JigSpace, XR & Teaching TV News; Fact, Fiction or Fad?

Here is a link to the literature I am exploring or have explored for my critical reflective academic paper. Assignment 1 Part 4. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o1w2PJc1Ff48zkMAo4_8e_JOsh7FeNQA/view?usp=sharing

My Team’s learning event was JigSpace, a company that specialises in creating 3D “Jigs” that can be used in a variety of ways: creating a 3D object for training, to allow a company to test a workflow without creating prototypes, to allow you to see how a couch would look in your living room and more. https://www.jig.space/

I chose to focus on how Jigs would impact my context as a post secondary educator – specifically teaching Broadcast Television students how to shoot with a camera and edit. At this point I am looking at how XR can help students tell better stories and how can I use XR in my teaching? I may find this too broad and narrow my critical reflection down to either or.

I have broken down the literature into categories.You will see the readings to the left and ideas or quotes from those readings to the right. I have read, reflected and made notes or chose quotes that stood out to me. As I filled/fill out my log I am able to see where my reflection is lacking, what further questions arise, possible new ideas and possible new issues.

1) The Impact of COVID. So far, research agrees that COVID pushed the use of XR or Extended Realities. XR is a catch all term for augmented realities, mixed realities and virtual realities. I really like this definition of XR. I am leaning toward augmentation. “We stress that the augmented realities, unlike virtual realities are not substitutions for physical reality; not approximations to reality; but the layer of perspectives and experiences to augment and enrich reality” (Bacon, M., Fitzgerald, R., Hedberg, J., et al 2012, August 30).

2A) The Challenges of Online Learning. My question here is – can XR resolve the challenges?

2B) Are there technical challenges that act as barriers? Cost? Equipment? Access to internet?

3) XR – What it is, what it could mean, uses, potential/future – in education? There is a tonne of literature available. The challenge will be to read through and choose the literature that best supports a balanced critical reflection.

4) Learn-By-Doing. My question here is first – is learning by doing important to education or supports strong outcomes and then, can XR offer the same feedback as actually touching the real object? Constructivism seems to appear quite frequently when I examine papers regarding Learn-By-Doing.

Also, the core argument of the learning theory of constructionism is that people learn best when they are making (constructing) something because of the powerful interaction between thinking and action during making (Barlex and Steeg 2018 as cited in Niiranen, S 2019, September 16). 

5) LRNT 524 – Innovation, Design and Learning Environments. Dron, Veletsianos, Cable and Design Principles FTW will inform how my paper explores the change required to include XR in education.

6) LRNT 525 – Biech, Feldstein and the University of Calgary Learning Technologies Task Force will inform how that change happens. Who will lead it?

One thing for sure, the topic is exciting to explore and there are so many variations for a reflective paper!