Both Flew(2008) and Standage(2006) refer to two forms of convergence. The first form in both being the convergence of the providers of services, their equipment, the content they provide, and the rules regulating them and more interconnected, and the second is the combining of devices to support multiple purposes. (Flew, p. 22-23; Standage, p. 1). The first form of convergence is very apparent in the in many aspects of media. The Economist points out the telecom and cable television industries as major players in the convergence of services, but it can also be seen in the convergence of Skype (www.skype.com) and Facebook (www.facebook.com) which now allows users to use the video calling capabilities of Skype through the “chat” feature on Facebook. The best example of the second form of convergence is the smart phone, which has become popular because of its abilities to make calls, take pictures, surf the internet, and much more. Having all of these abilities in one compact device is very convenient. The profession that I am working towards is teaching, and a clear example of both forms of convergence that is used in this field and will have a great impact in the future is the iPad (figure 1).
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| Figure 1 (http://i.bnet.com/blogs/apple-ipad- reader.jpg?tag=content;drawer-container) |
The iPad’s capability to download eBooks, email teachers, and navigate mobile learn shows the combination of various forms of media through one service. In the past students would have had to go to the library or bookshop to get the textbook, call teachers, and rummage through a hard copy of the syllabus to check assignments. All of these tasks can be done from the same device now, generally faster and more conveniently. As the world becomes more digitized the teaching profession is beginning to rely more and more heavily on converged services. More schools are requiring teachers to use site such as iLearn, or mobile learn, to post class assignments, and more books and textbooks are moving to electronic form because of advantages in the content that can be included such as interactive pictures and videos, as seen in video (Matas, 2011). Having one service that can provide all of these services is very useful, because then they can all be accessed on one device.
As a device, the iPad also shows the benefits of morphing devices. The screen is bigger than that of mobile phone, allowing for easier reading things like books and papers, but it is smaller than a laptop, allowing for better mobility. One advantage for me of the iPad over a laptop in class was that the iPad did not actually come up between the professor and I, making it far less distracting. Students will also no longer have to carry around several heavy textbooks, but rather they will download them electronically. The organization of electronic documents is much easier, helping to eliminate the clutter of loose papers. The use of the iPad will extend to teachers as well.
As a teacher I will also be able to carry all of my books on an iPad, and having knowledge of the eBook system will better allow me to help students use it. The iPad can also be used to carry my presentations and class notes. The move away from paper will eventually lead to tests and quizzes being done online, and so I will be able to do most, if not all, of my grading on the iPad as well. The iPad will allow me to email students to answer their questions, or even skype them if they are really struggling. The reason the iPad will have such a great impact on the educational world is essentially that it is the convergence of textbooks, or books in general, and the internet into one convenient device.
Work Cited
Flew, T. (2008). New media: an introduction (3rd ed). (p.22-24). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Matas, M. (2011). Mike Matas: a next-generation digital book. Talks in Less Than 6 Minutes. TED. Retrieved from www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/mike_matas.html
Strandage, T. (Oct. 12th, 2006). All things to all men. The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/7995324/print
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