Emerging Technologies Comparison

Find 4 articles that discuss two emerging learning or communications technologies as well as related psychological theories.
Compare two emerging technologies with their corresponding/supporting psychological theories that you may be interested in using in assignments in the next few modules.
Complete the tables attached in the file.

** Look at the technologies and course lecture notes, in the provided file, to help you complete the provided form. Use APA citations to support. Use at least 4 scholarly articles to support your work.

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Complete the assignment within this template. You do not need to do a paper; however, you must offer comprehensive responses to the details requested in the template.

Compare and Contrast Two Emerging Learning or Communication Technologies
Learner Name:
	Technology # 1	Technology # 2
Describe the Technology
Identify 2 strengths or benefits of the technology
Identify two weaknesses or limitations of the technology
Define the psychological theory relevant to the technology
Identify how the psychological theory supports the use of the technology or would be used to help develop a solution using the technology
Summary of Decision: Identify which technology you selected and why	Technology Selected: Reasons the Technology Was Selected:
References: Provide the 4 references in APA format.

Associated Lecture Information:

Best Practices for Using Technology and Psychological Theories

Introduction

In the last module, you explored both current and emerging technologies that can enable various learning and communications solutions. The focus on technology in our global society is moving from using it to deliver content and messages to using it to improve the value and quality of learning and communications to enhance people’s lives, adding value to organizations, and contributing to society.

Emerging Technologies Comparison

During this module, you will use empirical and web-based research to find current best practices in terms of technology-based learning and communications solutions, as well as psychological theories relevant to them. These learning and communication solutions will provide a basis for analysis of the psychological theories, as well as the technology that enabled the creation of the solution. You will assess the technology-enhanced solution with the intent of building an understanding of the broad array of technologies and how they can be used creatively to add value to individuals, organizations, and communities. Appraising emerging technologies for use in learning and communications solutions will be critical in both developing and researching these solutions. This research will support the integration of theories of cognition and the psychology of technology to suggest potential learning and communication solutions using emerging technologies.

Researching Best Practices: Journals, Websites, and the Internet

From reading the lectures in modules 1 and 2, it is obvious that the topics covered in this class require new approaches to research, not only to find best practices, but also to finding current research on the use of psychological theories and emerging technologies to develop technology-enhanced learning and communications solutions. This week you will research appropriate technologies, such as:

Internet
mobile devices
video
cellular telephones
mobile technologies
social media
augmented reality
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) such as igoogle.com
social applications
multimedia creation applications
shared global technologies
applications such as www.TED.com.

You will want to find studies and empirical research that use psychological theories as part of the research on these technologies or technology-enhanced learning and communications solutions.

Emerging Technologies Comparison

Do a Broad Web-based Search

There are a variety of ways to find best practices. Some best practices such as YouTube or www.lumosity.com exist in cyber space. Others exist on various university and research sites, such as MIT Media Laboratories (www.media.mit.org), the New Media Consortium and Horizon Report Wiki sites http://horizon.wiki.nmc.org/Emerging+Technologies, or http://horizon2011.wiki.nmc.org/. These are often found by searching on Google Chrome, which has excellent search capabilities for finding these sites.

Use the Library Databases

Finding more empirically-based research requires creativity in terms of defining search terms, as well as using a search engine developed for academic research. One approach is to go into the databases in the library and search by topic, which is most likely the approach you have used for most of your courses to date. Another approach is to use Google Scholar, since many journals are multidisciplinary in the area of technology and psychology as well as media technology.

Use Google Scholar in the Library Databases

To search for organizations as well as reports and even videos you may want to use Google Chrome. However, to get academic resources you should use Google Scholar. Other search engines such as ASK.com do not focus on research. The GCU internal Google Scholar Search Engine can be accessed by going into the Library into the section entitled Provide Databases by Title. Then go into the G’s and search for Google Scholar.

One major challenge with using any search engine or database is to find the correct research terms. Google Chrome and Google Scholar do allow moderately long search terms such as “how to do research with YouTube.” In addition, you need to be willing to play with terms to create the right search term. Using the search terms “technology-enabled learning” generates millions of listings, many of which are relevant to technology and theories of psychology. However, “technology-enabled communications” generates very little relevant information. Google Scholar does cut across multiple databases, but has some limitations.

