
exploring the use of the iPad as an e cient way to learning apps. What makes tablets so powerful is that
collect global health research (go.nmc.org/fqxpm). students already use these or very similar devices
outside the classroom to download apps, connect


to their social networks, and immerse themselves in iPad Makes Wall Street Debut
informal learning experiences. As such, students are go.nmc.org/swnbt
already quite comfortable using them in both academic During Drew University’s Wall Street Semester program,
and social settings. students will be equipped with an iPad and apps that
access and interpret nancial information. Conveniently,
A sampling of tablet computing applications across students can read course materials on their iPads instead
disciplines includes the following: of carrying books, and digitally compose documents,
spreadsheets, and presentations.
> Chemistry. In organic chemistry laboratories at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, wall- The iPad Replaces University Textbooks
mounted iPads are equipped with a kiosk app to go.nmc.org/vblpb
deliver video reviews of the lab techniques most The University of Adelaide will replace textbooks
needed by the students. Students also use the with Apple iPads for rst year students in its Science
iPads throughout the chemistry courses to clarify program. The University sees this as a way to allow the
experiment set-up and answer other procedural evolution of student learning environments to augment
questions. go.nmc.org/hjjvi individual student growth.

> Lecture Capture. Tablet apps, such as McGraw Hill’s Solar-Powered iPad Devices
“Tegrity,” are used by the University of Colorado, go.nmc.org/ctjzq
Georgia Tech University, Fordham Law School, and In partnership with Apple, the Zimbabwe government is
many others as a campus-wide solution for recording bringing solar-powered iPad devices to rural institutions
and deploying class lectures. go.nmc.org/zmgnp across Africa that have not had consistent — or any —
computer access in the past due to lack of electricity.
> Mathematics. As a collaborative project between
the math support centers at three universities — University of Dayton Undergraduate Viewbook
Swinburne in Australia, Limerick in Ireland, and go.nmc.org/wdcwm
Loughborough in the UK — “MathsCasts” are videos The free University of Dayton Viewbook app gives
of mathematical explanations recorded by writing on potential undergraduate students a virtual orientation
a tablet. They cover topics with which undergraduate to the school using video content, slideshows, and
students typically struggle. All “MathsCasts” carry a interactive feeds to explore academic facilities,
Creative Commons license and are available for free programs, opportunities and student life.
on the Swinburne website and on iTunes U. go.nmc.
org/igmlf Valparaiso College of Engineering Releases iPad App
go.nmc.org/yqqhw
> Writing. Designed and developed by the University Recent Valparaiso University graduates have developed
of Queensland, UQMarkup is an iPad app developed a new interactive digital magazine for the iPad that
to facilitate the integration of contextualized audio incorporates videos and photo galleries into stories so
and written feedback in student writing assessments. that students, faculty, alumni and anyone interested can
The feedback from the app is personalized, and the connect to news and happenings within the College of
responses are provided in a short, xed and easily Engineering.
understood format. go.nmc.org/hwzcu
For Further Reading
Tablet Computing in Practice The following articles and resources are recommended
The following links provide examples of tablet for those who wish to learn more about tablet
computing in use in higher education settings: computing:


6 Reasons Tablets are Ready for the Classroom Kindle Fire: Changing the Game in Higher Education?
go.nmc.org/lcrin go.nmc.org/hdoru
(Vineet Madan, Mashable, 16 May 2011.) This article (Vineet Madan, Geek Wire, 15 November 2011.) This
explores the applications of tablet computers in higher article measures the new Kindle Fire to its competitor,
education, based on reports from classrooms that have the iPad, citing that the smaller screen of the Kindle Fire
participated in pilot studies, citing that iPads t with is the main shortcoming of the device for educational
students’ current lifestyles. purposes, since students are looking to use the device
to read and access multimedia, such as images and
The B-School Case Study Gets a Digital Makeover videos.
go.nmc.org/delwj
(Erin Zlomek, Bloomberg Business Week, 25 July 2011.)
This article demonstrates how tablets allow students a Tablets have come to be viewed
convenient way to access and interact with the many
business case studies that are a core part of business
school curriculum.
as not just a new category of
Campus Tour Now Comes with an iPad
mobile devices, but indeed a new
go.nmc.org/hszrt
(Jody S. Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 9 October 2011.)
technology in its own right — one
Bradley University is now distributing iPads during
campus tours so that when prospective students are
that blends features of laptops,
shown areas of the campus, they can also watch videos
of events that have taken place there throughout the
smartphones, and earlier tablet
year. Seeing laboratories and lecture halls in use gives
students an understanding of what busy campus
computers with always-connected
life will be like, even when touring during holidays or
summer months.
Internet, and thousands of apps with
Educators Evaluate Learning Bene ts of iPad
which to personalize the experience.
go.nmc.org/whlnr
(Ian Quillen, Education Week, 15 June 2011.) This article
discusses the use of iPad devices as learning tools, and
delves into the ongoing discourse about whether they
are more viable for one-to-one solutions or as part of a
group of shared devices.

An iPad University: Giving It the Old College Try
go.nmc.org/zxqiy
(Lena Groeger, Wired, 22 July 2011.) The University of
Southern California has teamed up with TouchAppMedia
and 2tor, Inc. to create an online distance learning
experience fully accessible with an iPad or mobile
device, featuring social integrations like video chat with
classmates and sharing notes and ideas on course walls
and forums.


