June 19, 2013:  Isn't It Bad Enough We All Have Coke-Bottle Glasses, Anyway?

News from the educational innovation front:  Spanish scientists have invented "intelligent glasses" that allow a professor to "see" student comprehension.

Be prepared for a headache, folks.  Which of these descriptive phrases from the article causes you the greatest discomfort?

• "The proposed system (Augmented Lecture Feedback System -- ALFs) seeks to improve communication between students and professors during large lecture classes like those frequently given at universities." As opposed to the original ALF (80's sitcom for those of you too young to remember, lucky buggers), apparently this ALF is geared for viewing audiences of more than 50 people.  More seriously, research continues to show that people learn better in smaller settings, so why are we creating technology to manipulate a large lecture hall model?

• "The way they work is quite intuitive: the professor wears a pair of augmented reality glasses that enable him/her to see symbols above each student; the symbols indicate the person's state while this activity is taking place."  Without reading further, I have visions (literally, I guess) of seeing symbols that indicate hangovers, boredom, sexual desire for a classmate, rage, depression, and, perhaps most frighteniningly, nothingness.  What would be the symbol for no response? I guess a flat line.

• "This way, the professor knows, simply by looking at the symbol a student has displayed over his/her head, exactly what that student wishes to communicate to him/her."  Sometimes I don't want to know what someone wants to communicate to me:  "End class early; tell me what is on the test; lose the ugly tie; embarrass the class brown-noser; Shut the hell up!"

• "'The hope is that this system will make for more effective lecture classes, because receiving greater feedback, continuously, will allow the professor to adapt the class based on the students' actual knowledge and understanding, giving extra examples, varying the rhythm or skipping those parts of the lesson that the students indicate that they already know or remember,'" concludes Aedo. Moreover, through the glasses, the system allows the professor to visualize notes or comments that s/he doesn't want to forget to mention at specific moments, and which s/he can introduce in the system prior to the class."  Here is the true headache moment.  How many freaking things am I seeing at one moment:  100 different symbols over students' heads; a summary of those 100 different symbols; my notes on iambic pentameter; my eye throbbing and twitching like some comical mad scientist?

• "The prototype that these researchers have developed is controlled by gestures, captured with a Microsoft Kinect;" I have to admit, it is not entirely clear who is giving the gestures.  The context within the article suggests the instructor, but that doesn't make sense to me. Shouldn't the system be picking up the students' gestures?  And, if so, re-read bullet two above.  Do I really want my students encouraged to provide gestures that indicate their involvement in the class?  ø

• "In order for the students to be able to select the symbols, they just have to connect their cell phones to the server where the system is installed."  Oh, please, let's just give in and continue to promote a society where the cell phone is the extension of a person's brain.  The good news is we now know that the NSA could embrace this technology to make sure no terrorist activities are being plotted in our college classrooms.

• "Currently, the various models of augmented reality glasses are costly and not very ergonomic because they are too heavy and make it difficult for the professor to move." No shit, Sherlock.  Check out the picture accompanying the article.  Do you want to be wearing those for an hour?  Do you want to be watching an instructor wearing those for an hour.

Augmented reality?  Not for me.  If I am going to augment my classroom reality, I'm going to populate it with students who are fully prepared for college.  Otherwise, the prevailing symbol of the classroom is :-(.

Retrieved June 19, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2013/06/130617104515.htm