We define “sustainable” as that which has the capacity to endure. In other words, it holds up over time – like this bronze statue of Atlas I found on Flickr. Bronze has been around since – well, the bronze age – and continues to be the medium of choice by sculptors wishing to have their art endure.
BY-NC-SA, Dr RawheaD
The World Rests on Your Shoulders., originally uploaded by Dr. RawheaD.
It can be difficult to think about technology in terms of sustainability. The speed at which technology changes seems to defy the capacity to endure; consider portable media such as laser discs, VHS (Beta!), floppies, zip discs – even the use of CDs and DVDs are waning in the classroom as the capacity of thumb drives steadily increases. However, as appliances become more portable (smartphones, tablets) and applications and storage continue to become available entirely online (Google Docs, iTunes, YouTube, SlideShare, etc.) we will likely see the thumb drive go the way of the floppy disc.
Sustainability is an important consideration in the the selection and adoption of learning technology for educational institutions. Not just in regards to quality of materials and assembly of appliances, but the capacity to endure in regards to rate of adoption, standardization, interoperability, affordability, and reuse. Adoption of technology for teaching and learning is influenced greatly by flexibility in regards to time and place. Over the past few years virtually all net growth in enrollments have been in online asynchronous delivered instruction. So when we consider the longevity of a particular technology we need to ask the question, “how does this technology increase flexibility in regards to time and place?” It is more portable? Can I access my content and interact with my instructor and peers from anywhere – at anytime?
Other considerations which influence this accessibility include standardization in regards to network connections, open systems, browsers, etc. All have an impact on sustainability of learning technologies.
As an example, I predict the Android Tablet will prove to be an excellent example of sustainable learning technology. At the time of this posting, it is only just coming to market. According to PC Magazine, the few products currently on the market are not quite ready for prime time, but that is about to change with the advent of Google’s Honeycomb OS for Tablets.
The Android Tablet will prove to be more sustainable for several reasons: 1) The OS is open source, so it will no be limited to specific vendors (AT&T, Verizon, et.el.), 2) The tablet will use existing standard networking (WiFi, 3G/4G), 3) Lightweight and Portable means less to carry around, 4) Can be used as an e-Reader, especially with digital textbooks (another sustainable learning technology) replaces the need for proprietary e-books, 5) Allows the user to interact with online course content, peers, and instructor, 6) User can use as storage for files or manage and publish content/media to the web (Google Docs, Flickr, YouTube, etc.)
It is not the number of qualities alone, that makes a learning technology sustainable, but the fact that it intersects with other sustainable technologies that makes the Android tablet more sustainable than other similar competing technologies. Over the next few weeks I will offer various technologies that fit the sustainable model.
Filed under: emerging technologies, selecting technologies, sustainability, usability Tagged: | emerging technologies, good technology, instructional technology, mobile, Open Content, selecting technologies, teaching & learning, the new normal, usability
