The Horizon Report
T H E H O R I Z O N R E P O R T
2 0 0 9 E D I T I O N
a collaboration between
The New Media CoNsorTiuM
and the
eduCause Learning initiative
an eduCause Program
The 2009 Horizon Report is
a collaboration between
The New Media CoNsorTiuM
and the
eduCause Learning initiative
an eduCause Program
© 2009, The New Media Consortium.
Permission is granted under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license to replicate
and distribute this report freely for noncommercial purposes provided that it is distributed only in its entirety.
To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to
Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Cover photograph © 2006, Jane Keeler. Used with permission.
ISBN 978-0-9765087-1-7
Citation
Johnson, L., Levine, A., & Smith, R. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.
Ta b L e o f C o N T e N T s
executive summary ....................................................................................................................................... 3
■ Technologies to Watch
■ Key Trends
■ Critical Challenges
■ The Horizon Project
Time-to-adoption: one Year or Less
Mobiles ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
■ Overview
■ Relevance for Teaching, Learning, Research, or Creative Expression
■ Examples
■ For Further Reading
Cloud Computing ......................................................................................................................................11
■ Overview
■ Relevance for Teaching, Learning, Research, or Creative Expression
■ Examples
■ For Further Reading
Time-to-adoption: Two to Three Years
Geo-Everything ....................................................................................................................................... 15
■ Overview
■ Relevance for Teaching, Learning, Research, or Creative Expression
■ Examples
■ For Further Reading
The Personal Web ................................................................................................................................... 19
■ Overview
■ Relevance for Teaching, Learning, Research, or Creative Expression
■ Examples
■ For Further Reading
Time-to-adoption: four to five Years
Semantic-Aware Applications .................................................................................................................. 23
■ Overview
■ Relevance for Teaching, Learning, Research, or Creative Expression
■ Examples
■ For Further Reading
Smart Objects ......................................................................................................................................... 27
■ Overview
■ Relevance for Teaching, Learning, Research, or Creative Expression
■ Examples
■ For Further Reading
Methodology ................................................................................................................................................. 30
2009 Horizon Project advisory board ......................................................................................................... 32
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
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eXeCuTiVe suMMarY
The annual Horizon Report describes the continuing
— or could be — applied to those activities are given.
work of the NMC’s Horizon Project, a long-running
Each description is followed by an annotated list of
qualitative research project that seeks to identify and
additional examples and readings which expand on
describe emerging technologies likely to have a large
the discussion in the Report, as well as a link to the
impact on teaching, learning, research, or creative
list of tagged resources collected by the Advisory
expression within learning-focused organizations.
Board and other interested parties during the process
The 2009 Horizon Report is the sixth annual report
of researching the topic areas. Many of the examples
in the series. The report is produced again in 2009 as
under each area feature the innovative work of NMC
a collaboration between the New Media Consortium
and ELI member institutions.
and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI), an
EDUCAUSE program.
Technologies to watch
Each edition of the Horizon Report introduces
The technologies featured in the 2009 Horizon
six emerging technologies or practices that are
Report are placed along three adoption horizons that
likely to enter mainstream use in learning-focused
represent what the Advisory Board considers likely
organizations within three adoption horizons over the
timeframes for their entrance into mainstream use for
next one to five years. Chal enges and trends that will
teaching, learning, research, or creative applications.
shape the way we work in academia over the same
The first adoption horizon assumes the likelihood of
time frame are also presented. Over the six years of
entry into the mainstream of institutions within the
the NMC’s Horizon Project, more than 200 leaders in
next year; the second, within two to three years; and
the fields of business, industry, and education have
the third, within four to five years.
contributed to an ongoing primary research effort
In the first adoption horizon we find mobiles and
that draws on a comprehensive body of published
cloud computing, both of which are already well
resources, current research and practice, and the
established on many campuses — and stil more
expertise of the NMC and ELI communities to identify
organizations have plans in place to make use of
technologies and practices that are either beginning
these technologies in the coming months. Institutions
to appear on campuses, or likely to be adopted in the
at the leading edge of technology adoption are also
coming years. Through a close examination of these
already applying the two clusters of technologies we
sources, and informed by their own distinguished
have placed on the mid-term horizon, geo-everything
perspectives, the 2009 Advisory Board has considered
and the personal web. Al four topics on the first two
the broad landscape of emerging technology and its
horizons are already in common use in other sectors,
intersection with the academic world as they worked
including entertainment, commerce, and the world of
to select the six topics described in these pages. The
work. The two technologies placed on the far-term
precise research methodology is detailed in a special
horizon, semantic-aware applications and smart
section following the body of the report.
objects, are not yet commonly found in an educational
The format of the Horizon Report reflects the
context, although research is being conducted in both
focus of the Horizon Project, which centers on the
areas and the rate of development seems to indicate
applications of emerging technologies to teaching,
that these topics are well worth watching.
learning, research, and creative expression. Each
Each profiled technology is described in detail in the
topic opens with an overview to introduce the concept
body of the report, including a discussion of what it is
or technology involved and follows with a discussion
and why it is relevant to teaching, learning, research,
of the particular relevance of the topic to education or
and creative expression. Specific examples are listed
creativity. Examples of how the technology is being
there for each of the six topics, consistent with the
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
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level of adoption at the time the report was written
an increasing collection of widgets that manage
(December 2008). Taken as a set, our research
online content. The term personal web was
indicates that all six of these technologies will
coined to represent a collection of technologies
significantly impact the choices of learning-focused
that are used to configure and manage the
organizations within the next five years.
ways in which one views and uses the Internet.
Using a growing set of free and simple tools and
■ Mobiles. Already considered as another
component of the network on many campuses,
applications, it is easy to create a customized,
mobiles continue to evolve rapidly. New interfaces,
personal web-based environment — a personal
the ability to run third-party applications, and
web — that explicitly supports one’s social,
location-awareness have all come to the mobile
professional, learning, and other activities.
device in the past year, making it an ever more
■ semantic-aware applications. New applica-
versatile tool that can be easily adapted to a
tions are emerging that are bringing the promise
host of tasks for learning, productivity, and
of the semantic web into practice without the
social networking. For many users, broadband
need to add additional layers of tags, identifiers,
mobile devices like the iPhone have already
or other top-down methods of defining context.
begun to assume many tasks that were once
Tools that can simply gather the context in which
the exclusive province of portable computers.
information is couched, and that use that context
■ Cloud Computing. The emergence of large-
to extract embedded meaning are providing rich
scale “data farms” — large clusters of networked
new ways of finding and aggregating content. At
servers — is bringing huge quantities of
the same time, other tools are allowing context
processing power and storage capacity within
to be easily modified, shaped, and redefined as
easy reach. Inexpensive, simple solutions to
information flows are combined.
offsite storage, multi-user application scaling,
■ smart objects. Sometimes described as the
hosting, and multi-processor computing are
“Internet of things,” smart objects describe a
opening the door to wholly different ways of
set of technologies that is imbuing ordinary
thinking about computers, software, and files.
objects with the ability to recognize their
■ Geo-everything. Geocoded data has many
physical location and respond appropriately, or
applications, but until very recently, it was time-
to connect with other objects or information.
consuming and difficult for non-specialists to
A smart object “knows” something about itself
determine the physical coordinates of a place
— where and how it was made, what it is for,
or object, and options for using that data were
where it should be, or who owns it, for example
limited. Now, many common devices can
— and something about its environment. While
automatically determine and record their own
the underlying technologies that make this
precise location and can save that data along
possible — RFID, QR codes, smartcards, touch
with captured media (like photographs) or can
and motion sensors, and the like — are not
transmit it to web-based applications for a host
new, we are now seeing new forms of sensors,
of uses. The full implications of geo-tagging are
identifiers, and applications with a much more
still unfolding, but the impact in research has
generalizable set of functionalities.
already been profound.
As in past editions of the Horizon Report, we have
■ The Personal web. Springing from the desire
again found that some topics have carried forward in
to reorganize online content rather than simply
one form or another from one edition of the Report to
viewing it, the personal web is part of a trend that
the next. Mobiles, a family of devices characterized by
has been fueled by tools to aggregate the flow of
unprecedented advancement, have appeared in both
content in customizable ways and expanded by
of the past two editions, and appear in this edition yet
again. This year’s analysis finds mobiles firmly in the
■ The notion of collective intelligence is redefining
near-term horizon as the capabilities of phones have
how we think about ambiguity and imprecision.
continued to develop rapidly. Innovations over the last
Collective intelligence may give rise to multiple
year have brought third-party applications, easy GPS,
answers, all equally correct, to problems. The
and intuitive interfaces to mobile devices, blurring the
notions of collective intelligence and mass
boundary between phone and computer.
amateurization are redefining scholarship as
Cloud computing, placed on the near-term horizon
we grapple with issues of top-down control and
this year, has emerged as the unifying technology
grassroots scholarship. Today’s learners want to
supporting grassroots video, collaboration webs, and
be active participants in the learning process –
social operating systems, all described in the 2008
not mere listeners; they have a need to control
edition. It has become obvious that cloud computing
their environments, and they are used to easy
has the potential to change the way we think about
access to the staggering amount of content and
computing, and even as we come to recognize how
knowledge available at their fingertips.
profoundly different it is, new applications that take
■ Experience with and affinity for games as
advantage of cloud computing as an infrastructure
learning tools is an increasingly universal
are continuously arising. Its clear disruptive potential
characteristic among those entering higher
led to cloud computing’s selection this year as a
education and the workforce. A recent survey
technology to watch on its own merits.
by the Pew Internet and American Life Project
(http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/263/report_
Key Trends
display.asp) found that massively multiplayer
Each year the Horizon Advisory Board researches,
and other online game experience is extremely
identifies and ranks key trends affecting the practice
common among young people, is rich and varied,
of teaching, learning, research, and creative
and that games offer opportunity for increased
expression. The Board reviews current articles,
social interaction and civic engagement among
interviews, papers, and new research to discover
this group. The success of game-based learning
emerging or continuing trends. The trends are ranked
strategies owes to active participation and
according to how significant an impact they are likely
interaction being at the center of the experience,
to have on education in the next five years. The top
and signals that current educational methods
trends highlighted for 2009 are presented below in
are not engaging students enough.
priority order, as ranked by the Advisory Board.
