Current and Future Trends of Media and Information – Lesson 9

These flashcards cover key concepts from Lesson 9, including emerging technologies (haptics, contextual awareness, voice recognition, intelligent routing, eye tracking), educational innovations (MOOCs, OER, u-learning, wikis), and creative tools (wearables, 3D environments, smart glasses).

What is haptics technology in the context of media and information?

A feedback technology that uses forces, vibrations, or motions to engage a user’s sense of touch, often in VR systems, game controllers, and smartphones.

Give two everyday devices that commonly use simple haptics feedback.

Game controllers (or joysticks) and smartphone touch screens/notifications.

How does haptics enhance virtual-reality (VR) experiences?

By adding the sense of touch to previously visual-only simulated environments, making interactions feel more realistic.

What is meant by ‘contextual awareness’ in future devices?

The ability of devices to combine hard-sensor data (location, conditions) with soft-sensor data (calendar, social network, past preferences) to learn about users and anticipate their needs.

Provide one practical example of contextual awareness in action.

A PC advising a user to leave 15 minutes early or take a new route to avoid traffic on the way to work.

Besides identity verification, what two user conditions can voice and tone recognition detect?

A person’s health status and emotional state.

Define intelligent routing to devices and state its alternative name.

A dynamic, rules-based system that sends requests or tasks to the most appropriate destination in real time; also called skills-based routing.

In customer service, what data points does intelligent routing typically use to assign an inquiry?

Channel type (phone, email, chat, social), customer history, agent skills, and real-time workload.

What does eye-tracking technology measure and analyze?

The positions and movements of the eyes using computer applications.

List two non-medical applications of eye-tracking technology.

Airport security for spotting suspicious behavior and retail analytics for tailoring marketing.

How can smart AR glasses act as a portable alternative to traditional monitors?

They project a micro-OLED (or similar) virtual screen that floats in front of the user, displaying content from connected devices.

According to EDUCAUSE, what is a MOOC?

A model for delivering learning content online to anyone who wants to take a course, with no limit on attendance.

What are the two kinds of ‘openness’ originally associated with MOOCs?

Open enrollment (anyone can register) and open license (course materials are Creative Commons-licensed for reuse/remix).

Define Open Educational Resources (OER).

Teaching, learning, and research materials in the public domain or under licenses permitting free use and repurposing by others.

How have later versions of MOOCs restricted their openness?

They often keep open enrollment but no longer provide course materials under open licenses.

What is wearable technology? Give two examples.

Electronic technologies incorporated into clothing or accessories worn on the body; examples include smartwatches and e-textiles.

Name the three basic phases of 3D computer-graphics creation.

1) 3D modeling, 2) layout and animation, 3) 3D rendering.

Give one common professional use of a 3D environment outside of gaming.

Architectural visualization of buildings and landscapes.

What characterizes ubiquitous learning (u-learning)?

Context-based, adaptive learning accessible in various situations via mobile technologies.

What is a wiki, and why is authorship considered ‘undefined’?

A collaborative web application where multiple users can create, modify, or delete content on a topic; contributions are collective, so no single defined author exists.