Game-Based Learning

G
ame-based learning has gained considerable and appealing to players of various ages and of both
traction since 2003, when James Gee began to genders: the feeling of working toward a goal; the
describe the impact of game play on cognitive possibility of attaining spectacular successes; the ability
development. Since then, research, and interest to problem solve, collaborate with others, and socialize;
in, the potential of gaming on learning has an interesting story line; and other characteristics. These
exploded, as has the diversity of games themselves, qualities are replicable for educational content, though
with the emergence of serious games as a genre, the they can be di cult to design well. This challenge is
proliferation of gaming platforms, and the evolution of one reason why game-based learning continues to be
games on mobile devices. Developers and researchers placed on the mid-term horizon.
are working in every area of game-based learning,
including games that are goal-oriented; social game In the most recent National Education Technology Plan,
environments; non-digital games that are easy to gaming was named as an ideal method of assessing
construct and play; games developed expressly for student knowledge comprehension, citing the ability
education; and commercial games that lend themselves of games to provide immediate performance feedback
to re ning team and group skills. Role-playing, to the players. Students are engaged because they
collaborative problem solving, and other forms of are motivated to do better, get to the next level, and
simulated experiences are recognized for having broad succeed. Proponents also underscore the productive
applicability across a wide range of disciplines. role of play, which allows for experimentation, the
exploration of identities, and even failure.
Overview
According to Trip Wire Magazine, 61.9 million people In recent years, the Serious Games movement has
participated in online social games in 2011, up nearly focused on uniting signi cant educational content
9 million people from 2010. Forty percent of these with play. The games within this genre layer social
gamers are between the ages of 20 and 34. The average issues or problems with game play, helping players
age of the American gamer is now 35-years-old, which gain a new perspective through active engagement.
correlates with the early 1980s timeline in which the rst Research shows that players readily connect with
digital games appeared with the rst home computers. learning material when doing so will help them achieve
Ten years later, the web was born, and games began to personally meaningful goals. Purdue University’s
be delivered over the Internet. The three most recent Serious Games Center is just one of the many programs
cohorts of children — those born in the early 1980s, dedicated to conducting research and nding new
the early 1990s, and the early 2000s — have grown up means of collaboration with Serious Games in virtual
in a world where digital games have always been an environments.
important part of their lives, and entered or graduated
from higher education institutions with hundreds of Another area of gaming that is increasingly interesting
hours of gaming experience. for higher education institutions is simulation-based
games. Militaries worldwide have adopted games and
Early studies of consumer games helped to identify the simulations across the entire range of skills training
aspects of games that make them especially engaging they provide, and the game-design insights from that

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Two to Three Years 19

tremendous body of work are beginning to inform solutions. The ideas players have proposed have
simulations designed for graduate students studying earned them opportunities to put their proposals into
and training in speci c subjects including medicine. practice through internships with social innovators and
“Emergency Room: Code Red” is one such popular business leaders around the world, and scholarships
game. or funding for their own ventures. Stanford University
created “Septris,” an HTML5 mobile simulation game
The 2011 edition of this report viewed massively that teaches practicing physicians and nurses about
multiplayer online (MMO) games as still a few years Sepsis (blood poisoning) identi cation, triage, and
further out for learning, but increasingly interesting. management. Learners play the part of a physician
This year, there has been more traction surrounding this
genre of gaming. Online games including “Minecraft”
and “World of Warcraft” have been integrated into Proponents underscore the
course curriculum, with educators and educational
technology writers frequently documenting their
stories and outcomes. This type of game brings many
productive role of play, which allows
players together to work on activities that require
collaborative problem solving. They are complex, and
for experimentation, the exploration
include solo and group content, as well as goals that
tie to a storyline or theme. Their link to education exists
of identities, and even failure.
in the highest levels of interaction in which game-play managing patients as their health deteriorates. Learners
requires teamwork, leadership, and discovery. read history, order labs, and assign treatments to
multiple patients at a time.
Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or
Creative Inquiry The browser-based game “Ikariam” simulates life in
Game-based learning re ects a number of important ancient civilizations, and players learn about economics
skills higher education institutions strive for their and civic responsibility by building up the economy and
students to acquire: collaboration, problem solving, caring for the residents on virtual islands. Some higher
communication, critical thinking, and digital literacy. education institutions are taking the incorporation
What makes educational gaming appealing today is of socially aware games a step further and designing
the plethora of genres and applications associated with entire courses around them. St. Edward’s University
it. From role-playing games to online social games to recently launched a pilot section of a required Cultural
entire courses created around teaching better game Foundations course with an emphasis on the use of
design, aspects of game mechanics are well integrated social media and experiential learning approaches.
in higher education curriculum. Their “Global Social Problems” course was designed
using “heroic gaming” strategies. All course activities
Games related speci cally to course content help were rooted in a common set of heroic values and were
students gain a fresh perspective on material and represented as “character traits” on each student’s pro le.
can potentially engage them in that content in more
complex and nuanced ways. Alternate reality games Open-ended, challenge-based, truly collaborative
(ARGs), in which players nd clues and solve puzzles games are an emerging category of games that seems
in experiences that blur the boundary between the especially appropriate for higher education. Games like
game and real life, o er a clear example in which course these, which occur in both online and non-digital forms,
content and game play can overlap. Recent examples can draw on skills for research, writing, collaboration,
of large-scale ARGs include Jane McGonigal’s “EVOKE,” problem solving, public speaking, leadership, digital
a social networking game that simulates real global literacy, and media-making. When embedded in the
issues to empower people to nd new and innovative curriculum, they o er a path into the material that allows


the student to learn how to learn along with mastering compares the student’s performance to that of a
the subject matter. These games lend themselves to professional musician. go.nmc.org/udrgw
curricular content, requiring students to discover and
construct knowledge in order to solve problems. They > Online Learning. Students in an Adult Education
are challenging to design well, but the results can be undergraduate online course at the University of
transformative. British Columbia are participating in a role-playing
game, in which they are reporters who are writing
The challenge that persists with educational games articles for an imaginary journal called Adult Educator
— a good indicator of why they still reside on the mid- Weekly. They also post comments as “readers” and
term horizon — is embedding traditional educational vote for the best article. The results showed that the
students posted more in the journal than they used
to in LMS discussion forums. go.nmc.org/yvrzz
Open-ended, challenge-based, truly > Science. “MicroExplorer3D,” developed by North
collaborative games are an emerging Carolina State University, provides an avenue for
students who do not have access to a microscopy
category of games that seems lab to learn the parts of a compound microscope.
Students interact with the 3D model of a compound
especially appropriate for higher microscope by clicking (web) or touching (mobile),
zoom into detailed views of the parts, and open
education. menu items and descriptions with photograph and
video examples. go.nmc.org/kwgmb
content so that it looks and feels a natural part of
playing the game. Faculty members may nd it di cult Game-Based Learning in Practice
to make pronounced connections between speci c The following links provide examples of game-based
course content and the gaming objectives. What is learning in use in higher education settings:
known, however, is that these games spark interest in
students to expand their learning outside of the game. 3D GameLab
Constance Steinkuehler, for example, founding fellow go.nmc.org/vedmb
of the Games+Learning+Society Initiative, found that Developed by Boise State University, 3D GameLab is
the average MMO gamer spends 10-15 hours per week a unique quest-based learning platform that can turn
conducting online research related to the game. Digital any classroom into a living game. 3D GameLab helps
and communication literacy goes hand in hand with teachers tie innovative learning activities to standards,
game play, which is why it continues to be of great providing learners choice while they game their way
interest to educators. through a competency-based curriculum.

