Dr. Joan Esterline Lafuze
Well now! Who in the world is she and what
difference does it make to the topic of the day?
A journey holding on to the tail of a
tiger! Where did it begin and where
does it end?
Where, How and Why Did it Begin?
Indiana University Bloomington offered consecutive summer workshops cosponsored by the Schools of Education and Information Technology. These
workshops were open to faculty on all campuses. I was fortunate enough to
attend all three.
Summer 1993:
Distance Education Strategies. I was skeptical.
Summer 1994:
Interactive video.
Summer 1995:
This trip was for third go around. It was NOT remedial! By now I am sold! My
focus was all online teaching and learning. We left on the “cutting edge.”
Although I didn’t know it then, it was a “bleeding cutting edge.”
Time to Celebrate!
Over the years I/We:
• Have kept THE promise to each learner: You will learn what
you need to know and will not be penalized because we
used “distance” technologies.
• Have used five different platforms (COW, WEB CT., two
versions of Oncourse and Canvas).
• Began with specialized biology classes for non-majors with
no pre-requisites which also meant they were not prerequisites for other courses.
• Been able to obtain grant funding from several sources.
• Have successful teaching and learning publications
• Finally let go with both hands and both feet and taught
both Anatomy and Physiology fully online using eScience,
Mastering A&P and Physio-Ex by Pearson and incorporated
iWorxs simulations as well.
What in the world is the Holodeck and why
does it matter? The journey starts here.
I have incorporated the concept of the Holodeck into every science course that I have
taught. The journey that began a little over two decades ago has had its ups and
downs and ins and outs, but the Holodeck remains as relevant today as it was in the
beginning. The Holodeck provides an opportunity for the learner to see science and
what we are studying from a different perspective.
Question: Where is the Holodeck
Star Trek mentions going where no man has gone before. The essence of
science is about asking new questions based on known concepts. Star
Trek presented the concept of transporters at the molecular level before
biological transporters were a part of common conversations. And most
importantly, the Holodeck provides a possible virtual meeting place for
scientists from across the centuries, for instance Aristotle.
In this slide we meet a gentleman named Scotty. He is chief
engineer of the star ship Enterprise and who operates the
Transporter, a device that is important in all episodes of Star
Trek. “Beam me up, Scotty!” In fact, there is no direct evidence
to support that those words were ever uttered in the show.
Let’s take a closer look at this Transporter. It is the molecular
transformation that takes people from one place to another. It is
analogous to the biological transporter system that moves
molecules from one location to another.
“Let’s go where they are going!”
“What if they are going nowhere?”
“Then this is your chance to get away from it all!”
We are on our way!
We move through space and time!
We arrive
We use the Holodeck in classes to promote diversity,
instructor presence and student interaction with each
other, be that an introduction or a topic discussion.