Gesture-based learning

The vision for a key trend in learning named “gesture-based computing” has benefited from a modified Delphi process that has been refined over years to select this particular topic among 5 other technology trends. This new discovery method affected the results in a positive way. An assembly of the advisory board with a wide range of backgrounds, nationalities, and interests, and relevant expertise always leads to discovery of new tools, technologies, and other opportunities for the education sector that is known to have the organizational culture to support these kinds of processes. In this case, the work began with a systematic review of the literature, press clippings, reports, essays, and other materials related to emerging technologies. Members then had to comment on the material and content to identify those worth investigating and later added more ideas to the list. This collaborative process kept the potential relevance to teaching, learning, and creative inquiry in higher education. RSS feeds from dozens of relevant publications kept the initiatives current.  

Gesture-based computing enables users to learn by doing an activity or exercise and facilitates the convergence of a user’s thoughts with their own movements. Large multi-touch displays support collaborative work, allowing multiple users to interact with content simultaneously. This platform moves the computer interface such as Graphic User Interface (GUI) from a mouse and keyboard concept to the motions of the body, facial expressions, and voice recognition via different input devices. The platform interacts with computational devices in a far more intuitive and personified fashion. The technology involves touch screens on monitors and smartphones and it also includes gesture and voice interpretation tools of the gaming systems such as Xbox Kinect and Nintendo Wii as well as virtual assistants. Gesture-based computing platform is useful in countries that have many languages, such as India. A natural interface like this removes the language barriers for learning. Who knows? Maybe one day a teacher with a superior efficacy in South Korea can teach students in United States!

There are at least two forces that impact the trend and the technology. One is the increasing demand toward student-centric learning environments. This modality allows and enables students to have input to their own learning goals and determine resources in order to actively produce their own knowledge and not rely on the teacher as a transponder of knowledge but this interaction should aim to maintain the school standards and curriculum. This approach has implications for curriculum design, course content, and interactivity of courses. The goal is to put students’ needs first, in contrast to teacher-centered learning. Use of tablets for example in this area can be focused on each student's needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles, placing the teacher as a facilitator of learning in this kind of environment. Student-centric method has to help acknowledge student voice as central to the learning experience for every learner, and it must differ from other learning methodologies. This may require the teacher to change their role as the source of information, and rather encourage students to develop the skills to become active, responsible participants in their own learning. The teacher has to view the student as an intellectual contributor to knowledge and take a partnership with students to construct knowledge.

The second factor that affects the gesture-based learning involves technology and its convergence with this platform. An interesting development is the convergence of gesture-sensing technology with voice recognition, allowing, just as it does in human conversation, for both gesture and voice to communicate the user’s intentions to devices. This convergence has resulted in another convergence for television and other devices to make the TV appliance “smart” television. These areas of convergence are new and subject to future enhancements.