A sampling of applications of game-based learning Cycles of Your Cognitive Learning, Expectations,
across disciplines includes the following: and Schema
go.nmc.org/gcogy
> Music. In McGill University’s “Open Orchestra” A University at Albany research team is developing a
simulation game, a workstation uses high de nition video game that will show people negative aspects of
panoramic video and surround sound to provide their own decision-making processes, speci cally when
musicians with the experience of playing in an they are confronted with incomplete information and
orchestra or singing in an opera. A touchscreen in the operating under time pressure.
music stand displays an electronic version of the score
and the system controls, as well as a visualization that


GAMeS Lab at Radford University to successfully incorporate gaming into university and
go.nmc.org/qlohz college curriculum, underscoring that game-based
The purpose of the Games, Animation, Modeling and learning is not a solution for all subjects and that games
Simulation (GAMeS) Lab at Radford University is to are no quick x, but take research and classroom testing
design interactive mobile games and study their impact by the educator to ascertain their success.
on student engagement and learning. The GAMeS Lab
has designed iPod Touch and iPad games for schools in Games and Learning: Teaching as Designing
rural, southwestern Virginia, and is collaborating with go.nmc.org/cooat
the participating educators to determine how best to (James Gee, The Hu ngton Post, 21 April 2011.) James
integrate these games within the existing curricula. Gee builds a case for games as catalysts for more
interaction, creativity, and critical thinking in learning.
Meet the Earthwork Builders He likens gamers to designers as they must understand
go.nmc.org/cyaow the “rule system” to be successful.
Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities,
a team of content specialists and game developers is Games in the Library
making a video game prototype about the Newark go.nmc.org/fmtam
Earthworks, an ancient lunar observatory in Newark, (Anastasia Salter, The Chronicle of Higher Education,
Ohio. Through the game, players will learn about the 13 December 2011.) This article takes a logistical
lunar observatory and gain a more global understanding perspective to game-based learning, focusing on the
of di erent cultures. di culty of disseminating a gaming experience to a
large classroom of varying students, and proposing that
SciEthics Interactive a game library is a good option to provide access and
go.nmc.org/khreb information as well as to track inventory.
This project, funded by HP and the National Science
Foundation, is designed to create virtual simulations with A Neurologist Makes the Case for the Video Game
a science and ethics focus. Upper level undergraduate Model as a Learning Tool
and graduate students can experience real world go.nmc.org/rqvxp
situations in the safety of a virtual environment. (Judy Willis, Edutopia, 14 April 2011.) The neurologist
behind this article equates the success of game-based
simSchool learning with the release of dopamine, a physiological
go.nmc.org/dkbbl response to a prosperous choice or action, and outlines
A ight simulator for teachers, simSchool provides the phases of this natural learning process.
challenging teaching scenarios that develop the
knowledge and skills needed for classroom success. What Does Game-Based Learning O er Higher
Research has indicated that training time on the Education?
simulator makes a signi cant di erence in a teacher’s go.nmc.org/qcuno
self-e cacy and sense of the focus of control. (Justin Marquis, OnlineUniversities.com, 14 October
2011.) This article explores the bene ts of gaming at
For Further Reading the university level by breaking down a hypothesis
The following articles and resources are recommended by game designer, Jane McGonigal, which recognizes
for those who wish to learn more about game-based speci c positive attributes of gamers that can translate
learning: to productivity in the classroom and beyond.

5 Teaching Tips for Professors — From Video Games
go.nmc.org/lssnv
(Je rey R. Young, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 24
January 2010.) This article shares best practices on how


Learning Analytics

L
earning analytics refers to the interpretation of Learning analytics was featured in the NMC Horizon
a wide range of data produced by and gathered Report: 2011 Higher Education Edition on the far-term
on behalf of students in order to assess academic horizon. This year, largely because of a major initiative
progress, predict future performance, and spot focused on its re nement, the topic has been moved
potential issues. Data are collected from explicit to the mid-term horizon, and is poised to make the
student actions, such as completing assignments and transition from concept to practice. In 2010, EDUCAUSE
taking exams, and from tacit actions, including online announced a major program in partnership with the
social interactions, extracurricular activities, posts on Gates Foundation under the Next Generation Learning
discussion forums, and other activities that are not Initiative that identi ed learning analytics as one of
directly assessed as part of the student’s educational ve key areas for development. That same year, the HP
progress. The goal of learning analytics is to enable Catalyst Initiative established the Measuring Learning
teachers and schools to tailor educational opportunities Consortium, led by Carnegie Mellon University, in which
to each student’s level of need and ability in close-to- several large-scale international learning analytics
real time. Learning analytics promises to harness the projects are working towards common solutions. These
power of advances in data mining, interpretation, projects, and others located at a number of higher
and modeling to improve understandings of teaching education institutions, are driving not only the science
and learning, and to tailor education to individual behind learning analytics, but also interest. As the
students more e ectively. Still in its early stages, science and technical aspects of learning analytics are
learning analytics responds to calls for accountability solved, one can expect to see signi cant development
on campuses and aims to leverage the vast amount of activity as campuses begin to implement learning
data produced by students in academic activities. analytics strategies.

Overview This interest has not escaped large publishers, such as
At its heart, learning analytics is about analyzing the McGraw Hill (“Connect”) and Pearson (“MyLabs”), who
wealth of information about students in a way that have begun to establish their own learning analytics
would allow schools to make informed adjustments solutions and have hired dedicated employees whose
to a student’s learning experience, drawing on new job is to provide learning analytics expertise as the
ways of observing patterns in complex data. This emerging technology evolves. The initial focus of
sort of intervention is not new — school counselors these e orts is on integration with existing learning
and student services professionals have long used management systems (LMS). Several researchers
information such as student attendance records, grades, feel that this is a necessary part of a comprehensive
teacher observations, test scores, and the like to identify solution, but is insu cient. To move learning analytics
at-risk students. Learning analytics builds on this forward, many would argue that analytics must include
heritage, but aims to go much further than these tried more than LMS data. Other factors, such as the impact
and true strategies, merging information from disparate of the learning environment (especially online, but
sources to create a far more robust and nuanced picture also physical environments), knowledge gained via
of learning as it happens that can be used to improve informal learning, and metrics on skills including
both teaching and learning environments. creativity, leadership, and innovation are seen as