■ Visualization tools are making information more
■ Increasing globalization continues to affect the
meaningful and insights more intuitive. As tools
way we work, collaborate, and communicate.
of this nature continue to be developed and
Information technologies are having a significant
used, visual literacy will become an increasingly
impact on how people work, play, gain
important skill in decoding, encoding, and
information, and collaborate. Increasingly, those
determining credibility and authenticity of data.
who use technology in ways that expand their
Visual literacy must be formally taught, but it is
global connections are more likely to advance,
an evolving field even now.
while those who do not will find themselves on
the sidelines. With the growing availability of
■ As more than one billion phones are produced
tools to connect learners and scholars all over
each year, mobile phones are benefiting from
the world — online collaborative workspaces,
unprecedented innovation, driven by global
social networking tools, mobiles, voice-over-
competition. New capabilities in terms of
IP, and more — teaching and scholarship are
hardware and software are turning mobiles into
transcending traditional borders more and more
indispensable tools. Third-party applications,
all the time.
now available on several models of mobile
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
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e X e C u T i V e s u M M a r Y
devices, expand their utility even further. This
the practice of scholarship. Clear approaches to
trend, observed in the Horizon Report now for
assessing emerging forms of scholarly practice
some time, will continue to impact the ways
are needed for tenure and promotion. Students
we communicate and view computing and
who are living and learning with technologies
networked resources.
that generate dynamic forms of content may find
the current formalism and structure of scholar-
Critical Challenges
ship and research to be static and “dead” as a
The Advisory Board annually identifies critical
way of collecting, analyzing and sharing results.
challenges facing learning organizations over the
■ We are expected, especially in public education,
five-year time period covered by this report, drawing
to measure and prove through formal assessment
them from a careful analysis of current events,
that our students are learning. Data col ection and
papers, articles, and similar sources. The challenges
mining of student information systems for such
ranked as most likely to have a significant impact on
evidence is being considered as a component
teaching, learning, and creativity in the coming years
of accreditation, and institutions increasingly are
appear below, in the order of importance assigned
expected to col ect, manage, sort, and retrieve
them by the Advisory Board.
an expanding mountain of data related to not
■ There is a growing need for formal instruction
only learning, but the entire spectrum of their
in key new skills, including information literacy,
activities. Current systems are not capable of
visual literacy, and technological literacy. The
managing and interpreting real time information
skills involved in writing and research have
flows on the scale that is anticipated.
changed from those required even a few years
■ Higher education is facing a growing expectation
ago. Students need to be technologically adept,
to make use of and to deliver services, content,
to be able to collaborate with peers all over the
and media to mobile devices. This challenge
world, to understand basic content and media
is even more true today than it was when it first
design, and to understand the relationship be-
appeared in the Horizon Report two years ago.
tween apparent function and underlying code in
As new devices continue to make content almost
the applications they use daily.
as easy to access and view on a mobile as on a
■ Students are different, but a lot of educational
computer, and as ever more engaging applications
material is not. Schools are still using materials de-
take advantage of new interface technologies
veloped decades ago, but today’s students come
like accelerometers and multi-touch screens, the
to school with very different experiences than
applications for mobiles continue to grow. This
those of 20 or 30 years ago, and think and work
is more than merely an expectation to provide
very differently as well. Institutions need to adapt
content: this is an opportunity for higher education
to current student needs and identify new learning
to reach its constituents in new and compelling
models that are engaging to younger generations.
ways, in addition to the obvious anytime, anywhere
Assessment, likewise, has not kept pace with new
benefits of these ubiquitous devices.
modes of working, and must change along with
These trends and challenges are a reflection of the
teaching methods, tools, and materials.
impact of new practices and technologies on our
■ Significant shifts are taking place in the ways
lives. They are indicative of the changing nature of
scholarship and research are conducted, and
the way we communicate, access information, and
there is a need for innovation and leadership at
connect with peers and colleagues. Taken together,
all levels of the academy. A challenge cited as
they provide a frame through which to consider the
critical now for several years running, academic
potential impacts of the six technologies and practices
review and faculty rewards are out of sync with
described in this edition of the Horizon Report.
The Horizon Project
To create the Horizon Report, the Advisory Board
Since the launch of the Horizon Project in March
engages in a comprehensive review and analysis
2002, the NMC has held an ongoing series of
of research, articles, papers, blogs, and interviews;
conversations and dialogs with hundreds of
discusses existing applications and brainstorms new
technology professionals, campus technologists,
ones; and ultimately ranks the items on the list of
faculty leaders from colleges and universities, and
candidate technologies for their potential relevance
representatives of leading corporations. Each year,
to the focus areas of teaching, learning, research
an Advisory Board considers the results of these
and creative expression. Each year, once the report
dialogs and also looks at a wide range of articles,
is published, the NMC encourages the faculty and
published and unpublished research, papers,
staff at the hundreds of colleges and universities who
scholarly blogs, and websites to generate a list of
make use of the report to take part in a starburst of
technologies and practices, trends, challenges, and
follow-on activities. Among these is the annual Call
issues that knowledgeable people in technology
to Scholarship, an effort to define a research agenda
industries, higher education, and museums are
and call to scholarship based on the six practices
and technologies featured in that edition. With the
thinking about.
publication of the report each year the community
The project uses qualitative research methods to
is invited to participate in this process, contribute to
identify the technologies selected for inclusion in each
the discussion, and help shape directions for future
annual report, beginning with a survey of the work of
research in these topics across higher education.
other organizations and a review of the literature with
Increasingly the Horizon Project is a global effort.
an eye to spotting interesting emerging technologies.
Each year at least a third of the members of the
When the cycle starts, little is known, or even can be
advisory board represent countries outside of North
known, about the appropriateness or efficacy of many
America. Beginning in 2007, with the aid of the
of the emerging technologies for these purposes, as
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, the Horizon Report
the Horizon Project expressly focuses on technologies
was translated into Spanish and Catalan. In 2008,
not currently in widespread use in academe. In a
the Horizon Project expanded with the publication of
typical year, 75 or more of these technologies may be
its first-ever regional report, the 2008 Horizon Report:
identified for further investigation; for the 2009 report,
Australia-New Zealand Edition. Future regional
more than 80 were considered.
editions are planned as well, and 2009 promises to
By engaging a wide community of interested parties,
see the Horizon Report translated into Chinese and
and diligently searching the Internet and other
other major languages. Sector-based editions are
sources, enough information is gathered early in the
planned as well, with the first of these being the K-12
process to al ow the members of the Advisory Board to
edition planned for release in March 2009.
form an understanding of how each of the discovered
Each Horizon Report is produced over a very short
technologies might be in use in settings outside of
period so that the information is timely and relevant.
academe, to develop a sense of the potential the
This year, research and production spanned just
technology may have for higher education settings,
over four months, from September 2008 to January
and to envision applications of the technology for
2009. The six technologies and applications that
teaching, learning, research, and creative expression.
emerged at the top of the final rankings — two per
The findings are discussed in a variety of settings —
adoption horizon — are detailed in the sections that
with faculty, industry experts, campus technologists,
follow. The research aspects of the project, many
and of course, the Horizon Advisory Board. Of
of which are ongoing and build on the work in the
particular interest to the Advisory Board every year is
Report, are described in the section on methodology
finding educational applications for these technologies
which follows the descriptions of the six emerging
that may not be intuitive or obvious.
technologies that are profiled in this year’s report.
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
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M o b i L e s
Time-to-adoption Horizon: one Year or Less
The unprecedented evolution of mobiles continues to generate great interest. The idea of a single portable
device that can make phone calls, take pictures, record audio and video, store data, music, and movies, and
interact with the Internet — all of it — has become so interwoven into our lifestyles that it is now surprising
to learn that someone does not carry one. As new devices continue to enter the market, new features and
new capabilities are appearing at an accelerated pace. One recent feature — the ability to run third-party
applications — represents a fundamental change in the way we regard mobiles and opens the door to myriad
uses for education, entertainment, productivity, and social interaction.
overview
Over the past few years, mobiles have undergone
a U.S. dollar, they add games, reference materials,
a continual transformation, becoming ever more
tools for measuring and calculating, checklists,
capable and flexible with each new release. The
reading material, productivity applications, social
ability to record audio and video turned them into
networking tools, and more to a single device that
portable multimedia devices; as storage capacity
slips into a pocket. In mid-2008, Apple launched the
increased, they became keepers of our family photos,
App Store for the Apple iPhone, and less than six
phone books, and calendars; and now, geolocation,
months later, more than 10,000 such applications
web browsing, and email have brought much of the
were offered. Other mobile platforms are encouraging
functionality of a laptop to the pocket-sized devices.
similar development, such as the Android platform
In a marketplace that turns out 1.2 billion new phones
developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance.
each year, innovation is fluid and ever-present.
The first Android phone was released to market in
About a year ago, another round of new developments
October 2008, and the number of applications in the
took place in the mobile markets — developments
still-beta Android Market is growing by the day.
that have resulted in a profound change in the way
Applications designed for mobiles can take
we think about and interact with mobile devices. A
advantage of built-in features like the microphone
new generation of mobiles appeared on the market
and the camera. For instance, TinEye Music (http://
featuring multi-touch displays, the ability to access the
www.ideeinc.com/products/tineyemobile/) and Snap-
Internet over increasingly higher-speed 3G networks
Tell (http://snaptell.com/) use the camera to record a
or by using wifi, and the capability for sensing motion
photograph of a CD, video, or book, then identify the
and orientation and reacting accordingly using built-
artist or author and display that along with reviews
in accelerometers. These new devices can use GPS
of the piece and information on where to buy it.
to locate themselves and can run robust applications.
Shazam (http://www.shazam.com/music/web/pages/
They can communicate with and control other devices.
iphone.html) does the same for ambient music —
Most significantly, their manufacturers are working
the microphone records a snippet of any song that
with the broader community to open up the devices to
is playing in the vicinity, and the waveform is used
all the innovation enabled by third-party developers.
to identify the song, artist, and album. The games
These new mobile applications have nothing to
available for new mobiles are full-featured and richly
do with making phone calls. Instead, they expand
rendered. Some, like Nanosaur or Asphalt 4, use the
the capacity of mobiles to keep us in touch with
accelerometer to control movement within the game
information and activities that we want while we are
by tilting the phone.
on the move. Third-party applications are very easy
Over the past several years, we have watched
to acquire and install; commonly priced at just under
mobiles become ever more capable and more
common. The rapid pace of innovation in this arena
the ability to supplement information and illustrations
continues to increase the potential of these little
with online sources. The variety and quality of
devices, challenging our ideas of how they should be
educational content is growing at a fantastic pace.
used and presenting additional options with each new
generation of mobiles. While there are constraints
A sampling of applications of mobiles across
in some regions on the adoption of mobiles related
disciplines includes the following:
to local regulations, availability of bandwidth, and
■ Computer science. At Clemson University,
affordability — especially of the newest models — it is
students are developing tools with a pedagogical
apparent that the devices and their new applications
or social focus for mobile devices. Each student
have been accepted in the mainstream. In countries
is co-mentored by two faculty — one each for
like Japan, young people equipped with mobiles
content and technological development — as
often see no reason to own personal computers. A
they propose, design, and implement projects
recent survey by the Pew Internet & American Life
for the device of their choice.
Project predicts that by the year 2020, most people
across the world will be using a mobile device as their
■ Mathematics. By selecting custom applications,
primary means for connecting to the Internet (http://
students can turn their iPhones into sophisticated
www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/270/report_display.asp).
calculators. SpaceTime (http://www.spacetime.
