Computing and society - A Practical Guide to Teaching Computing and ICT in the Secondary School - page 131

common-sense viewpoint that events, some by accident and others by design,
shape the future.
CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY
One of the trends to which many people, including those involved in Futures
thinking, pay particular attention, is the changes that are taking place in technology.
In Computing there is clearly a race to reduce the size and interlink devices, giving
rise to all sorts of new possibilities. It is worth asking pupils what computer
technology they imagined, as young children, might be available today. It is
perhaps of even more value to get them to ask their parents/guardians the same
questions. There are a multitude of possibilities, but it is important to narrow the
focus to things which are more likely to occur. Virtual or augmented reality is
more than just a probability: it is here. Gaming, in particular, has brought this to
the forefront as far as children are concerned. There are a number of opportunities
the development of this form of technology offers, including:
• Escaping from the mundaneness of daily life
• Exploring alternative realities and personalities
• Developing strategic thinking
• Risk-taking without consequence
• Entertainment.
River City is typical of this genre ( see Resources) It is a multi-user, virtual world
platform that has been adopted by many educational institutions for, amongst
other things, sharing knowledge.
The threats might be listed as:
• Damage because of the violent nature of some virtual games
• Escape from daily life
• Unhealthy merging of the real and the virtual
• Presentation of a singular viewpoint.
The World of Warcraft, Sims, and Second Life are accused of some of the above ( see
Resources: Damage). There are no definitive lists, but it is essential to explore these
new virtual technologies. The advent of Google glasses, which provide the wearer
with real-time information about their environment, brings augmented reality a
step closer to the masses ( see Resources: Glasses). The glasses have a small prism-
like screen in the upper corner of the frame that gives access to emails, calls and
other forms of notification. In the future, wearing them could enable you to see
the latest offers and deals as you walk through a shopping precinct, or look at a
monument or museum artefact, and 'see' additional information. Google regards
it as 'moonshot' technology, which will allow users to enhance their experiences
and even record them for posterity if they so wish. There was much interest when
Google glasses first became available, but the critics soon raised their objections.
You could use this polarisation of opinion to scaffold a discussion with pupils about
the merits (or otherwise) of this form of Computing technology, ( see Resources:
Critics for more information). You might ask if it is:
• of real social benefit; or
• just another means of intrusive advertising.