Creating Virtual Experiences: Multiple Perspectives

Introduction

Think back over the past year. Where were you when you learned about breaking news? How did technology impact the way that you heard, saw, or experienced the newsworthy event? Through advances in technology, you now have nearly instant access to events around the world. Natural disasters, court case verdicts, deaths of prominent figures suddenly appear on your phone and computers. The immediacy of emerging news has made the concept of what is local and what is global. News delivery is not relegated to journalists; instead, amateur reporting comes to us from across the globe.

As part of the Walden community, you will have class mates from around the globe. Each of us brings our own local culture into the classroom. Diversity of experience allows Walden students to learn from their peers as they also learn from Walden's skilled faculty. For some of you, it might be the first time that you've met someone who grew up in a different country. You are going to learn with people who have been shaped by their cultures and life experiences; many of them may have different views than you because they have had very different experiences. In order to learn from each other, you need to develop trust. How is trust formed when you cannot shake a person's hand or meet for a cup of coffee? How do you build a place where each student can provide his or her perspective and feel safe while doing so? A culture of trust in an online setting must be constructed deliberately. Each of you has a role to play in creating a space where everyone is comfortable expressing their thoughts and ideas.

This week you will be asked to consider the ways that multiple perspectives complicate or increase your understanding of any given situation. Technology has allowed for more voices, visions, and auditory information via the Internet. You can access books, articles, films, and songs that provide more insight from across the world about any given topic. The Week 3 Notes and Readings will provide a variety of perspectives on the range of human virtual experiences. With all of the various avenues to information, are you better informed than ever before? Do you know more?

Students will:

• Describe how multiple perspectives impact personal understanding

• Evaluate personal life and learning strategies

• Evaluate how technology provides access to other cultures

• Explore how technology impacts human ways of knowing, thinking, and expressing

B. Imagine that there is a version of The Open Window set in today's culture of technology. How might the characters' life experiences and technology be reflected in the action in the story? Cite at least two different waystechnology might have been used by the characters in the story to change the story line and explain the plot change that would have occurred due to the use of technology.