It is clear that mobiles are already well on the way
us/iphone/) and QuickGraph (http://www.
to becoming a universal tool for communication of
colombiamug.com/EN/QuickGraph.html)
are
all kinds.
just two examples of graphing calculators
that display graphs in 2D or 3D; SpaceTime
relevance for Teaching, Learning,
research, or Creative expression
also includes a scripting language for custom
computations.
Mobiles are already in use as tools for education
on many campuses. New interfaces, the ability to
■ Campus Life. iStanford (http://stanford.terribly
connect to wifi and GPS in addition to a variety of
clever.com/) is a custom application commis-
cellular networks, and the availability of third-party
sioned by Stanford University that includes cam-
applications have created a device with nearly infinite
pus maps, course listings, the campus directory,
possibilities for education, networking, and personal
current sports scores, and other campus-related
productivity on the go; almost every student carries a
information; course registration, course history,
mobile device, making it a natural choice for content
and grades are planned for future releases. iGFU
delivery and even field work and data capture.
(http://www.georgefox.edu/cmc/) is a similar ap-
Third-party educational applications are readily
plication developed at George Fox University
available for the newest mobiles, and educational
exclusively for the campus community.
content is easy to find for almost every discipline.
■ Music. Instrument simulators for piano, guitar,
More sophisticated tools that tap into the unique
drums, and other instruments let students prac-
capabilities of mobile devices like the touch screen,
the camera, the microphone, and the accelerometer
tice fingering and chords or compose simple
are quickly emerging. Language learners can look up
pieces. Applications for ear training, reading
words; practice listening, speaking, and writing; and
music, and generating warm up exercises assist
compare their pronunciation with a native speaker’s.
with basic practice. Artists can mix and record
Graphing calculators display 3D graphs that can be
multiple tracks using loops, ambient sounds, or
rotated with a finger on the touch screen or viewed
voice recordings to create unique compositions.
from different angles by tilting the phone. Detailed
With the right applications, a mobile can be in-
reference materials for medicine or astronomy include
strument, tutor, and recording studio all in one.
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
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examples of Mobiles
The future of the internet iii
The following links provide examples of mobile
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/270/report_
applications.
display.asp
(Janna Anderson and Lee Rainie, Pew Internet
iPhone in Medicine
& American Life Project, December 14, 2008.)
http://jeffreyleow.wordpress.com/2008/06/10/
This report describes the results of a survey of
iphone-in-medical-education/
Internet leaders, activists, and analysts assess-
(Jeffrey Leow, Monash Medical Student, 10
ing predictions about technology and its roles in
June 2008.) Medical resources developed
the year 2020.
for the iPhone can be used by students and
Next Generation Mobile Networks: industry
practitioners; a few are reviewed here.
Leaders on Challenges ahead
Mobile MaaP
http://blogs.cisco.com/sp/comments/next_
http://maap.columbia.edu/m/index.html
generation_mobile_networks_industry_leaders_
Columbia University’s Mapping the African
on_challenges_ahead/
American Past (MAAP) website now includes a
(Larry Lang, SP360: Service Provider, 28 June
mobile version designed to be viewed using the
2008.) This blog post summarizes the remarks of
iPhone or iPod Touch. The tool includes text and
several industry leaders in a session at the Second
audio information about historically significant
NGMN Industry Conference in June 2008.
locations in New York City and is designed as a
Time to Leave the Laptop behind
tool for mobile learning.
http://online.wsj.com/article/
Mobile initiatives at seton Hall university
SB122477763884262815.html
http://tltc.shu.edu/mobile/
(Nick Wingfield, The Wall Street Journal, 27
October 2008.) This article reports on the
Seton Hall University is conducting research to
observed trend among business travelers to rely
determine how mobiles can be used in teaching,
more on smartphones, rather than laptops, as
learning, and social networking for the campus
travel computing devices.
community. Part of the initiative calls for the
development of a custom mobile application.
Voice in Google Mobile app: a Tipping Point for
the web?
short Messaging service response system
http://radar.oreilly.com/2008/11/voice-in-google-
(sMsrs)
mobile-app-tipping-point.html
http://smsrs.edtrix.com/
(Tim O’Reilly, O’Reilly Radar, 18 November
Researchers at the Centre for Applied Research
2008.) This blog post discusses the release of
at SIM University, Singapore have developed
speech recognition for searching with Google
a way to use any SMS-enabled mobile device
Mobile App for iPhone and its implications for
as a personal response system. Students can
developing computing services designed to be
respond to open-ended or multiple-choice
native to phones.
questions, and their answers can be immediately
Delicious: Mobile
tabulated, graphed and displayed to the class
http://delicious.com/tag/hz09+mobile
via a website without proprietary equipment.
(Tagged by Horizon Advisory Board and
friends, 2008.) Follow this link to find additional
for further reading
resources tagged for this topic and this edition
The following articles and resources are
of the Horizon Report. To add to this list, simply
recommended for those who wish to learn more
tag resources with “hz09” and “mobile” when you
about mobiles.
save them to Delicious.
C Lo u d C o M P u T i N G
Time-to-adoption Horizon: one Year or Less
The emergence of very large “data farms” — specialized data centers that host thousands of servers — has
created a surplus of computing resources that has come to be called the cloud. Growing out of research in
grid computing, cloud computing transforms once-expensive resources like disk storage and processing
cycles into a readily available, cheap commodity. Development platforms layered onto the cloud infrastructure
enable thin-client, web-based applications for image editing, word processing, social networking, and media
creation. Many of us use the cloud, or cloud-based applications, without even being aware of it. Advances in
computer science to ensure redundancy and protection from natural disasters have led to data being shared
across many different hosting facilities. Improved infrastructure has made the cloud robust and reliable; as
usage grows, the cloud is fundamentally changing our notions of computing and communication.
overview
The cloud is the term for networked computers that
infrastructure; Heroku (http://heroku.com), which
distribute processing power, applications, and large
does the same for applications developed in Ruby
systems among many machines. Applications like
on Rails; and Joyent (http://joyent.com), which hosts
Flickr, Google, YouTube, and many others use the
and scales applications in a variety of languages.
cloud as their platform, in the way that programs
The final set of cloud services are those that offer
on a desktop computer use that single computer
sheer computing resources without a development
as a platform. Cloud-based applications do not
platform layer, like Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud
run on a single computer; instead they are spread
(http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/) or the GoGrid (http://
over a distributed cluster, using storage space and
www.gogrid.com).
computing resources from many available machines
as needed. “The cloud” denotes any group of
Cloud computing makes it possible for almost
computers used in this way; it is not tied to a particular
anyone to deploy tools that can scale on demand to
location or owner, though many companies have
serve as many users as desired. To the end user,
proprietary clouds. “Amazon’s cloud,” for instance,
the cloud is invisible; the technology that supports
refers to the computers used to power Amazon.com;
the applications doesn’t matter — the fact that
the capacity of those servers has been harnessed as
the applications are always available is key. Data
the Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) and can be leased
storage is cheap in these environments — pennies
from Amazon for a variety of purposes.
per gigabyte — so cheap that it is often provided in
surprising quantities for free.
Cloud computing services are grouped into three
types. Most people are familiar with the first type:
The cloud does have certain drawbacks. Unlike
applications that serve a single function, such as
traditional software packages that can be installed
Gmail (http://gmail.com) or Quicken Online (http://
on a local computer, backed up, and are available as
quicken.intuit.com/online-banking-finances.jsp), that
long as the operating system supports them, cloud-
are generally accessed through a web browser and
based applications are services offered by companies
that use the cloud for processing power and data
and service providers in real time. Entrusting your
storage. The second group of services offer the
work and data to the cloud is also a commitment
infrastructure on which such applications are built and
of trust that the service provider will continue to be
run, along with the computing power to deliver them.
there, even in face of changing market and other
Examples include Google App Engine (http://code.
conditions. Nonetheless, the economics of cloud
google.com/appengine/), which allows developers
computing are increasingly compelling. For many
to create and host tailored programs using Google’s
institutions, cloud computing offers a cost-effective
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
11
o N e Y e a r o r L e s s
solution to the problem of how to provide services,
share content created with these tools, both in terms
data storage, and computing power to a growing
of collaborating on its creation and distributing the
number of Internet users without investing capital in
finished work. Applications like those listed here can
physical machines that need to be maintained and
provide students and teachers with free or low-cost
upgraded on-site.
alternatives to expensive, proprietary productivity
tools. Browser-based, thin-client applications are
relevance for Teaching, Learning,
accessible with a variety of computer and even
research, or Creative expression
mobile platforms, making these tools available
The emergence of cloud-based applications is
anywhere the Internet can be accessed. The shared
causing a shift in the way we think about how we use
infrastructure approaches embedded in the cloud
software and store our files. The idea of data storage
computing concept offer considerable potential for
as something that can be separated from an individual
large scale experiments and research that can make
computer is not unusual, but now it is becoming
use of untapped processing power.
common to consider applications in the same light.
Instead of locking files and software inside a single
We are just beginning to see direct applications
computer, we are gradually moving both the products
for teaching and learning other than the simple
of our work and the tools we use to accomplish it into
availability of platform-independent tools and
the cloud. Once there, applications and data are both
scalable data storage. This set of technologies has
accessible from any computer, using tools that are
clear potential to distribute applications across a
free or very inexpensive. Because they live on the
wider set of devices and greatly reduce the overall
network, applications in the cloud make it easy to
cost of computing. The support for group work and
share documents, collaboratively edit, and effectively
collaboration at a distance embedded in many cloud-
manage versions.
based applications could be a benefit applicable to
many learning situations.
Educational institutions are beginning to take
advantage of ready-made applications hosted on a
Already, cloud-based applications are being used
dynamic, ever-expanding cloud that enable end users
in the K-12 sector to provide virtual computers to
to perform tasks that have traditionally required site
students and staff without requiring each person to
licensing, installation, and maintenance of individual
own the latest laptop or desktop machine; a handful
software packages. Email, word processing,
of basic machines, provided they can access the
spreadsheets, presentations, collaboration, media
Internet and support a web browser, are all that is
editing, and more can all be done inside a web
needed for access to virtually unlimited data storage
browser, while the software and files are housed in
and programs of all kinds.
the cloud. In addition to productivity applications,
A sampling of cloud computing applications across
services like Flickr (http://www.flickr.com), YouTube
disciplines includes the following:
(http://www.youtube.com), and Blogger (http://www.
blogger.com), as well as a host of other browser-
■ sciences. Science Clouds, a project that aims to
based applications, comprise a set of increasingly
provide cloud computing resources to members
powerful cloud-based tools for almost any task a
of the science community for limited amounts of
user might need to do.
time in support of specific projects, launched its
first cloud in early 2008. Scientists may request
Cloud-based applications can handle photo and
time on the clouds in exchange for a short write-
video editing (see http://www.splashup.com for
photos and http://www.jaycut.com for videos, to
up of their project.
name just two examples) or publish presentations
■ Meteorology. Applications that combine a
and slide shows (see http://www.slideshare.net or
desktop interface with the data storage and
http://www.sliderocket.com). Further, it is very easy to
computing power available in the cloud make
powerful tools, once only available at large
Parallel Computing with Mathematica 7
computing centers, available to anyone. One
http://www.wolfram.com/news/m7hpc.html
such example, Earthbrowser (http://www.
