Page 46 - Campus Technology, March/April 2019

C-Level View
Technology Change:
Closing the
Knowledge Gap
It’s important to understand the bigger picture of technology in education, especially given the escalating rate of change that has become inherent in emerging tech.
By Mary Grush
IS THE rate of technology change outpacing your ability to understand its impact, respond to its potential or adapt to it appropriately? Here, CT speaks with Daniel Christian, instructional services director at Western Michigan University’s Cooley Law School, about closing this knowledge gap. Christian’s unique perspectives stem from his work on instructional design in a law school context.
Campus Technology: How are we han- dling the apparent escalating rate of change that surrounds everyone today?
Daniel Christian: I think, from a societal standpoint, we are not used to the current, exponential rate of change in environments affected by available and emerging technolo- gies. Many of us grew up with linear, incre- mental changes that were more manageable and less likely to leave us blindsided.
CT: Which technologies are changing fast enough to concern you especially? What do we need to be aware of?
Christian: Currently, I’m watching artificial intelligence (including machine learning-
based applications such as computer vision and facial recognition), advanced robotics and automation systems, and data analytics and the algorithms that are used to make life- changing and/or business-critical decisions. Blockchain-based applications are also worth watching as candidates for this list of the most impactful technology areas that are moving quickly ahead of us.
The key point I want to raise awareness of is that technologies — especially those emerg- ing technologies I just mentioned — tend to move far ahead of us, fast. In some cases, technology changes before we can experi- ence it enough to learn how to manage it and make good decisions about it. Technology changes quickly; people change slowly. The rate of technology change often outpaces our ability to understand it.
CT: How do you see this affecting your own field, now that you’ve moved into the realm of instructional design spe- cifically for legal education?
Christian: It has caused a gap between what’s possible and what’s legal. For example, facial recognition seems to be starting to
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CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY | March/April 2019