Google Docs among Web 2.0 innovations...

I think one of the very useful and interesting web 2.0, Socio-Technical Innovation, and one of the best apps in education and business tools, is the Google Docs. Combining the benefits of web and cloud, mobility, creativity, and free! Google Docs comes to offer all in one and to go document management tool. And as for research and business, do you know that Google Docs spreadsheets now has pivot tables?

Check this out and learn more:
http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2011/05/pivot-tables-now-in-google-spreadsheets.html
http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2011/05/summarize-your-data-with-pivot-tables.html

Eduaction and Innovation, and the Future...

In chapter seven Sherden’s book (referenced below), I came across predictions about public education for the mass, and I just couldn’t halt thinking of the education future and online education. Back warding 100 years ago, and before the internet and mobile technology, people like us (students and education seekers) were traveling thousands of miles, spend their life savings, and spend years to get educated.

With the innovations, and technological advances, and years after, others enjoyed the luxury of easier and faster travel by introducing planes, cars, ships and trains. And with some more innovation and more years later, some thought “why education doesn’t come to us?”, and the first thought was organizing education, where teachers start to be the travelers’, and the books and materials shipped, some even enjoy private education at home.

Now, and after just a short period of time, innovation and education and business and technology start to better interact together, and the teacher, the student, the book, and the network all of them offered the ultimate solution that all stay home! Today, and with the merge of the online and distant education, and with the benefits on the internet, private networks, and mobile technology, the traveler now is the education that tour to be delivered in the palm of the hands.

As for the future, with high prediction possibilities, some scientists and innovators work hard now to find ways to load brains with information. The idea is just like taking disk and loading and storing information onto your computer. From research the human brain capabilities, truing blood into brain, storing new electromagnetic signals to theses brains, one day we might go to book shop and buy a disk or a flash drive (maybe a complete course) and load it to our brains, take the exam, and there you are educated! And what can prevent that? I think it will be a matter of affordability…

References:

Sherden, W. A., “The Fortune Sellers: The Big Business of Buying and Selling Predictions.” Dec 20, 1999. Wiley publications. ISBN: 978-0471358442

Inspired by:

“The Matrix” – Movie @ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/
“Minority Report” – Movie. @ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/
“Paycheck” - Movie. @ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338337/

The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and the Delphi method for research...

In comparison of two methods, the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and the Delphi Method, the NGT is an evaluation method that provides semi-quantitative and ranking of feedback about a group of participants of what can be good and/or bad aspects of an learning program. And, it involves evaluation and equal participations by participants in an iterative (refinement of ideas based on brainstorming) evolution process that mainly gives that participates a full involvement of developing and ranking ideas.

As a course evaluation tool, the NGT provides a productive and analytic approach that allows equal participation by all group members, which prevents unequal influences. The NGT process of ideas (opinions) refinement, it provides a more comprehensive forum for gathering suggestions, which results in generating a larger number of innovative ideas and comments that other direct methods, such as learner surveys or focus groups, cannot cover.

Besides the innovation, the NGT is time and resources saving in preparation and conducting comparing to other methods. Again, comparing to other classic methods, such as the learner surveys or focus groups, NGT provides a rank-ordered and weighted, semi-quantitative data on learners’ perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of a course, or other program, with a larger involvement like a spectrum on ideas that represent larger group.

The Delphi Method in contrast, is a research method, and it has an iterative process and uses feedback, but it uses a series of questionnaires that are per-designed and then designed again based on the prior questioner results by the researcher to refine a desired solution or a problem, decision, forecast…etc. that’s not exist.
The classical Delphi method has four important key features; the anonymity of the participants, iteration and refinement, controlled feedback, and it allows for quantitative analysis of the gathered data.

Comparing to other research methods, the Delphi method is very much similar where it starts with literature review, developing research questions, research design...etc. But, the key features of the Delphi method are the research sample (prototype like), the involved participants selection (the sample), the iterative questionnaires involved (refinement), and the process of questionnaires refinement by a pilot study.