The November 2008 release of Mathematica
earthbrowser.com), creates an interactive map
7 includes a tool to create a parallel computing
populated with weather, geological, and other
grid using any set of computers.
data; the engine that drives it lives in the cloud.
Virtual Computing Lab at North Carolina state
■ Media studies. Using cloud-based applications
university
like YouTube, a media culture course at Pitzer
http://vcl.ncsu.edu/
College in California tracks emerging up-to-the-
North Carolina State University offers an online
moment social trends through real-time news
system for requesting and reserving a virtual
clips and user-created content posted there.
computer, complete with any of a number
Similarly, courses at Onondaga Community Col-
of applications, that can be accessed from
lege in Syracuse, NY use YouTube and other
anywhere.
cloud-based applications to host media that can-
not be hosted using resources on campus.
for further reading
The following articles and resources are
examples of Cloud Computing
recommended for those who wish to learn more
The following links provide examples of cloud
about cloud computing.
computing applications.
Cloud Computing expo: introducing the Cloud
Cloud Computing Testbed
Pyramid
http://www.cs.illinois.edu/news/articles.
http://cloudcomputing.sys-con.com/node/609938
php?id=2008Jul29-352
(Michael Sheehan, Cloud Computing Journal,
The Cloud Computing Testbed (CCT) is a research
21 August 2008.) This article illustrates a
effort at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
pyramid model for thinking about the types of
Champaign to explore ways to provide system-
services cloud computing enables.
level support for data-intensive computing using
How Cloud Computing is Changing the world
cloud computing approaches.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/
into the Cloud: our 5 favorite online storage
content/aug2008/tc2008082_445669.htm
services
(Rachael King, BusinessWeek, 4 August 2008.)
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/free_
This article describes a perceived shift in the way
online_storage_services.php
we think about computing as more companies
(Frederic
Lardinois,
ReadWriteWeb,
28
begin to use cloud-based applications for
September 2008.) This blog post describes
communications and productivity tasks.
five services that provide large-scale online file
The Cloudworker’s Creed
storage.
http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2008/10/23/the-
open science Grid
cloudworkers-creed/
http://www.news.wisc.edu/12927
(Venkatesh Rao, Ribbonfarm.Com, 23 October
The University of Wisconsin-Madison and
2008.) This blog post introduces the concept of
several partner schools are working on a project
a cloudworker, the information professional of
funded by the National Science Foundation
tomorrow.
and the Department of Energy to develop and
expand a national Open Science Grid to provide
computing power and data storage to solve
large, data-intensive challenges in science.
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
13
o N e Y e a r o r L e s s
The Tower and the Cloud: an eduCause ebook
web 2.0 and Cloud Computing
http://www.educause.edu/
http://radar.oreilly.com/2008/10/web-20-and-
thetowerandthecloud/133998
cloud-computing.html#definitions
(Richard N. Katz, ed., EDUCAUSE, 2008.) This
(Tim O’Reilly, O’Reilly Radar, 26 October 2008.)
book, freely available as a PDF document, includes
This blog post describes three types of cloud
chapters by leading educators and technologists
computing and considers the impact of each on
on al aspects of cloud computing and education,
business.
including accountability, implementation, social
Delicious: Cloud Computing
networking, and scholarship.
http://delicious.com/tag/hz09+cloudcomputing
use of Cloud Computing applications and services
(Tagged by Horizon Advisory Board and friends,
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/262/report_
2008.) Fol ow this link to find resources tagged
display.asp
for this topic and this edition of the Horizon
(John Horrigan, Pew Internet & American Life
Report, including the ones listed here. To add
Project, 12 September 2008.) This data memo
to this list, simply tag resources with “hz09”
reports on the number of Internet users who
and “cloudcomputing” when you save them to
are making use of cloud-based applications
Delicious.
and services and reviews their expressed
preferences.
G e o - e V e rY T H i N G
Time-to-adoption Horizon: Two to Three Years
Everything on the Earth’s surface has a location that can be expressed with just two coordinates. Using
the new classes of geolocation tools, it is very easy to determine and capture the exact location of physical
objects — as well as capturing the location where digital media such as photographs and video are taken.
The other side of this coin is that it is also becoming easier to work with the geolocative data thus captured:
it can be plotted on maps; combined with data about other events, objects, or people; graphed; charted; or
manipulated in myriad ways. Devices we commonly carry with us increasingly have the ability to know where
they (and, consequently, we) are, and to record our coordinates as we take photographs, talk to friends, or
post updates to social networking websites. The “everything” in geo-everything is what makes this group of
technologies interesting, and what will make them so much a part of our lives — geolocation, geotagging, and
location-aware devices are already very nearly everywhere.
overview
Geolocation technology is not new, but it is now
tweets, indicate nearby friends, and show messages
commonly available in a growing range of devices
tweeted in the user’s vicinity.
like mobile phones, cameras, and other handhelds;
Collage (http://tapulous.com/collage/), a photo
at the same time, the software tools we use every day
application for the iPhone, lets the viewer upload
are beginning to include features that make use of
geotagged photos, browse photos taken nearby, and
geolocative data. Emerging third-party applications
see photos as they are taken all over the world. Mobile
for mobiles that can obtain and transmit the device’s
Fotos (http://xk72.com/mobilefotos/) is another
physical location give us ways to integrate our
iPhone application that automatically geotags
experiences in the physical world with those in the
online, virtual world of the Internet. Where it was once
photos taken on the device before uploading them
time-consuming and tedious to attach geolocative
to Flickr. Dynamically updated maps on mobiles help
information to photographs, video, and other media, it
travelers understand how to get from here to there,
is now easy — indeed, often automatic — with many
without having to first figure out where here actually
of today’s tools. It is increasingly common for photos
is. The technology to capture and use geolocative
and videos in online collections to “know” where
data in user-friendly ways on mobile devices is just
they were taken, and social networking updates
beginning to hit the mainstream, and we can expect
from many mobile devices are already geotagged
to see tremendous development in this area in the
automatically.
coming months.
An increasing number of mobile and web-based
For those without devices that have built-in
services can respond to geolocative data in creative
geolocative capability, a variety of free or inexpensive
and useful ways. Radar (http://outside.in/radar)
tools to capture and display geolocative data are
serves up local information like news, blog posts,
available. The Photo Finder by ATP Electronics and
restaurant reviews, and so on, based on a viewer’s
the Nikon GP-1 are examples; they capture GPS
location as determined from the IP address of the
data and synchronize it to a camera’s data card to
computer being used. Buzzd (http://buzzd.com) is
geotag the photos automatically. Another approach
a city guide and social networking tool for mobile
is to use a specialized device like the GPS Trackstick
devices, including not only local information but
(http://www.gpstrackstick.com) that can be carried in
also user ratings and tips. Mobile Twitter clients like
a pocket or glove box. It records the path it travels,
Trak (http://www.trak.fr/site/en/) and Twinkle (http://
and the data can be uploaded to create custom
tapulous.com/twinkle/) add the user’s location to
maps of walking or driving routes, hiking trails, or
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
15
T w o T o T H r e e Y e a r s
points of interest. Geotagging of media of all kinds
sophisticated, easier to access, and simpler to use.
is increasingly easy to do (or is automatic), and
Open databases like those listed by Academic Info
as a result, the amount and variety of geotagged
(http://www.academicinfo.net/geogdata.html) have
information available online is growing by the day.
been available for some time, and now we are seeing
As noted in the 2008 Horizon Report, it is also
online tools that can display those datasets visually
becoming easier to create mashups using multimedia
in a variety of ways. The array of emerging web
and geotagged data with online tools. Many free or
applications that combine topographical data with
very low-cost tools to capture and display geolocative
geotagged media and information are at the heart
data are available online and they continue to improve
of geolocation’s importance to educational practice.
in usability and flexibility. Google Maps (http://maps.
Many such applications require no programming
google.com), for example, offers a one-button way to
skills and can be used by students to produce
overlay public, geotagged media onto the relevant
custom visualizations layered over detailed maps or
section of a map as you view it; photos or videos
3-D landscapes using real-world data.
tagged with the location in question simply fall into
Mobile learners can receive context-aware information
place on the map. A similar feature is available to
about nearby resources, points of interest, historical
place media onto Google Earth’s 3D display. With
sites, and peers seamlessly, connecting all this with
Flickr Maps (http://www.flickr.com/map), viewers can
online information for just-in-time learning. Social
see at a glance what tags are currently being applied
networking tools for handheld and mobile devices
in a given region, or find (for instance) locations
or laptop computers can already suggest people
in North America where photographs of monarch
or places that are nearby, or show media related to
butterflies were taken. Other mashup authoring tools
one’s location. Virtual geocaching — the practice of
give the user even more control, allowing the use of
placing media (images, video, audio, text, or any kind
uploaded datasets, custom maps, and more.
of digital files) in an online “drop box” and tagging it
with a specific geographic location — is emerging as
relevance for Teaching, Learning,
a way to “annotate” real-world places for travelers or
research, or Creative expression
tourists; enhance scavenger hunts, alternate reality
Applications for research and learning that are quick
games, and other forms of urban outdoor recreation;
and inexpensive but still very effective are beginning
and augment social events such as concerts and
to emerge as the difficulty of capturing and using
other performances. Drop.io Location (http://drop.io/
geolocative data decreases. Automatic geolocation
dropiolocation) is one such service. Mobile users can
opens opportunities for field research and data
detect the location of nearby drops and retrieve any
acquisition in the sciences, social observation
files they have permission to access.
studies, medicine and health, cultural studies, and
other areas. Researchers can study migrations of
Relatively simple applications of geolocative data
animals, birds, and insects or track the spread of
like these represent its earliest uses in websites and
epidemics using data from a multitude of personal
mobiles, but this cluster of technologies is developing
devices uploaded as geotagged photographs, videos,
very rapidly.
or other media plotted on readily-available maps. By
A sampling of location-aware applications across
placing collected data on a map and adding easy-
disciplines includes the following:
to-obtain data such as weather, population, urban
■ Literature. Geotagging and virtual geocaching
development, or other factors, researchers and
can be used to create annotated maps and real-
students can study the patterns that emerge.
world locations related to works of literature,
Existing collections of geolocative data are also
enhancing the experience of reading the story.
becoming more accessible as the tools to search,
For instance, out of personal interest, one reader
organize, filter, and display such data become more
created a map of the course described in The
Travels of Marco Polo, including passages from
created by the author, that plots addresses
the text, photographs of the places mentioned
from a Google spreadsheet on a map, providing
(historical and contemporary), annotations and
latitude and longitude data that can be used in
links, and other information (http://idlethink.
other mashups.
wordpress.com/2008/08/31/indulgence-sin/).
