The Emergence of Digital (Cloud) Computing
The way that we, as humans, have recorded and stored our data has rapidly evolved since the beginning of the 20th century; from the still camera, to the the movie camera, the phonograph, to the compact disc, and now digital music, and video recording and storage, the capacity to save and share information has the ability to connect people at anytime from anywhere. Unlike hardware such as compact discs, jump (thumb, zip) drives, and connected external hard drives, cloud computing allows for the collaborating and sharing of resources in a repository that is available to anyone who has been granted access. Google Apps is an example of this type of computing. I like to use this video (albeit dated) for my Google Apps training, as a very basic explanation of cloud computing.
Enhances
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Obsoletes
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Retrieves
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Reverses
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Enhances
Cloud computing affords for access to information from anywhere at anytime. Users can be online, working simultaneously, on the same project, which is stored on a shared server and can be accessed at anytime. The ability to share information becomes immediate with no need for extra software or external hardware.
Obsoletes
This technology eliminates the need to constantly share a document that needs to be downloaded, edited, uploaded and sent back to the originator. People no longer have to research in isolation. Group collaboration by teleconference is also unnecessary. Groups no longer have to be in a fixed geographical location, which affords for a multicultural perspective in collaboration and research.
Retrieves
When I think of the earliest forms of collaboration, I imagine the socratic seminars held by the great thinkers, Socrates, Aristotle, etc. The group would get together, listen to a talk and then collaborate with one another to think and debate. Teleconferencing and telepresence can also be recalled in these situations, as those have been fairly modern ways in which a group can collaborate from varied locations.
Reverses
It is very possible that holographic communication, which is on the horizon, could replace cloud computing, as a means for collaboration. How information would be stored in a hologram without cloud storage is a concept that I haven’t considered, but I’m sure that is being developed as well. Teleportation could also replace cloud storage, as you could just transport yourself to your desired location.
Cloud computing is slowly gaining popularity for educational and business purposes. The cost saving benefits of not having to maintain a network based storage solution, and the ability to collaborate in real time with colleagues from around the world without the travel costs, are affording more corporations, and educational institutions the ability to adopt this technology for the benefit of all individuals involved.
References
Bhatia, S. (2014, December 3). How cloud computing is changing education. Cloudtweaks.
Retrieved from: http://cloudtweaks.com/2014/12/cloud-computing-education-growth/
Briggs, S. (2013, July 16). 10 emerging educational technologies and how they are being used
across the globe. InformEd. Retrieved from:
Google (Producer) 2007. Google docs in plain English [Video]. Retrieved from:
Thornburg, D (2013). Current trends in educational technology. Lake Barrington, IL:
Thornburg Center for Space Exploration. Thornburg, D. (2013). Current Trends in
Educational Technology. Licensed via Creative Commons Attribution-NoDervis 3.0
United States License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/
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