equally important indicators of the overall quality of Broader sorts of analytics tools have a wider
student performance. applicability for learning analytics, and Gephi is a good
example. This free, open source interactive visualization
Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or and exploration platform allows not only easy visual
Creative Inquiry exploration of complex data, but also provides tools like
Until recently, research on learning in higher education social network analysis, link relationships in scale-free
has centered primarily on identifying students who networks, and much more.
might be at risk of failure in a course or program, and
designing interventions to address short-term issues Among the tools developed speci cally for learning
that may be preventing them from succeeding in their analytics is Socrato, an online learning analytics service
coursework. The Signals project at Purdue University that designs custom diagnostic and performance
is an exemplary instance of this use. Initiated in reports for tutoring or training centers and schools.
2007, Signals gathers information from SIS, course SNAPP (Social Networks Adapting Pedagogical
management systems, and course grade books to Practice), developed by the University of Wollongong in
generate a risk level for students, and those designated
as at-risk are targeted for outreach. Similarly, the
University of Maryland, Baltimore County supplements The goal of learning analytics is to
their Blackboard course management system with a
self-service feedback tool for students and educators
called “Check My Activity.”
enable teachers and schools to tailor
The larger promise of learning analytics, however, is
educational opportunities to each
that when correctly applied and interpreted, it will
enable faculty to more precisely understand students’
student’s level of need and ability in
learning needs and to tailor instruction appropriately
far more accurately and far sooner than is possible
close-to-real time.
today. This has implications not simply for individual Australia, is designed to expand on the basic information
student performance, but in how educators perceive gathered within learning management systems; this
the processes of teaching, learning, and assessment. By information set typically centers on how often and for
o ering information in real time, learning analytics can how long students interact with posted material. SNAPP
support immediate adjustments, suggesting a model of uses visual analysis to show how students interact
curriculum that is more uid and open to change. with discussion forum posts. Teachscape’s Classroom
Walkthrough program allows teachers to collect data
Prospects for learning analytics tools include commercial and analysis on student knowledge comprehension
applications designed for other purposes that might be using their mobile devices. Across the board, however, it
adapted to support a learning analytics use case, and is clear that a full-featured set of learning analytics tools
those developed speci cally to accomplish learning is still some time way.
analytics tasks. It is still a bit early in the life cycle of
this technology for specialized tools, but applications As higher education institutions continue to re ne the
such as Mixpanel analytics, which o ers real-time data theory and practice of learning analytics — especially
visualization documenting how users are engaging as they begin to design their own platforms — they will
with material on a website, have obvious potential in need to preemptively tackle the issue of data privacy
hybrid and online courses. Similarly, User y, designed and determine what extent of information to share with
for usability testing, allows the behavior of visitors on students and other institutions.
a website to be recorded, after which it can be replayed
and analyzed.


A sampling of applications of learning analytics across comprehension. The platform also provides educators
disciplines includes the following: with data on student behavior.

> Business and Communications. Students at the Grade Discrepancy Project
University of British Columbia are examining web and go.nmc.org/lfbnu
social analytics to decipher meaningful trends about The University of Minnesota is using data from their
human behavior. go.nmc.org/ugtei course management systems to determine whether the
use of an online grade book can serve as a mitigating
> Medicine. Learning analytics was used at the factor for helping lower achieving students estimate
Graduate School of Medicine at the University of their nal grades more accurately. The goal is to
Wollongong to help design a new curriculum with provide students with better information to guide
a strong clinical focus. The approach provided their preparation for end-of-term exams, papers, and
evidence of appropriate curriculum coverage, projects.
student engagement, and equity while students
were on clinical placement. go.nmc.org/zgxnk Learning Catalytics
go.nmc.org/mymtv
> Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Engineering Developed by the Mazur Group at Harvard University,
(STEM). The University of Michigan uses a system Learning Catalytics supports peer-to-peer instruction,
called ECoach in large introductory STEM courses. and provides real-time feedback during class. Faculty
ECoach uses information about student background, can engage students with questions about course
motivations, and recent performance to provide material with numerical, algebraic, textual, or graphical
feedback, encouragement, and advice that are tailored responses, and the platform helps group students for
to each student. go.nmc.org/vvoqp follow-up discussions.

Learning Analytics in Practice SoLAR’s Open Online Learning Analytics Course
The following links provide examples of learning go.nmc.org/pntpb
analytics in use in higher education settings: Hosted by Athabasca University for the Society for
Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR), this free online
Collaborative Assessment Platform for Practical course is an introduction to learning analytics and the
Skills (video) role the approach plays in knowledge development.
go.nmc.org/rhymf Also included is an overview of learning analytics
Amrita University is reaching more students in rural platforms and the optimal organization of information
India via a multilingual collaborative platform that can ow.
be used remotely to teach language, promote adaptive
learning, and run virtual experiments. The platform will For Further Reading
include a framework for the assessment of reporting The following articles and resources are recommended
and procedural skills, so that students can better for those who wish to learn more about learning
concentrate their e orts on the subject areas they need analytics:
to master.
Data Mining and Online Learning
CoreDogs go.nmc.org/nyhsn
go.nmc.org/bypup (Jim Shimabukuro, Educational Technology & Change
CoreDogs is a platform for creating digital textbooks Journal, 7 August 2011.) In order to bene t from learning
for blended learning courses. While completing the analytics, educators must incorporate it into their daily
exercises in the books, students receive formative work ow, which can be time consuming. The author
feedback and assessments on their knowledge explains his method of timely analysis and response.


How Data and Analytics Can Improve Education
go.nmc.org/btans
(Audrey Watters, O’Reilly Radar, 25 July 2011.) Analytics
and data captured by digital platforms and programs can
be helpful for the learner to access as well as educators.
This interview with education theorist George Siemens
addresses the importance and consequences of privacy
issues within learning analytics.

Learning Analytics: The Coming Third Wave
go.nmc.org/mknvy
(Malcolm Brown, EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, April By o ering information in real time,
2011.) This article discusses the current position of
learning analytics in education, and how third party
applications are beginning to make the tools more
learning analytics can support
cost-e ective. It also addresses the ethics involved in
deploying learning analytics platforms.
immediate adjustments, suggesting
Monitoring the PACE of Student Learning: Analytics
a model of curriculum that is more
at Rio Salado College
go.nmc.org/apwgj
ﬂuid and open to change.
(Mary Grush, Campus Technology, 14 December 2011.)
Rio Salado’s PACE (Progress and Course Engagement)
automated tracking system generates reports so that
instructors can easily see who is at risk in a given course,
on the eighth day of the course, when there is still plenty
of time to address the situation.

Social Learning Analytics: Technical Report
go.nmc.org/nvbjg
(Simon Buckingham Shum and Rebecca Ferguson,
Knowledge Media Institute, the Open University, UK,
June 2011.) This paper studies the technological needs
of implementing accurate learning analytics in an online
academic setting. Unprecedented amounts of digital
data are now available from online social platforms, but
the goal is to narrow analytics to only pedagogically
relevant information.

What are Learning Analytics?
go.nmc.org/nqxvg
(George Siemens, eLearnspace, 25 August 2010.) This
article presents an overview of learning analytics
and discusses how it might be applied in learning
institutions. A chart is included to depict the process of
learning analytics.