Geonames
■ Medicine. The University of Florida has used a
http://www.geonames.org/
2-dimensional web-based Transparent Reality
Geonames is a comprehensive geographical
Simulation Engine to teach students how to
database containing millions of geographical
operate medical machinery for several years.
names and features worldwide. The data is
Recently, the addition of a GPS-enabled tablet
licensed for use under a Creative Commons
device has allowed learners who are spatially
attribution license.
challenged to experience the transparent reality
The Mapas Project
visualization overlaid directly onto the real
machine, enabling them to use the machine’s
http://whp.uoregon.edu/mapas/AGN/Guelaxe/
controls rather than a mouse as input to the
fullview.shtml
simulation. Geolocation is used to track the
The fledgling Mapas Project at the University
tablet and align the physical machine with the
of Oregon is dedicated to the study of Colonial
visualization on the tablet.
Mexican pictorial manuscripts. Geolocation is
being used to link real-world locations to those
■ Games-based Learning. The Local Games Lab
represented on the maps.
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (http://
lgl.gameslearningsociety.org/) is developing
Mediascape
“local games,” learning experiences set in real-
http://www.mscapers.com/
life neighborhoods and ecological habitats.
Mediascape is a tool for creating interactive stories
Combining geolocation and alternate reality
that unfold as the viewer moves through physical
games, local games immerse the learner in
space and time. By tapping into the GPS on a
a physical space as they explore the unique
viewer’s mobile device and incorporating multimedia
characteristics of the location and its inhabitants.
as well as interactive controls, every mediascape
offers a unique experience for each viewer.
examples of Geo-everything
Next exit History
The following links provide examples of a variety
http://nextexithistory.org/
of applications using geolocation, geotagging, or
Next Exit History is a project by the University of
location-aware devices.
West Florida and the University of South Florida
Communitywalk
designed to provide geotagged information
http://www.communitywalk.com/
(podcasts and other media) to assist tourists
CommunityWalk is a tool that provides a way
in finding and learning about historical sites in
to create and annotate custom maps with
Florida that are near major interstate highways
geotagged data and photographs uploaded or
but often overlooked by visitors.
pulled from Flickr.
Paintmap
Geocoding with Google spreadsheets (and Gadgets)
http://paintmap.com/
http://otherfancystuff.blogspot.com/2008/11/
Paintmap is a tool that allows artists to place
geocoding-with-google-spreadsheets-and.html
their works on a map to indicate the physical
(Pamela Fox, …And Other Fancy Stuff, 27
location of the subject of the work. Users of
November 2008.) This blog post includes step-
Google Earth can also add artworks as an
by-step instructions for embedding a gadget,
additional way to annotate places.
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
17
T w o T o T H r e e Y e a r s
for further reading
Location Technologies Primer
The fol owing articles and resources are
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/04/location-
recommended for those who wish to learn more
technologies-primer/
about geolocation, geotagging, and location-aware
(Eric Carr, TechCrunch, 4 June 2008.) This
devices.
article explains the technologies that are used
for location-awareness applications.
7 Things You should Know about Geolocation
http://connect.educause.edu/Library/ELI/7Things
Notes from the Classroom: exploring Literary
YouShouldKnowAbout/47212
spaces via Google earth
(EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, 27 August
http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2008/06/
2008.) This article provides a concise
notes-from-classroom-exploring-literary.html
description of geolocation as it relates to tagging
(Jerome Burg, Google Lat Long Blog, 25 June
media, suggests educational applications, and
2008.) This post, written by the retired English
discusses opportunities and concerns related to
teacher who created GoogleLitTrips.com,
geolocation.
describes using Google Earth to enhance the
teaching of literature.
Geotagging Photos to share fieldtrips with the
world
Delicious: Geo-everything
http://www.geographyteachingtoday.org.uk/
http://delicious.com/tag/hz09+geolocation
fieldwork/info/teaching-technology/geotagging-
(Tagged by Horizon Advisory Board and friends,
photos-to-share-fieldtrips-with-the-world/
2008.) Follow this link to find resources tagged
(David Holmes, GeographyTeachingToday.org.
for this topic and this edition of the Horizon
uk, undated.) This article describes applications
Report, including the ones listed here. To add
for the geotagging of photos in teaching
to this list, simply tag resources with “hz09” and
geography and suggests ways to geotag
“geolocation” when you save them to Delicious.
images.
How Your Location-aware iPhone will Change
Your Life
http://lifehacker.com/395171/how-your-
location+aware-iphone-will-change-your-life
(Adam Pash, Lifehacker, 5 June 2008.) The
iPhone’s location-aware features enhance a
host of applications from social networking tools
to geotagging photos taken by the phone to
nearby restaurant recommendations.
T H e P e r s o N a L w e b
Time-to-adoption Horizon: Two to Three Years
Fifteen years after the first commercial web pages began to appear, the amount of content available on the
web is staggering. Sifting through the sheer volume of material — good or bad, useful or otherwise — is a
daunting task. It is even difficult to keep track of the media posted by a single person, or by oneself. On the
other hand, adding to the mix is easier than ever before, thanks to easy-to-use publishing tools for every type
and size of media. To cope with the problem, computer users are assembling collections of tools, widgets,
and services that make it easy to develop and organize dynamic online content. Armed with tools for tagging,
aggregating, updating, and keeping track of content, today’s learners create and navigate a web that is
increasingly tailored to their own needs and interests: this is the personal web.
overview
Part of a trend that began with simple innovations
setup, thanks to open applications programming
like personalized start pages, RSS aggregation,
interfaces (APIs) and easily integrated web feeds.
and customizable widgets, the personal web is a
The vast collection of content that makes up the web
term coined to represent a collection of technologies
can be tamed, filtered, and organized, and anyone
that confer the ability to reorganize, configure and
can publish as much or as little as they wish: the web
manage online content rather than just viewing it.
has become personal.
Using a growing set of free and simple tools and
This transformation is gaining momentum. Blogging
applications, it is easy to create customized, personal
sites such as WordPress.com and EduBlogs, as well
web-based environments — a personal web — that
as tools like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr
explicitly supports one’s social, professional, learning
have become mainstream — certainly in terms
and other activities via highly personalized windows
of who reads work published with them, and more
to the networked world. Online material can be
and more in terms of who publishes with them. Now
saved, tagged, categorized, and repurposed without
we are beginning to see tools for online publishing
difficulty and without any special knowledge of how
pressed into service for education, whether the work
web pages are put together. In fact, the underlying
comprises a few lines or is the length of an entire
technology that supports the web has all but vanished
book. From course updates on Twitter to complete
for most users; all that is necessary is to know which
textbooks authored on col aborative networking sites,
tools to use, and any task — from creating and
the content of education is increasingly published
distributing content, to organizing one’s personal and
online by those most immediately involved with it.
professional time, to developing a library of resources
Nearly every social networking tool that has gained
that constantly refresh and update themselves —
popularity in the past twelve to eighteen months has
becomes point-and-click trivial.
been appropriated for educational use in some form.
As a result, people of all ages are creating customized,
Collaborative work, too, is easier than ever before.
personal web-based environments to support their
Joint authoring of novels, comics, white papers,
social, professional, and learning activities using
and even textbooks is supported by tools designed
whatever tools they prefer. Highly flexible and unique
for that purpose. Some of these have a specifically
to each person, these personal web environments
educational focus, like Flat World Knowledge (http://
consist of collections of tools individually selected
www.flatworldknowledge.com), which aims to
to suit the user’s style and preferences. Tools that
provide free, peer-reviewed textbooks online. Other
foster personal and social forms of learning and
online book publishing options, like WeBook (http://
expression, though technically unrelated, work
www.webook.com), are designed for the general
together seamlessly without any need for complicated
public; WeBook includes everything from children’s
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
19
T w o T o T H r e e Y e a r s
books to cookbooks. Using tools like these, authors
an easy way to update students on course logistics.
can create and market books on any topic, jointly or
Numerous widgets exist for cross-posting updates (a
individually, and make them available online at low
single statement entered on one service can appear
cost or no cost; many of the services also provide a
on many others automatically) and for following the
print-on-demand option for buyers.
updates of others. The ease of online publishing,
especially blogging, gives students a place to voice
relevance for Teaching, Learning,
their opinions, ideas, and research.
research, or Creative expression
Both providers and consumers of educational
The tools that enable the personal web are also ideal
content are making use of a variety of web-based
toolsets for research and learning. The ability to tag,
services to publish and host media: YouTube and
categorize, and publish work online, instantly, without
Blip.tv, Twitter, an array of blogging platforms, Flickr,
the need to understand or even touch the underlying
Picasa, and many others. Tagging is one way to
technologies provides a host of opportunities for
organize these scattered pieces of information, but
faculty and students. By organizing online information
another approach is to aggregate them — use web
with tags and web feeds, it is a simple matter to create
feeds to pull them together in a single place where
richly personal resource col ections that are easily
updates appear automatically and others can add
searchable, annotated, and that support any interest.
commentary. Tools like Swurl (http://www.swurl.
Tools like Delicious (http://delicious.com) and Diigo
com) or FriendFeed (http://www.friendfeed.com)
(http://www.diigo.com) use tagging as a means of
pull all the material a person has published into an
saving and organizing web links. While not at all a
“activity stream.” Students can use these tools to
new concept, tagging online resources and tools is
gather their work together in a kind of online portfolio;
already a very common strategy among researchers.
whenever they add a tweet, blog post, or photo to
Widgets, small tools that extend the functions of a
any online service, it will appear in their timeline. A
web browser, are beginning to gain acceptance as
“user” shared by everyone in a course could combine
they become more robust and also easier to install
resources found by students and professors, all
and use. Zotero (http://www.zotero.org) is a full-
added to a single feed and updated whenever new
featured reference tool that adds the equivalent
content is posted. Tools like these help students
of bibliographic note cards to a web browser; with
organize their own work as well as learn to manage
Zotero, a viewer can easily save a link, notes,
online references and resources. Several education-
and bibliographic reference for a resource as it is
specific tools for this purpose are in development, like
discovered on the web. Resources like these gather
the California State University system’s professional
information in one place by assembling a list of
profile and reference tool, FRESCA (http://bssapps.
organized, annotated links to materials published by
sfsu.edu/fresca).
others: a personal online card catalog of sorts.