As for the proposed idea of developing a picture analysis and web picture search engine, the Delphi method can be more appropriate for evaluating and developing the project. The Delphi method can help not only in developing a complete research of presenting the idea to existence, but it can also provide a detailed forecast about the future of the idea from the refinement of the idea and what can involve based on three important factors, the type of the involved participants and what they can contribute with to the idea (for example, the adoption, or the effect on the society), the refined knowledge (for example, how the project development process can take a place and the involved risks), and uncovering unseen issues such as legal issues in this area.

However, the only drawbacks with using this method for researching this project can be the time required to complete the research as the Delphi method requires more time to identify the solution and answer the research question(s) through the rounds or the refinement process “anonymity takes time”, and the participants’ willing to constructively participate with the desired knowledge and experience with the issues under investigation (for example, the legal issues that can accompany the development on the project).

References:

1) Skulmoski, G. J., and Hartman, F. T. and Krahn, J., "The Delphi Method for Graduate Research." Volume 6, 2007. Journal of Information Technology Education. Link: http://jite.org/documents/Vol6/JITEv6p001-021Skulmoski212.pdf

2) Dobbie, A.,Rhodes, M.,Tysinger, J. W., and Freeman, J., "Using a Modified Nominal Group Technique As a Curriculum Evaluation Tool." June 2004. Vol. 36, No. 6. FamilyMedicine. Link: http://www.stfm.org/fmhub/fm2004/June/Alison402.pdf

Faster, Further, and for Real!

In a time of revolutionary new developments technology, travel comes to illustrate a great example on how innovation and technology not only transformed the way we travel, but how we think too.



"Traditional beliefs, professional attitudes, customary roles, inherited symbols, sectional and national interests--these make it extraordinarily difficulty for all but the most original of minds to break away from patterns of thought and go voyaging on the unknown seas of the future. In consequence it is a rare forecast that makes any allowance for the essential waywardness of human affairs and does not insist on a strict, continuity between self-evident present and the evidential future."
I. F. Clarke
From: Sherden, William A., "The Fortune Sellers, The Big Business of Buying and Selling Predictions." John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1998 . ISBN: 0-471-18178-1

A forecast from Technology's Promise: “Faster and Further: Building the Global Transportation System”

Technology is a transformer. I came from a place where horses and camels in the past 200 years were the way for people to commute. Today, technology advances and advantages are taking people by a storm and transforming the way they travel. Highways, traffic systems, smart cars, planes…etc. Months ago, here in Denver Colorado, traffic photo control cameras start to appear in about every busy intersection, doing the job of a police officer to firmly control the traffic and catch the traffic violators. Not only this, but if the violator has an email address in file, s/he can receive the ticket to their email, and pay online. At first, I wasn’t very happy because these cameras leave no chance to honest mistakes, and I even was discussing this with some friends, and I found myself not the only driver to chance my driving routes, but to change my driving habits. I even was thinking what would be the effect of these systems on economy (I learned from a gas station nearby on one of these streets is start to see signs of customers who start to avoid the place).I also found from someone else that there are now navigation system that can help in warring the driver about the place where these cameras. In some other places, photo speed traffic control start to appear, smart traffic lights and remote man and computer systems controlled that operate more efficiently to ease and speed the traffic are taking a place every day. With smarter streets, car makers are advancing and building smarter, safer, cleaner cars that not only tells the driver about traffic controllers, but to even operate in safer manner and help in avoiding accidents and stop automatically in the red lights. I work in a car rental business, and not only the company advances technologically, but the customer today start driving the business. Customers come from around the globe, making reservations on the plane (WiFi internet available) from the palm of their hands, checking cars out on automated systems, and checking in cars with receipts sent to their email addresses. Some customers never been to the country, and with smart systems, they can know about local laws, weather, places of interest, booking reservations, comparing prices, getting smart cars (and fuel efficient by comparing gas consumption online) equipped with smarter navigation systems, they can find their way better than locals. Then, I realized that these systems are a start for new markets and business from the idea of easier, faster, reliable…etc. It is with innovation comes new ideas, innovations are like building pyramid, each one is new base for another to build upon. I found that technology not only helps in closing distances when it comes to transportation, but to offer choices, and transforming economy. We are moving toward a global transportation system!

Reference: Halal, William E., "Technology's Promise;Expert Knowledge on the Transformation of Business and Society". Palgrave Macmillan publications, 2008. ISBN: 9780230019546.

More about the book: http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=276681