Gesture-Based Computing

I
t is already common to interact with a new class with a stationary infrared sensor to determine position,
of devices entirely by using natural movements acceleration, and direction. The Kinect system eliminates
and gestures. The Microsoft Surface, Apple’s the hand-held controller and discerns commands and
iOS devices (iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch), and input by analyzing the visual eld. Development in this area
other gesture-based systems accept input in the centers on creating a minimal interface, and in producing
form of taps, swipes, and other ways of touching. The an experience of direct interaction such that, cognitively,
Nintendo Wii and Microsoft’s Kinect system extend the hand and body become input devices themselves.
that to hand and arm motions, or body movement. These systems recognize and interpret patterns in gross
These are the rst in a growing array of alternative motor movements, including body movements and facial
input devices that allow computers to recognize expressions. Players can jump, dance, point, and more and
and interpret natural physical gestures as a means their actions catalyze the actions that take place on the
of control. Gesture-based computing allows users screen.
to engage in virtual activities with motions and
movements similar to what they would use in the real In previous years, the NMC Horizon Report has
world, manipulating content intuitively. The idea that documented two major development paths for gesture-
simple gestures and natural, comfortable motions based computing: marker-based and markerless. While
can be used to control computers is opening the way both pathways continue to see development, what
to a host of input devices that look and feel very makes gesture-based computing especially interesting
di erent from the keyboard and mouse — and that this year is two-fold. First is the increasingly high delity
are increasingly enabling our devices to infer meaning of systems that understand gestures and their nuances.
from the movements and gestures we make. This is allowing much more subtle hand and arm
gestures — and even facial gestures — to be used to
Overview control devices.
Gesture-based devices are already commonplace.
Tapping or swiping a nger across a screen is the way The second interesting development is the convergence
millions of people interact with their mobile devices of gesture-sensing technology with voice recognition,
every day. The screens for the iPhone and iPad, and allowing, just as it does in human conversation, for
Android-based tablets and smartphones, for example, both gesture and voice to communicate the user’s
all react to pressure, motion, and even the number and intentions to devices. Siri, the virtual assistant included
direction of ngers touching the devices. Some devices in the iPhone 4s, is a particularly successful example
react to shaking, rotating, tilting, or moving the device of this convergence, seamlessly juxtaposing the voice
in space. interface alongside the now routine taps and swipes.
Another indication of this convergence is that both LG
Over the past few years, gaming systems have increasingly and Samsung recently announced “smart” televisions
incorporated new gesture-based technology. Xbox Kinect equipped with both gesture and voice control.
and Nintendo Wii, for example, continue to explore the
potential of human movement in gaming. The Wii functions Gesture-based computing is changing the ways that
by combining a handheld, accelerometer-based controller we interact with computers, both physically and

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Four to Five Years 27

mechanically. As such, it is at once transformative and developing a system that allows those with visual
disruptive. Researchers and developers are gaining impairments to get more feedback with ne degrees
a sense of the cognitive and cultural dimensions of of touch. Gesture-based computing algorithms are also
gesture-based communicating, and the full realization being used to interpret body language and even sign
of the potential of gesture-based computing within language.
higher education will require intensive interdisciplinary
collaborations and innovative thinking about the very As an experimental media, however, it is easy to nd
nature of teaching, learning, and communicating. examples of projects that are pushing the edges of
gesture-recognition, especially as it converges with

Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or
Creative Inquiry Gesture-based computing allows
It is clear that gesture-based computing has found a
natural home in gaming and in mobile devices, but its users to engage in virtual activities
potential uses are broader. Software that relies not on
speci c languages, but on natural human movements with motions and movements
common to all cultures has a compelling utility in
countries such as India, which has 30 native languages similar to what they would use in
with more than a million speakers. A natural interface
opens up a key barrier between the user and his or her the real world, manipulating content
machine, and indeed all that is required to see this is
to put a gesture-enabled device in the hands of a two- intuitively.
year-old.
voice recognition in natural user interface applications.
Devices that encourage users to touch them, move, or The idea of being able to have a completely natural
otherwise use play as a means to explore are particularly interaction with your device is not new, but neither has
intriguing to schools. Such devices, which currently are its full potential been realized. Recent advances across
primarily illustrated by Android and Apple smartphones the board in the underlying technologies, along with
and tablets, the Microsoft Surface and Promethean’s strong interest in the consumer electronics segment,
ActivPanel, and the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Kinect bode well for this category of technologies to continue
systems, open up a wide range of uses for learners. to see new and compelling developments.
Gesture-enabled devices aid collaboration, sharing, and
group interactions. A sampling of applications for gesture-based computing
across disciplines includes the following:
Nonetheless, while gesture-based computing is
garnering a lot of excitement in the consumer space, > Art and Fashion Design. Created by students at Ball
an extensive review was unable to uncover many State University, “Morp Holuminescence” uses body
current examples in higher education of gesture-based gestures to adjust the light in a room for optimal
software or devices being applied to speci c learning viewing results. Designed for use in the fashion
examples. As an enabling or assistive technology, industry, the system o ers an integrated lighting and
however, gesture-sensing techniques are already sensor system, much of it built using the open-source
having profound implications for special needs and Arduino prototyping platform. go.nmc.org/bnikw
disabled individuals. For example, devices with gesture
control are already helping blind, dyslexic, or otherwise > Music. The EyeMusic project at the University of
disabled students, reducing their dependence on Oregon uses eye-tracking sensors to compose
keyboards. Researchers at McGill University are multimedia productions based on the movements