Online book publishing requires a greater investment
Online publishing tools are being employed in the
of time and effort than micropublishing or blogging.
process of education as a means for personal and
Despite the work involved and the difficulties that
professional reflection, collaborative work, research,
arise around questions of copyright, ownership, and
and the development of a public voice. Microblogging
professional review, open content textbooks, open
— the practice of posting brief updates to services
course notes, and collaboratively-authored textbooks
like Twitter, Facebook, or others — is starting to
are gradually appearing and gaining acceptance in
gain a foothold in education, while the longer format
some pockets of academia. Projects of this nature
of traditional blogging is fairly well established
address the rising cost of college textbooks and the
already. A medium optimized for social connections,
limits imposed on faculty who wish to customize the
microblogging can also be used to continue a
material used in their courses. Many online texts allow
conversation outside of classroom walls or provide
professors to edit, add to, or otherwise customize
material for their own purposes, so that their students
a resource for teachers and students, ensuring
receive a tailored copy that exactly suits the style
that all classes are on the same schedule and
and pace of the course. In some courses, students
working with up-to-date material. It also includes
and faculty create the textbook collaboratively in an
an online assessment rubric that instructors can
online format as the course progresses, increasing
use to evaluate and record student work.
students’ engagement with and understanding of the
omeka
course material as they become authorities.
http://omeka.org
A sampling of applications of the personal web
Omeka is a free, open source, collections-based
across disciplines includes the following:
web publishing platform for scholars, librarians,
archivists, museum professionals, educators,
■ Library research. Instead of purchasing
textbooks, students in Advanced Library
and cultural enthusiasts. Built and maintained by
Research courses at Buffalo State College
the Center for New Media and History at George
are required to buy a USB flash storage drive.
Mason University, Omeka is a robust publishing
They install the Firefox web browser and a set
tool for creating online resources.
of portable applications on the drive, which
opensophie
becomes their research tool. The course
http://opensophie.org
website (http://sites.google.com/site/lib300site/)
OpenSophie is open-source software for
provides basic information about using social
writing and reading rich media documents in a
bookmarking tools and portable applications.
networked environment. Funded over its lifetime
by the Mellon Foundation, the MacArthur
■ Media studies. The Open Publishing Lab at
the Rochester Institute of Technology (http://opl.
Foundation, and the University of California,
cias.rit.edu/projects) runs a series of projects on
Los Angeles, OpenSophie is now a project of
new media and publishing, including an online
the open source community.
newspaper, a tool for aggregating and publishing
scholarly Community blogs
web content in e-book form, a guide to online
http://umwblogs.org (UMWBlogs, The University
publishing, and a social networking game.
of Mary Washington)
http://ucalgaryblogs.ca/ (UcalgaryBlogs, The
■ foreign Language. A research study at
Montclair State University is investigating the
University of Calgary)
potential for using PageFlakes, a customizable
http://blsciblogs.baruch.cuny.edu/ (Blogs@
website tool that makes it easy to integrate
Baruch, Baruch College, City University of
multimedia and web feeds into a course
New York)
website, as a means to provide a richer, more
http://blogs.psu.edu/ (The Blogs at Penn State,
personalized learning experience for Italian
The Pennsylvania State University)
language learners.
http://blogs.ubc.ca/ (UBC Blogs, The University of
British Columbia)
examples of the Personal web
A growing number of campuses are providing
The following links provide examples of educational
blog services to faculty, staff, and students; a
applications of the personal web.
few examples are listed here. Campus blogs
generally provide a single portal that aggregates
first-Year Composition at usf
all public blogs by the campus community, as
http://collegewriting.us
well as a system for easily setting up a blog for a
The University of South Florida employs between
course, club, or individual.
70 and 90 instructors each semester to teach
first-year composition. This website serves as
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
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smarThistory
free digital Texts begin to Challenge Costly
http://smarthistory.org
College Textbooks in California
SmARThistory is an edited online art history
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-
resource to augment or replace traditional art
textbook18-2008aug18,0,4712858.story
history texts. For a given artwork, smARThistory
(Gale Holland, Los Angeles Times, August
brings together podcasts, video clips, images,
2008.) This article discusses how open-source
links to other resources, and commentary,
and free digital textbook providers might fit into
providing a rich context for the work.
the overall textbook market.
stories that fly
Personal Learning environment diagrams
http://www.storiesthatfly.com/
http://edtechpost.wikispaces.com/PLE+Diagrams
Stories that Fly is a citizen media project
(Scott Leslie, EdTechPost, 2008.) The author
that features a growing collection of digital
has collected visual representations of various
stories about general aviation. The stories are
descriptions of personal learning environments,
contributed by student journalists, aviators,
displaying them on a wiki page.
and interested community members and cover
a widget onto the future
regional airports, events, and people in the Ohio
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/12/08/
aviation community.
widgets
for further reading
(Andy Guess, Inside Higher Ed, 8 December
2008.) This article describes widgets — tools
The following articles and resources are
for personalizing the information on a website
recommended for those who wish to learn more
— and provides examples of some developed
about the personal web.
expressly for education.
datagogies, writing spaces, and the age of Peer
Delicious: The Personal web
Production
http://delicious.com/tag/hz09+personalweb
http://writersatwork.us/sites/Joe_Moxley/Articles/
(Tagged by Horizon Advisory Board and friends,
datagogies.pdf
2008.) Follow this link to find resources tagged
(Joseph Moxley, Computers and Composition,
for this topic and this edition of the Horizon
Vol. 25, Issue 2, 2008; pp. 182-202.) This article
Report, including the ones listed here. To add
(PDF, 676k) describes the use of peer-to-peer
to this list, simply tag resources with “hz09”
technologies by groups of teachers to create and
and “personalweb” when you save them to
discuss pedagogy and resources, and suggests
Delicious.
that a different kind of teaching and learning
takes place in learning communities that use
such approaches.
The evolution of Personal Publishing
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_
evolution_of_personal_publ.php
(Alex
Iskold,
ReadWriteWeb,
December
2007.) This post traces different categories of
personal publishing – blogs, social networks,
and microblogs – and posits that each appeals
to a different type of writer and fills a particular
purpose in social publishing.
seMaNTiC-aware aPPLiCaTioNs
Time-to-adoption Horizon: four to five Years
The idea behind the semantic web is that although online data is available for searching, its meaning is not:
computers are very good at returning keywords, but very bad at understanding the context in which keywords
are used. A typical search on the term “turkey,” for instance, might return traditional recipes, information about the
bird, and information about the country; the search engine can only pick out keywords, and cannot distinguish
among different uses of the words. Similarly, although the information required to answer a question like “How
many current world leaders are under the age of 60?” is readily available to a search engine, it is scattered
among many different pages and sources. The search engine cannot extract the meaning of the information
to compile an answer to that question even though it can return links to the pages that contain pieces of that
answer. Semantic-aware applications are tools designed to use the meaning, or semantics, of information on the
Internet to make connections and provide answers that would otherwise entail a great deal of time and effort.
overview
The vision for the semantic web, originally advanced
approach, taken by Hakia). Yahoo! has released
by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, is that eventually it might
an open search platform, SearchMonkey (http://
be able to help people solve very difficult problems
developer.yahoo.com/searchmonkey), that allows
by presenting connections between apparently
developers to create custom applications to return
unrelated concepts, individuals, events, or things —
a certain type of information — about movies, say,
connections that it would take many people many
or people — using semantic search of marked-up
years to perceive, but that could become obvious
content to categorize information.
through the kinds of associations made possible by
Tools for making connections between concepts or
semantic-aware applications. There are currently two
people are also entering the market. Calais (http://
theoretical approaches to developing the semantic
www.opencalais.com) is a toolkit of applications to
capacity of the web. One, the bottom-up approach,
make it easier to integrate semantic functionality
is problematic in that it assumes metadata will be
in blogs, websites, and other web content; for
added to each piece of content to include information
instance, Calais’ Tagaroo is a plugin for WordPress
about its context; tagging at the concept level, if
that suggests tags and Flickr images related to a
you will. The top-down approach appears to have
post as the author composes it. Zemanta (http://
a far greater likelihood of success, as it focuses
www.zemanta.com) is a similar tool, also for
on developing natural language search capability
bloggers. SemanticProxy, another Calais tool,
that can make those same kinds of determinations
automatically generates semantic metadata tags for
without any special metadata.
a given website that are readable by semantic-aware
Most currently available semantic-aware applications
applications, without the content creator’s needing
are intended to assist with searching and finding,
to do it by hand. Calais includes an open API, so
with making intellectual or social connections, or
developers can create custom semantic-aware
with advertising. Tools like TrueKnowledge (http://
applications. TripIt (http://www.tripit.com), a social
trueknowledge.com),
Hakia
(http://www.hakia.
semantic-aware application for travelers, organizes
com), Powerset (http://www.powerset.com), and
travel plans and makes useful connections; a TripIt
SemantiFind
(http://www.semantifind.com)
are
user simply forwards a confirmation email from any
designed to provide more accurate search results,
travel provider — airlines, hotels, car rentals, event
either by scanning metadata tags added to content
tickets — and TripIt automatically creates an itinerary
(the bottom-up approach, taken by SemantiFind) or
by interpreting and organizing the information in the
by using semantic algorithms or lexica (the top-down
email according to its semantic context.
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
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f o u r T o f i V e Y e a r s
Advertisers are also finding a use for semantic-aware
contain: places, people, organizations, and so on.
applications. Tools like Dapper MashupAds (http://
Twine is not focused solely on education, but there
www.dapper.net/mashupads/) extract information
are twines on many educational topics.
from the page the user is browsing and tailor sidebar
The capability of semantic-aware applications to
advertisements to that content. If you are browsing
aid in searching and finding has implications for
flights to Orlando, for instance, MashupAds might
research, especially in light of the rate at which
show a sidebar with Orlando hotels; if you are
web content is being created. As semantic search
shopping for a home, the ad might show you sample
tools continue to develop, it will be more common
mortgage rates for comparable properties in that
to see highly relevant results that display desired
particular area. BooRah (http://boorah.com) is a tool
information in the hit list summary itself, saving time
that pulls information from restaurant reviews all over
that is now spent clicking through to each page in
the web, analyzing the tone of the reviews to assign
turn. Semantic search also promises to reduce the
positive or negative ratings to restaurants. The links,
number of unrelated or irrelevant results for a given
ads, and recommendations on a BooRah detail page
search and to facilitate natural-language queries,
are all local to the restaurant’s area as well.
both potentially useful features for researchers.
Semantic-aware applications like these al ow
Like the tools described in the 2008 Horizon Report
meaning to be automatical y inferred from content and
under Social Operating Systems, semantic-aware
context. The promise of these applications is to help
applications hold the potential to organize and display
us see connections that already exist, but that are
information embedded in our data in meaningful
invisible to current search algorithms because they
ways that make it easier to draw connections.
are embedded in the context of the information on
Semantic-aware tools to help visualize relationships
the web. Semantic-aware applications are still in early
among concepts and ideas are just beginning to
development, and many of those named here are in
emerge, including mashups that not only plot data
beta at press time; errors and incorrectly identified bits
on graphs or maps, but also emphasize and illustrate
of content are not unusual. However, there is a great
conceptual links. For instance, WorldMapper (http://
deal of work going on in this area, and we can expect
www.worldmapper.org/) produces maps that change
to see significant advances in the coming years.
visually based on the data they represent; a world map
relevance for Teaching, Learning,
showing total population enlarges more populous
research, or Creative expression
countries (China, India) and shrinks those that have
a smaller fraction of the world’s population.