Emerging Technologies Comparison

Find Journals in the Research Area

Another research approach is to find journals that focus on technology in learning, technology for communications, emerging technologies, psychology of/and technology, emerging technologies, organizational communications and technology, etc. Once you find these journals, develop a list of relevant ones to read each month in case you decide to do your doctoral dissertation in this area. Also, do searches within these journals to find relevant topics. Finding the journals will require patience and creativity. Some will be psychology journals, while others will focus on learning or communications. And yet others will be multidisciplinary. Doing a Google Scholar search on “technology and learning journal” provides journals such as Learning, Media and Technology, which is peer reviewed. A search on the term “technology communication and learning journal” provides a site that lists journals in the area of technology and learning at http://tccl.rit.albany.edu/knilt/index.php/Recommended_Journals_in_the_Fields_of_the_Learning_Sciences_and_Instructional_Technology. Once you find these journals, develop a list for future research.

Find Professional and Academic Organizations in the Topic Area

Finding professional and academic organizations is also another way to locate studies, empirical research, and even applications. For example, the American Psychological Association has various publications, interests groups (such as group devoted to Media Psychology), and a newsletter. Other organizations, such as the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), provide journals that focus on technology in education, as well as technology trends. Doing searches for organizations in these areas may then lead to studies and journals, as well as information relevant to your field of study or research.

Emerging Technologies Comparison

Find Dissertations

Find dissertations or studies in the topic you are researching in the ProQuest database in the Library. Try to select works from the past three years. You can then use these studies and review their list of references to find journals relevant to your study area.

Ask the Doctoral Librarian for Help

You can find the librarian who is dedicated to helping doctoral students do their dissertation research on the DC Network. The librarian can help you develop search terms or identify journals in your field of interest.

Go onto the DC Network

You can go into the DC Network and interface with various people in the College of Doctoral Studies. Often they may have ideas on particular journals or even dissertations related to your topic of interest. It is an excellent forum to use throughout the research and dissertation phases.

Emerging Technologies Comparison

Steps in the Process

Doing research is both a science and an art. As such, it requires structure as well as creativity.

Be creative as you generate a set of search terms that you will use to do the various searches. Often this requires developing new terms or combination of terms. If you already have found some journals or dissertations on the topic, look for the search terms shown in the reference usually with the Abstract.
Do a broad search using Google Chrome, or your Web Browser if it has excellent search capabilities. This will help find empirical articles, associations, research studies, and popular information on the topic. It may also generate examples you can look at. Although you cannot use most of these resources for a dissertation, they can often provide information on where to find scholarly resources.
Search for dissertations related to your topic in ProQuest. Then review the list of References to find journals that carry articles relevant to your topic. Go in and review the past 3 to 5 years of those journals.
Search through relevant databases in the Library where you can do research based on broad topical areas. Also, use Google scholar, which is one of the Library databases, especially in identifying multidisciplinary topics.
If you have not been able to find the articles, information and examples you need contact the Doctoral Librarian found on the DC Network.
Go into the DC Network in order to begin to engage within the GCU network of faculty and learners doing doctoral and post-doctoral research.

Once you have the search terms, journal titles, and articles, ensure you save all of them for future research. During this module you will be doing an assignment to find some best practices regarding two emerging technologies that can be used for learning and communication. In addition, you will be asked to do the research using the above steps.

Conclusion

The various topics and fields that comprise this multidisciplinary psychology field of technology for learning and communication can often be difficult to research to find best practices in empirical research, research studies, relevant journals or relevant research, and professional organizations. As such, it requires both a scientific and creative approach to doing the research. One of the most challenging parts is to first find or create research terms that, when researched, generate relevant articles, studies, organizations, and websites. Once a few terms have been developed, they can be used to do research in Google Chrome, in library databases including Google Scholar, and for finding journals and articles in related current dissertations.

Emerging Technologies Comparison