of the user’s eye movement. The performer looks LZI Technology
at a physical location to visually process it or to go.nmc.org/ophom
create a sound, and EyeMusic reconciles those two European-based company Extreme Reality is creating
motivations to achieve perceptual-motor harmony. software that will allow users to control computer
go.nmc.org/hmhxq programs, games, and mobile devices with their hand
gestures and movements. The technology will work
> Science and Medicine. Researchers at Norrkoping with mechanisms already built into computers and
Visualization Centre and the Center for Medical Image mobile devices so no extra hardware will be required.
Science and Visualization in Sweden have created a
Mogees: Gesture-Based Recognition with Contact-
Microphone
Gesture-based computing is go.nmc.org/kepyk
Using a contact microphone, two researchers connected
changing the ways that we interact to a system that processes sound in real-time and will
turn any surface into its own touchscreen. This system is
with computers, both physically and transforming the vibrations transmitted from touch into
waveforms that a computer will recognize.
mechanically. As such, it is at once MudPad
transformative and disruptive. go.nmc.org/xjtek
Researchers in the Media Computing Group at RWTH
virtual autopsy using a multi-touch table. Detailed CT Aachen University are developing a localized active
scans are created from a living or dead person and haptic feedback interface called MudPad for uid touch
transferred to the table where they are manipulated interfaces in order to o er more nuanced ways to
with gestures, allowing forensic scientists to examine interact with screens through touch.
a body, make virtual cross-sections, and view layers
including skin, muscle, blood vessels, and bone. Zero Touch
go.nmc.org/edaic go.nmc.org/xpsge
Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed
Gesture-Based Computing in Practice a multi-touch system from infrared sensors that allows
The following links provide examples of gesture-based precision free-air interaction. Users reach into a frame
computing in use in higher education settings: lined with sensors, and can use their hands, elbows,
arms, head, or any object, such as a pen to create
3Gear Systems compositions on their computer screens.
go.nmc.org/tahtr
A pair of MIT graduate students created a marker-based For Further Reading
gesture interaction system that would cost about one The following articles and resources are recommended
US dollar to produce, using o the shelf computer for those who wish to learn more about gesture-based
cameras and a pair of Lycra gloves. This economical computing:
advancement in user interfaces will make human
interaction with computers and digital devices more 7 Areas Beyond Gaming where Kinect Could Play a
natural. Role
go.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


use as a gaming platform. Uses include applications in
art, health, and education.

Gesture Recognition Moves Beyond Gaming
go.nmc.org/auimq
(Steve Sechrist, Software Quality Connection, 23 May
2011.) In the context of the major developments in
gesture recognition, the author discusses the potential
for Kinect-style natural user interfaces.

LG adds Google TVs, Smart TVs get Voice and
Gesture Control The idea of being able to have a
go.nmc.org/eilfc
(James K. Willcox, Consumer Reports, 9 January 2011.)
LG Electronics is releasing televisions that double as
completely natural interaction with
computer monitors so users can download apps from
the Android Market to surf the web on their televisions.
your device is not new, but neither
The SmartTV platform will also have voice and gesture
control, and built-in Wi-Fi to beam content like music,
has its full potential been realized.
photos, and videos from a notebook to the television
set.

SoftKinetic Previews Next-Gen Gesture Interfaces
(Video)
go.nmc.org/qhjle
(SoftKinetic, youtube.com, 29 March 2011.) In this
video prepared by SoftKinetic for the 2011 Consumer
Electronics Show, the next generation of gesture
interfaces is illustrated. SoftKinetic is developing 3D
gesture control middleware for a wide range of devices
and platforms.

To Win Over Users, Gadgets Have to Be Touchable
go.nmc.org/lagrp
(Claire Cain Miller, New York Times, 1 September 2010.)
This article discusses how gesture-based computing
has become a prevalent way that we interact with
our computers, especially mobile devices such as
smartphones and tablets.


Internet of Things

T
he Internet of Things has become a sort of cams or shared printers, to use the Internet to transmit
shorthand for network-aware smart objects and receive data and information from an object or
that connect the physical world with the world piece of equipment. Vint Cerf noted that already we
of information. A smart object has four key have Internet-enabled phones, appliances, picture
attributes: it is small, and thus easy to attach frames, and o ce equipment. It is not a large step to
to almost anything; it has a unique identi er; it has envision Internet-enabled electric meters that use the
a small store of data or information; and it has a Smart Grid to let your house know to raise the ambient
way to communicate that information to an external temperature a degree to help o set a peak load. Indeed,
device on demand. The Internet of Things extends Cerf sees the Smart Grid as an accelerator for the
that concept by using TCP/IP as the means to convey Internet of things.
the information, thus making objects addressable
(and ndable) on the Internet. Objects that carry While there are examples, such as the Smart Grid, of
information with them have long been used for the what the Internet of Things might look like as it unfolds,
monitoring of sensitive equipment or materials, it is still today more concept than reality. At the same
point-of-sale purchases, passport tracking, inventory time, the underlying technologies that will make it
management, identi cation, and similar applications. possible — smart sensors that can easily be attached
Smart objects are the next generation of those to everyday objects to monitor their environment or
technologies — they “know” about a certain kind of status; new forms of low-energy radio transmission that
information, such as cost, age, temperature, color, can enable the sensor to send its information wirelessly
pressure, or humidity — and can pass that information or via electric lines to a network hub; and an expanded
along easily and instantly. They can be used to digitally address space for the Internet — are all well understood,
manage physical objects, monitor their status, track easily mass-produced, and inexpensive.
them throughout their lifespan, alert someone when
they are in danger of being damaged or spoiled — or Smart objects have appeared in several previous
even to annotate them with descriptions, instructions, editions of the NMC Horizon Report, and are described
warranties, tutorials, photographs, connections in the opening paragraph as having the attributes
to other objects, and any other kind of contextual of being easy to attach, often much like a sticker;
information imaginable. The Internet of Things would uniquely identi able; a small data store; and a way
allow easy access to these data. to read and write to that store of data. Several radio-
based technologies are being explored as the rst
Overview point of transmission, from the simple and ubiquitous
The Internet of Things, a concept advanced by IP co- RFID approach broadly used for inventory control
creator Vint Cerf, is the next step in the evolution of to the proximity-based secure data exchange made
smart objects — interconnected items in which the line possible via Nokia’s near eld communication (NFC)
between the physical object and digital information technology. NFC was designed to allow users to make
about it is blurred. The advent of IPv6 has extended secure payments to kiosks, gas pumps, or dispensing
the Internet address space signi cantly, thus providing machines via smartphones, but it will also allow smart
an avenue for any object, like is done with today’s web objects to communicate securely over small distances.