Education-specific examples of semantic-aware
applications are still rare. To date, development of
A growing number of companies and educational
semantic-aware applications has mostly focused
institutions are conducting research into semantic
on creating tools to automate the process of
connections. For instance, the Multimodal Information
contextualizing information and tools to process
Access and Synthesis (MIAS) Center at the University
content against a semantic lexicon; end-user
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is conducting
applications are, by and large, still in very early
research and developing prototype projects on
development. One application that illustrates some
topics such as contextualizing data automatically,
of the potential of semantic-aware applications for
natural-language search, and assembling contextual
education is Twine (http://twine.com), a social network
information for photographs based on text that
organized around topics of interest. Members join a
appears near similar photographs (http://www.mias.
“twine” on a particular topic, like biological evolution,
uiuc.edu/mias/research).
where they can add resources and connect with others
A sampling of use cases for semantic-aware
who are interested in the topic. Twine sorts resources
applications across disciplines includes the
into categories based on the type of information they
following:
■ research. The Fundación Marcelino Botín in
that makes it easy for editors to insert “hints” into
Santander, Spain is seeking to create a research
articles to enable semantic searches.
portal to cultural heritage information about
semantic uMw
the Cantabria region, using semantic-aware
http://semantic.umwblogs.org/about/
applications to draw connections and combine
The University of Mary Washington, in addition
data from a wide variety of sources, including
to hosting a blogging platform for the UMW
bibliographies, prehistoric excavations, industrial
community, is experimenting with a semantic
heritage, and others.
portal as a way to organize and find content,
■ Collections Tagging. The Powerhouse Museum
explore the community, and find people. For
of Science and Design in Sydney, Australia
instance, the “Link Friends” exhibit makes
is using Open Calais to add contextual tags to
friendship recommendations based on similar
objects in its online col ection. The process of
linking habits.
tagging the more than 66,000 objects in the
semantifind
col ection would be impossible by hand, but Open
http://www.semantifind.com
Calais has been able to pick out important tags
SemantiFind is a web browser plug in that works
from object descriptions, facilitating navigation
with Google’s search bar. When a user types a
and search through the collection.
word into the search bar, a drop down menu
■ Law. A prototype project at the Autonomous
prompts the user to select the exact sense of
University of Barcelona assists newly appointed
the word that is desired, in order to improve the
judicial officials in resolving complex legal
relevance of the results that Google displays.
questions based on collected information from
The results are based on user labels on the
prior cases. Developed for the Spanish General
pages being searched.
Council of the Judiciary, the system uses
sioC.Me
contextual information to suggest solutions to
http://www.sioc.me
problems that new judges might typically refer to
SIOC.Me (pronounced “shock me”) is a seman-
more experienced judges, potentially speeding
tic visualization tool that lets the viewer browse
up the legal process.
an Irish bul etin board (web forum) site in a 3D
examples of
space. Concepts and other data are linked se-
semantic-aware applications
mantically.
The following links provide examples of semantic-
for further reading
aware applications.
The fol owing articles and resources are
Cleveland Clinic
recommended for those who wish to learn more
http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/sweo/public/
about the semantic web and semantic-aware
UseCases/ClevelandClinic/
applications.
The Cleveland Clinic is using semantic web
an introduction to the semantic web
concepts to search patient data to improve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGg8A2zfWKg
future patient care.
(Manu Sporny, YouTube, December 2007.)
semantic Mediawiki
This six-minute video explains the idea of the
http://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/
semantic web in simple terms.
Semantic_MediaWiki
Semantic Mediawiki is an extension to Mediawiki
(the software upon which Wikipedia is based)
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
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f o u r T o f i V e Y e a r s
on the Cusp: a Global review of the semantic
Yahoo embraces the semantic web — expect
web industry
the internet to organize itself in a Hurry
http://davidjprovost.typepad.com/my_
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/03/13/yahoo-
weblog/2008/09/report---on-the.html
embraces-the-semantic-web-expect-the-web-to-
(David Provost, Semantic Business, 30
organize-itself-in-a-hurry/
September 2008.) This blog post announces the
(Michael Arrington, TechCrunch, 13 March 2008.)
release of (and links to) a report by the author on
This post describes Yahoo’s announcement to
the current state of the industry with regards to
expand their Open Search Platform to make use
semantic-aware applications and the semantic
of semantic tags embedded in web content to
web.
improve search results.
The semantic web in education
Delicious: semantic-aware applications
http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE
http://delicious.com/tag/hz09+semanticweb
+Quarterly/TheSemanticWebinEducation/47675
(Tagged by Horizon Advisory Board and friends,
(Jason Ohler, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Vol. 31, No.
2008.) Follow this link to find resources tagged
4, 2008.) This article introduces the concept of
for this topic and this edition of the Horizon
the semantic web in an educational context and
Report, including the ones listed here. To add
suggests some ways semantic-aware applications
to this list, simply tag resources with “hz09”
might be used in teaching and learning.
and “semanticweb” when you save them to
semantic web: what is the Killer app?
Delicious.
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/
semantic_web_what_is_the_killer_app.php
(Alex Iskold, ReadWriteWeb, January 2008.)
This article examines what is needed for the
semantic web to become mainstream: a killer
app that attracts and engages.
s M a r T o b j e C T s
Time-to-adoption Horizon: four to five Years
Smart objects are the link between the virtual world and the real. A smart object “knows” about itself — where
and how it was made, what it is for, who owns it and how they use it, what other objects in the world are like
it — and about its environment. Smart objects can report on their exact location and current state (full or empty,
new or depleted, recently used or not). Whatever the technology that embeds the capacity for attaching
information to an object — and there are many — the result is a connection between a physical object and
a rich store of contextual information. Think of doing a web search that reveals not pages of content, but the
location, description, and context of actual things in the real world. The means to create, track, and use smart
objects has not yet entered the mainstream, but recent advances in identification technology have led to some
interesting proof-of-concept applications that suggest everyday uses are just down the road.
overview
A smart object is simply any physical object that
tag and difficult to scan for the everyday user, but
includes a unique identifier that can track information
that is beginning to change as manufacturers create
about the object. There are a number of technologies
user-friendly systems for tagging, scanning, and
that support smart objects: radio-frequency
programming smart objects.
identification (RFID) tags, quick response (QR) codes,
Products like Tikitag (http://www.tikitag.com) and
and smartcards are some of the most common. Objects
Violet’s Mir:ror (http://www.violet.net) provide relatively
that carry information with them have long been
inexpensive USB tag readers, inviting-looking stick-
used for point-of-sale purchases, passport tracking,
on tags, and an easy-to-use API that lets anyone
inventory management, identification, and similar
program a tag to perform operations on a computer
applications. RFID tags and smartcards “know” about
when scanned. Systems like these are being used
a certain kind of information, like how much money is
to keep track of personal col ections (of books or
available in a user’s account and how to transfer the
col ectibles, for instance); to play certain playlists when
correct amount to a retailer for a given purchase, or
an object is scanned; or to create one-step interfaces
which book is being checked out at a library, who the
that launch games when a child scans a favorite toy.
patron is, and whether that patron has any currently
These simple applications of smart objects represent
overdue materials. QR codes can be read by many
very early uses in everyday life, and are significant
camera-enabled mobile devices and can cal up a
because they can be set up by laypersons without a
wealth of information about the object tagged with
great deal of capital outlay or technological expertise.
the code. Smart chips embedded in small household
Other current applications for smart objects include
appliances “know” where they are located and can
wireless location of library materials, retrieval of lost
access local information: your cof eepot can tel you
or missing items, and inventory tracking.
about the weather while you pour yourself a cup.
The thing that makes smart objects interesting is
Smart objects can also sense and communicate with
the way they connect the physical world with the
other objects and report and update their own status.
world of information. Smart objects can be used
For instance, the Cyber Tyre by Pirelli uses a sensor
to digitally manage physical things, to track them
embedded in the tire of a car to monitor the tire’s
throughout their lifespan, and to annotate them
pressure as well as the car’s movements, reporting
with descriptions, opinions, instructions, warranties,
this information to the car’s electronic monitoring
tutorials, photographs, connections to other objects,
system to improve performance.
and any other kind of contextual information
The vision for the future of smart object technology
imaginable. Thus far, smart objects are awkward to
is a world of interconnected items in which the line
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
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f o u r T o f i V e Y e a r s
between physical object and digital information is
or locations in the real world (http://semapedia.
blurred. Applications that tap into “the Internet of
org). Semapedia includes a map indicating the
things,” as this vision is called, would assist users
corresponding physical location of objects that have
in finding articles in the physical world in the same
been tagged.
way that Internet search engines help locate content
People can be tagged as easily as objects, and
on the web. Reference materials, household goods,
some organizations are conducting experiments
sports equipment: an actual instance of anything
and research to investigate the pros and cons of
a person might need would be discoverable using
smart objects carried or worn by individuals. The
search tools on computers or mobile devices. Further,
2008 Hackers on Planet Earth conference (the Last
while looking at an object, a prospective buyer could
call up reviews, suggestions for alternate or related
HOPE) issued RFID tags to at endees and tracked
purchases, videos of the item being used, and more,
their movements with readers throughout the 3-day
as well as finding out whether something similar lay
conference. The Attendee Meta-Data Project (http://
forgotten in the garage back home.
amd.hope.net), as it was known, was intended to bring
conference-goers together based on shared interests,
relevance for Teaching, Learning,
recommend sessions to attendees, and facilitate the
research, or Creative expression
hallway networking that takes place at such events.
Smart objects have been used in industry for
A sampling of applications for smart objects across
years, but are just beginning to enter the market
disciplines includes the following:
for end-users. Not unexpectedly, there are very
■ archaeology. The way that a single smart object
few examples of smart objects in use in academia,
connects to a network of information is useful
although significant research is being done into how
to create and track smart objects and how they might
for many disciplines. Consider a student or
eventually be used.
researcher examining a group of objects from an
archaeological dig. A tag attached to the label of
Libraries are an obvious target for the application
each object, when scanned with a mobile device
of smart objects, and indeed many are using them.
like a camera-enabled phone, would instantly
Smart tags are well established as a means for
bring up photographs of other objects from the
collection tracking and checking materials in and out.
dig, video of the dig site, maps, and any other
A few libraries are experimenting with further uses
media or information associated with the area.
for smart objects: a project called ThinkeringSpace
from the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute
■ Health Care. Researchers and students at the
of Design (http://www.id.iit.edu/ThinkeringSpaces/)
University of Arkansas have created a simulated
combines physical and virtual components to
hospital environment in the virtual world of Second
produce an environment where physical objects, like
Life to test the practical and social implications
books, can be annotated with contextual information
of tagging and tracking patients, hospital staff,
that is added manually or retrieved automatically.
supplies, and locations. (http://www.rfidjournal.
The information remains connected with the object
com/article/articleview/4326/2/1/).
and displays whenever the object is scanned.
