Educational Technologies: Theoretical Synopsys

The following document serves as a synopsis for a theoretical class of high school students ranging from grades 9-12. To help maintain consistency, this synopsis, and its corresponding documents, are written with a high school level social studies class in mind. The class will utilize a combination of AI and virtual technologies. Funding, basic school supplies such as textbooks, and logistics will not be discussed as they will both be considered handled by the school.

Educational Technologies that will be Made Available to the Class

Virtual reality (VR) will be an in-class provided resource, they will not be allowed to take it home. This technology will augment the classroom by allowing students to take guided virtual tours of ancient cities, speak with virtual representations of historical figures, and virtually witness historical events. VR will also assist by making it easy for the teacher to bring subject matter experts into the classroom.     

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will exist in the classroom. AI will be the program that shapes the virtual space that students will explore and will be the virtual historic figures that students interact with while in the virtual space. AI will assist in augmenting the student to teacher ratio dilemma by acting as a real time teachers aid and tutor which can also be made available to students during after school hours. This can even include providing students with a means to virtually learn cursive. Imagine students being taught how to write cursively by Thomas Jefferson.  

Dealing with Technological Failures

Technological augmentations in a classroom are just that, augmentations. They are not meant to take over the classroom and thus more traditional teaching materials, such as lectures and textbooks, will continue to be the primary source of learning and thus equipment malfunctions will not halt the class. All equipment malfunctions or software errors will be handled by contacting school administration and administration will then coordinate to have a qualified technician resolve the issue.

Diversity-Based Issues and Availability Problems

Given the technology being used in this theoretical classroom, visual disabilities will be the most likely diversity-based issue that needs to be handled. All students will have access to textbooks which can be offset with the use of both brail and OrCam technology for the visually impaired. While AI can be a visual / textual based technology that can also be offset via the use of OrCam for the visually impaired, but AI can also provide its own natural workaround through the use of audio output / instruction. The visually impaired can utilize technology such as VR lenses, NuEyes e2+, and Vision Buddy to allow for the comfortable use of VR while in the classroom.

Availability Concerns

Availability concerns should be negligible as all technology used will be kept in-house. VR technology will not be loaned out to students, and they will not be allowed to take it home. The AI technology utilized in the classroom will be made available outside of the classroom as a tutor. To access the AI, students will need access to a computer with internet connection. Students will be given a link to the school’s webpage with an access code that will grant them access to the AI used in the classroom, allowing them access to a tutor outside of classroom hours. For students that do not have access to a computer or internet at home, the school’s computer lab will be made available after school for roughly a two-hour period and on select Saturdays.

Assessment Components

Students will be quizzed and tested as compared to other social studies classes. Students will be required to write small 1 page research papers regarding historical events presented to them via VR. Students be given small writing assignments to assess their ability to write in cursive which will include a daily journaling requirement. Daily journaling will be graded via a participation grade and is meant to be a means for the student to practice and hone writing cursive more so than being an actual graded assignment.