Today, NFC is optimized for payment data, and thus the network. When placed inside loaner equipment,
works over distances of just a few inches, but when these sensors would allow campus managers to know
that is extended to a few feet, as RFID is today, secure if a sensitive camera or piece of equipment had been
wireless communications between objects in a room dropped or otherwise put at risk while on loan. In
and a wireless hub will be possible. eldwork, when attached to scienti c samples, IP-
enabled sensors could use the Internet to alert scientists
Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or and researchers to conditions that might impair the
Creative Inquiry quality or utility of the samples.
The advantages of Smart Grid technologies in e ciently
managing energy resources are an obvious bene t to
any organization, and similar remote monitoring and The advent of IPv6 has extended the
control via the Internet is already nding its way into
laboratories where such sharing of expensive resources Internet address space signiﬁcantly,
has long been a part of how institutions collaborate.
Smart objects will allow a similar approach to be applied thus providing an avenue for any
to all sorts of materials and delicate artifacts. The devices
required to do so are small, do not require batteries or object to use the Internet to transmit
external power, can communicate wirelessly, and are
inexpensive. They can be attached to any object very and receive data and information
discretely, and then used to track, monitor, maintain,
and keep records about the object. from an object or piece of equipment.
Anthropology and history departments will have an
instant window into the condition of the objects, A sampling of applications of the Internet of Things
with the Internet being the mechanism for real-time across disciplines includes the following:
monitoring of current location, environment, and
movement of an object in their care or collections. Once > Attendance. Northern Arizona University is using
such information is accessible, it is easy to imagine student cards that are embedded with RFID tags to
it being attached to other sorts of information in track their class attendance. This is helping professors
ways that will blur the line between the object itself who teach large classes by automating a once manual
and content related to it. For example, every bone process. go.nmc.org/jvhzg
in an Allosaurus skeleton has a story — when it was
discovered, its position in the body, the temperature at > Marine Biology. Researchers are using an RFID
which it is being stored, its provenance info, and more. system to track marine animals’ behavior, even in
An Internet of Things would make it simple to attach all saltwater, with a network of antennas set up in a
that information directly to the bones themselves via an given area that read data from the tiny transponders
IP-enabled smart object that adds a constant stream of attached to the organisms as they pass by. go.nmc.
monitoring information about the physical object. org/cikkq

In the classroom, IP-addressable projectors can already > Resource Management. The El Paso Health Sciences
stream the slides or videos professors are sharing so Center at Texas Tech University adopted a campus-
that students who could not physically attend class wide RFID system to track the location of science lab
can view the presentations and lecture materials from equipment and resources. A built in reporting suite
wherever they are. Similarly, small smart sensors placed updates users on check-in and check-out information,
in study rooms around campus buildings could provide and the system also enables users to make online
real-time updates on the occupancy of the rooms via resource transfers. The Center has reported that the


time it takes to account for inventories has drastically UVM Environmental Building Goes Green
decreased. go.nmc.org/qulqx go.nmc.org/leeue
Students and faculty in the Rubenstein School of
Internet of Things in Practice Environment and Natural Resources have “rehabbed”
The following links provide examples of the Internet of the Aiken building which now has temperature sensors
Things in use in higher education settings: that advise when to open or shut the windows, and
carbon dioxide sensors that trigger more fresh air into a
Amarino classroom when the CO2 level gets too high.
go.nmc.org/uyllx
Amarino, developed by MIT, is a toolkit that allows users For Further Reading
to control the lights in a room, and detect exposure levels The following articles and resources are recommended
to radiation or other potentially harmful environmental for those who wish to learn more about the Internet of
factors through their smartphones. Things.

NYU’s Sensitive Buildings Class How the “Internet of Things” Is Turning Cities Into
go.nmc.org/nhq Living Organisms
New York University’s ITP program o ers a course where go.nmc.org/cxmqs
students create smart habitats for city dwellers. Students (Christopher Mims, Scienti c American, 6 December
learned how sensor management systems work and 2011.) If city systems are able to react to information
created their own prototypes with Digi products. stored in the cloud, a city could be “a virtual nervous
system” that immediately responds to environmental
Otago Museum Radio Tracking System conditions like rainstorms.
go.nmc.org/pjouu
In an e ort to increase security, Otago Museum The Internet Gets Physical
launched a project that entails the installation of a radio go.nmc.org/yirhc
tracking system to monitor all of its objects. Each artifact (Steve Lohr, The New York Times, 17 December 2011.)
will be tagged, and RFID readers will track the items as Smart devices are already a major link in human
they move around the museum space. interaction, but they are further linking humans to
their environment in ways that will bene t energy
Penn State Behrend’s RFID Center of Excellence conservation, transportation, health care, food
go.nmc.org/kxwlh distribution, and more.
Penn State Behrend’s RFID Center conducts research
and outreach on RFID technology to better integrate it Internetting Every Thing, Everywhere, All the Time
into the business school curriculum, assist IT providers go.nmc.org/tgyqn
to attain RFID expertise, and provide prototype testing (Cherise Fong, CNN, 2 November 2008.) Any object can
services for customized applications. do the same things as a web page and smart objects
are becoming more prevalent. This article outlines some
Smart Grid Developments in 2011 (pdf ) current examples of how smart technology is actualizing
go.nmc.org/zlszm “The Internet of Things,” where objects, beings, and data
This annual report by energy management rm, KEMA, seamlessly interact.
tracks the progress of smart grid development around
the globe. They consider three critical factors when Launching Google Wallet on Sprint
evaluating the progress of Smart Grid deployments: go.nmc.org/hurhd
technology advancement, deployment track record, (Google Mobile Blog, 19 September 2011.) This
and policy and regulatory drivers. announcement from Google explores Google Wallet
— a new method of ecommerce that allows people


to make purchases from their phones with near eld
communication as the secure mechanism for storing
and transmitting user payment information.

NFC Technology: 6 Ways it Could Change Our Daily
Lives
go.nmc.org/lumcp
(Sarah Kessler, Mashable, 6 May 2010). Contactless
payment and infotags containing schedules and
announcements are both cited in this article as two of
the most potentially transformative features of near
eld communication. 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.


Methodology

T
he process used to research and create the NMC any given year, a third of advisory board members
Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition is are new, ensuring a ow of fresh perspectives each
very much rooted in the methods used across all year. Nominations to serve on the advisory board are
the research conducted within the NMC Horizon encouraged — see go.nmc.org/horizon-nominate.
Project. All editions of the NMC Horizon Report
are produced using a carefully constructed process that Once the advisory board for a particular edition is
is informed by both primary and secondary research. constituted, their work begins with a systematic review
Dozens of technologies, meaningful trends, and critical of the literature — press clippings, reports, essays,
challenges are examined for possible inclusion in the and other materials — that pertains to emerging
report for each edition. Every report draws on the technology. Advisory board members are provided
considerable expertise of an internationally renowned with an extensive set of background materials when the
advisory board that rst considers a broad set of project begins, and are then asked to comment on them,
important emerging technologies, challenges, and identify those that seem especially worthwhile, and add
trends, and then examines each of them in progressively to the set. The group discusses existing applications of
more detail, reducing the set until the nal listing of emerging technology and brainstorms new ones. A key
technologies, trends, and challenges is selected. criterion for the inclusion of a topic in this edition is its
potential relevance to teaching, learning, and creative
This process takes place online, where it is captured inquiry in higher education. A carefully selected set of
and placed in the NMC Horizon Project wiki. The wiki is RSS feeds from dozens of relevant publications ensures
intended to be a completely transparent window onto that background resources stay current as the project
the work of the project, and contains the entire record progresses. They are used to inform the thinking of the
of the research for each of the various editions. participants throughout the process.