■ oncology. At Purdue University, researchers
Projects like Semapedia offer insight to some of
have developed a tiny smart object designed
the ways smart objects might benefit education.
to be injected into a tumor. Once placed there,
Semapedia is a collaborative project that aims
the device can report on the doses of radiation
to connect tagged physical objects with online
received at the site where it is implanted and
information from Wikipedia using QR codes. Users
indicate the exact location of the tumor during
are invited to create cellphone-readable physical
treatment.
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/
hyperlinks, print them out, and attach them to objects
releases/2008/04/080408120106.htm).
examples of smart objects
internetting every Thing, everywhere, all the Time
The following links provide examples of applications
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/02/
for smart objects.
digitalbiz.rfid/
(Cherise Fong, CNN.com/technology DigitalBiz,
arduino
November 2008.) This article describes the
http://www.arduino.cc/
Internet of things and illustrates some current
Arduino is an open-source electronics
examples of smart object technology.
prototyping platform that allows users to create
objects that can sense and respond to the
The Net shapes up to Get Physical
environment. Developers build or purchase
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/
small circuit boards and customize them using
oct/16/internet-of-things-ipv6
the Arduino software.
(Sean Dodson, Guardian.co.uk, October 2008.)
This article describes the Internet of things and
Home-based Health Platform
discusses the technologies involved, as well as
http://www.harris.cise.ufl.edu/projects_nih.htm
considering potential applications for networked
Researchers at the University of Florida are
smart objects.
developing an ambient system to measure
a person’s vital signs as he or she enters the
Thinkering spaces in Libraries
house, transmitting the information to family or
http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/
doctors, as a way of monitoring at-risk individuals
archives/2008/06/17/thinkering-spaces-in-
or the elderly.
libraries.html
(Jenny Levine, The Shifted Librarian, 17 June
iPhone in education: using Qr Codes in the
2008.) This post, and the two that follow
Classroom
it, describe the library demonstration of
http://olliebray.typepad.com/
ThinkeringSpace as seen by the author.
olliebraycom/2008/11/iphone-in-education-using-
qr-code-in-the-classroom.html
when blobjects rule the earth
(Ollie Bray, OllieBray.com, 24 November 2008.)
http://boingboing.net/images/blobjects.htm
The author explains and demonstrates a way to
(Bruce Sterling, SIGGRAPH 2004, August
use QR codes to convey homework assignments
2004.) Bruce Sterling’s speech at SIGGRAPH
to students.
2004 describes a vision of objects that are con-
nected to information related to their design,
uw Team researches a future filled with rfid
creation, and use; end-user reviews, ideas, and
Chips
improvements; and where they are at all times.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/
businesstechnology/2004316708_rfid31.html
Delicious: smart objects
(Kristi Heim, The Seattle Times, 31 March 2008.)
http://delicious.com/tag/hz09+smartobject
Researchers at the University of Washington
(Tagged by Horizon Advisory Board and friends,
are exploring the positive and negative aspects
2008.) Fol ow this link to find resources tagged
of using RFID tags to track the movements of
for this topic and this edition of the Horizon Re-
people in a social setting — by tracking them-
port, including the ones listed here. To add to this
selves.
list, simply tag resources with “hz09” and “smar-
tobject” when you save them to Delicious.
for further reading
The following articles and resources are
recommended for those who wish to learn more
about smart objects.
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
29
MeTHodoLoGY
The Horizon Report is produced each fall using a
1 What would you list among the established
carefully constructed process that is informed by both
technologies that learning-focused institutions
primary and secondary research. Nearly a hundred
should all be using broadly today to support
technologies, as well as dozens of meaningful trends
or enhance teaching, learning, research, or
and challenges are examined for possible inclusion
creative expression?
in the report each year; an internationally renowned
2 What technologies that have a solid user base
Advisory Board examines each topic in progressively
in consumer, entertainment, or other industries
more detail, reducing the set until the final listing of
should learning-focused institutions be actively
technologies, trends, and challenges is selected.
looking for ways to apply?
The entire process takes place online and is fully
documented at horizon.nmc.org/wiki.
3 What are the key emerging technologies you
see developing to the point that learning-
The process of selection, a modified Delphi process
focused institutions should begin to take
now refined over several years of producing Horizon
notice during the next three to five years? What
Reports, begins each summer as the Advisory Board
organizations or companies are the leaders in
is selected. About half of the thirty to forty members
these technologies?
are newly chosen each year, and the board as a
whole is intended to represent a wide range of
4 What do you see as the key challenges related
backgrounds, nationalities, and interests. By design,
to teaching, learning, or creative expression that
learning-focused institutions will face during
at least one-third of the Advisory Board represent
the next five years?
countries outside of North America. To date, more
than 250 internationally recognized practitioners
5 What trends do you expect to have a significant
and experts have participated. Once the Advisory
impact on the ways in which learning-focused
Board is constituted, their work begins with a
institutions approach our core missions of
systematic review of the literature — press clippings,
teaching, research, and service?
reports, essays, and other materials — that pertain
One of the Advisory Board’s most important tasks
to emerging technology. Advisory Board members
is to answer these five questions as systematically
are provided with an extensive set of background
and broadly as possible, so as to generate a large
materials when the project begins, and then are
number of potential topics to consider. As the last step
asked to comment on them, identify those which
in this process, past Horizon Reports are revisited
seem especially worthwhile, and also add to the set.
and the Advisory Board is asked to comment on
A carefully selected set of RSS feeds from a dozen
the current state of technologies, challenges, and
leading publications ensures that these resources
trends identified in previous years, and to look for
stay current as the project progresses, and they are
metatrends that may be evident only across the
used to inform the thinking of the participants through
results of multiple years.
the process.
To create the 2009 Horizon Report, the 45
Following the review of the literature, the Advisory
members of this year’s Advisory Board engaged in
Board engages in the process of addressing the five
a comprehensive review and analysis of research,
research questions that are at the core of the Horizon
articles, papers, blogs, and interviews; discussed
Project. These questions are the same each year,
existing applications; and brainstormed new ones.
and are designed to elicit a comprehensive listing of
A key criterion was the potential relevance of the
interesting technologies, challenges, and trends from
topics to teaching, learning, research, and creative
the Advisory Board:
expression.
Once this foundational work was completed, the
an annual Call to Scholarship based on the input
Advisory Board moved to a unique consensus-
of hundreds of faculty and staff working in campus-
building process that uses an iterative Delphi-based
based groups. The Call details recommendations
methodology. In the first step, the responses to the
for research, demonstration projects, policy
research questions were systematically ranked and
formulation, tools, and technology support systems
placed into adoption horizons by each Advisory
related to each topic. These recommendations are
Board member in a multi-vote system that allowed
a starting place for continued dialog and reflection
members to weight their selections. These rankings
around the six topics in the Horizon Report, and
were compiled into a collective set of responses.
are acknowledgments that while these technologies
From the more than 80 technologies originally
offer considerable promise and potential, much work
considered, the twelve that emerged at the top
remains to be done before many of them are really
of the initial ranking process — four per adoption
ready for mainstream use.
horizon — were further researched. Once this “short
The Call to Scholarship is also a call to action, and it
list” was identified, the potential applications of
is our hope that it will generate a cascade of activities
these important technologies were further explored
across the academy. The NMC is deeply interested in
by higher education practitioners who were either
such activities and hopes to see new demonstration
knowledgeable about them, or interested in thinking
projects, papers, and presentations at conferences
about how they might be used. A significant amount of
around the ideas in each new edition of the Horizon
time was spent researching applications or potential
Report. Simultaneous with the release of the 2009
applications for each of the areas that would be of
edition of the Horizon Report, the NMC will launch
interest to practitioners.
the process to create its related Call to Scholarship,
Each of these twelve was written up in the format
planned for release in the fall of 2009.
of the Horizon Report. With the benefit of the full
Another ongoing component of the project involves
picture of how the topic would look in the report, the
a special set of Delicious links that have been
“short list” was then ranked yet again, this time with a
established to help extend the findings of the project
reverse ranking approach. The six technologies and
and allow new information to be shared within the
applications that emerged at the top of the rankings
community. These Delicious tags are listed under
— two per adoption horizon — are detailed in the
the “Further Reading” section of each of the six
preceding sections, and those descriptions are the
topic areas, and readers are invited to view not
final results of this process.
only the resources that were listed in the report, but
As in previous years, the Horizon Report is intended
many others that were used in our research as well.
to be the first step in building a research agenda rather
Readers are further encouraged to add their own
than the final result of one; the NMC membership
examples and readings to these dynamic lists by
uses the Horizon Report each spring to generate
tagging them for inclusion in each category.
T H e H o r i Z o N r e P o r T – 2 0 0 9
31
2009 HoriZoN ProjeCT adVisorY board
susan Metros, Chair
Graham Glynn
doug Mcdavid
University of Southern California
Stonybrook University
IBM Almaden Research Center
Larry johnson, co-Pi
Lev Gonick
Nick Noakes
The New Media Consortium
Case Western Reserve University
Hong Kong University of Science &
Technology (Hong Kong)
diana oblinger, co-Pi
don Henderson
EDUCAUSE
Apple, Inc.
sara Porter
Joint Information Systems
bryan alexander
jean Paul jacob
Committee (JISC) (UK)
National Institute for Technology
IBM Almaden Research Center
and Liberal Education (NITLE)
Peter samis
Corrine Lebrun
San Francisco Museum of
Teemu arina
Al iance for Information Science &
Modern Art
Dicole (Finland)
Technology Innovation (AISTI)
bill shewbridge
Michael berman
Paul Lefrere
University of Maryland,
AmbermanLtd.
Open University (UK)
Baltimore County
ian brown
eva de Lera
Mark a. smith
University of Wol ongong
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Alfred University
(Australia)
(Spain)
rachel s. smith
Malcolm brown
scott Leslie
The New Media Consortium
Dartmouth College
BCcampus (Canada)
Lisa spiro
Cole Camplese
Maj. Gen. erwin f. Lessel iii
Rice University
The Pennsylvania State University
United States Air Force
Lisa stephens
brett Christie
alan Levine
University at Buffalo
Sonoma State University
The New Media Consortium
Heather stewart
douglas darby
julie Little
New York University
Austin College
EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative
don williams
Vicki a. davis
Cyprien Lomas
Microsoft Corporation
Westwood Schools (K-12)
University of British Columbia
(Canada)
Holly willis
barbara dieu
University of Southern California
Lycee Pasteur - Casa Santos
Phillip Long
Dumont (Brazil)
University of Queensland
Matt woolsey
(Australia)
Forbes, Inc.
julie evans
Project Tomorrow (K-12)
Clifford Lynch
alan wolf
Coalition for Networked
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Peter isaacson
Information (CNI)
Adobe Systems
jamie Madden
joan Getman
University of Queensland
Cornel University
(Australia)
The New Media CoNsorTiuM
sparking innovative lear ning & creativit y
6101 West Courtyard Drive
Building One, Suite 100
Austin, TX 78730
t 512 445-4200 f 512 445-4205
www.nmc.org
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ISBN 978-0-9765087-1-7