The section of the wiki used for the NMC Horizon Report: Following the review of the literature, the advisory
2012 Higher Education Edition can be found at horizon. board engages in the central focus of the research —
wiki.nmc.org. the research questions that are at the core of the NMC
Horizon Project. These questions were designed to elicit
The procedure for selecting the topics in the report a comprehensive listing of interesting technologies,
included a modi ed Delphi process now re ned over challenges, and trends from the advisory board:
years 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 brings
1 Which of the key technologies catalogued in
the NMC Horizon Project Listing will be most
important to teaching, learning, or creative inquiry
a particularly relevant expertise. Over the decade of within the next ve years?
the NMC’s Horizon Project research, more than 450
internationally recognized practitioners and experts
have participated on project advisory boards; in 2 What key technologies are missing from our list?
Consider these related questions:

Methodology 35

> What would you list among the established are compiled into a collective set of responses, and
technologies that some educational institutions inevitably, the ones around which there is the most
are using today that arguably all institutions agreement are quickly apparent.
should be using broadly to support or enhance
teaching, learning, or creative inquiry? From the comprehensive list of technologies originally
considered for any report, the twelve that emerge at the
> What technologies that have a solid user base top of the initial ranking process — four per adoption
in consumer, entertainment, or other industries horizon — are further researched and expanded. Once
should educational institutions be actively this “Short List” is identi ed, the group, working with
looking for ways to apply?

> What are the key emerging technologies you see A key criterion for the inclusion of a
developing to the point that learning-focused
institutions should begin to take notice during
the next four to ve years?
topic in this edition is its potential
relevance to teaching, learning, and
3 What trends do you expect to have a signi cant
impact on the ways in which learning-focused
institutions approach our core missions of teaching,
creative inquiry in higher education.
research, and service? both NMC sta and practitioners in the eld, begins
to explore the ways in which these twelve important

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
technologies might be used for teaching, learning,
and creative inquiry in higher education. A signi cant
amount of time is spent researching real and potential
next ve years? applications for each of the areas that would be of
interest to practitioners.
One of the advisory board’s most important tasks is to
answer these questions as systematically and broadly For every edition, when that work is done, each of these
as possible, so as to ensure that the range of relevant twelve “Short List” items is written up in the format of
topics is considered. Once this work is done, a process the NMC Horizon Report. With the bene t of the full
that moves quickly over just a few days, the advisory picture of how the topic will look in the report, the
board moves to a unique consensus-building process “short list” is then ranked yet again, this time in reverse.
based on an iterative Delphi-based methodology. The six technologies and applications that emerge are
those detailed in the NMC Horizon Report.
In the rst step of this approach, the responses to the
research questions are systematically ranked and placed For additional detail on the project methodology or to
into adoption horizons by each advisory board member review the actual instrumentation, the ranking, and the
using a multi-vote system that allows members to interim products behind the report, please visit horizon.
weight their selections. Each member is asked to also wiki.nmc.org.
identify the timeframe during which they feel the
technology would enter mainstream use — de ned for
the purpose of the project as about 20% of institutions
adopting it within the period discussed. (This gure is
based on the research of Geo rey A. Moore and refers to
the critical mass of adoptions needed for a technology
to have a chance of entering broad use.) These rankings


The NMC Horizon Project:
2012 Higher Education Advisory Board

Larry Johnson Douglas Darby Vijay Kumar Dolors Reig
Co-Principal Investigator Massachusetts Institute of El Caparazón
New Media Consortium United States Technology Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
United States United States Spain
Eva de Lera
Malcolm Brown Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Joan Lippincott Jochen Robes
Co-Principal Investigator Spain Coalition for Networked HQ Interaktive Mediensysteme/
EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Information Weiterbildungsblog
United States Veronica Diaz United States Germany
EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative
United States Phillip Long Jason Rosenblum
Samantha Adams University of Queensland St. Edward’s University
New Media Consortium Kyle Dickson Australia United States
United States Abilene Christian University
United States Jamie Madden Rolf Schulmeister
Bryan Alexander University of Queensland University of Hamburg
National Institute for Technology Barbara Dieu Australia Germany
in Liberal Education (NITLE) Lycée Pasteur, Casa Santos
United States Dumont Damian McDonald Wendy Shapiro
Brazil University of Leeds and University Case Western Reserve University
Kumiko Aoki of York United States
Open University of Japan Gavin Dykes United Kingdom
Japan Cellcove Ltd. Bill Shewbridge
United Kingdom Glenda Morgan University of Maryland, Baltimore
Neil Baldwin University of Illinois at Urbana- County
The Creative Research Center, Julie Evans Champaign United States
Montclair State University Project Tomorrow United States
United States United States Paul Signorelli
Javier Nó Paul Signorelli & Associates
Helga Bechmann Allan Gyorke UPSA United States
Multimedia Kontor Hamburg Pennsylvania State University Spain
Germany United States Paul Turner
Nick Noakes University of Notre Dame
Michael Berman Tom Haymes Hong Kong University of Science United States
CSU Channel Islands Houston Community College and Technology
United States United States China Jim Vanides
HP, Inc.
Melissa Burgess Deborah Heal Olubodun Olufemi United States
American Public University System University of Oregon University of Lagos
United States United States Nigeria Alan Wolf
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Gardner Campbell Paul Hicks David Parkes United States
Virginia Tech New Media Consortium Sta ordshire University
United States United States United Kingdom

John Cook Phil Ice Lauren Pressley
London Metropolitan University American Public University Wake Forest University
United Kingdom System United States
United States
Crista D. Copp Ruben Puentedura
Loyola Marymount University Helen Keegan Hippasus
United States University of Salford United States
United Kingdom

Every NMC Horizon Report draws on the considerable expertise of an internationally renowned advisory
board that rst 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 nal listing of technologies,
trends, and challenges is selected.

T 512-445-4200
F 512-445-4205
E communications@nmc.org

NMC nmc.org

New Media Consortium
6101 West Courtyard Drive
Building One, Suite 100
ISBN 978-0-9846601-3-1 Austin, Texas USA 78730

The NMC Horizon Report.
Now available weekly.

HZ
Launching Mid-February
Introducing the NMC Horizon EdTech Weekly App for iPad and iPhone. Get weekly updates of the hottest news
in the EdTech world. Search our ever-expanding database of projects, reports, and news about innovations in
teaching and learning. Download and share all NMC Horizon Reports. From anywhere. Find us soon in the Apple
App Store at go.nmc.org/app.

2012 horizon-report-he

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