Virtual Desktop on Oculus Rift: A Review

Context

VR technology has been available for several years at this point. From lightweight smartphone-based solutions like Google's Cardboard to desktop-integrated solutions like HTC's Vice or the Oculus Rift, there are many points of entry for perusing VR content. Much of the content has focused on games, media, or digital art. While those uses are entertaining, they are often not inherently productive.

Image from https://techgage.com

Virtual Desktop is an application available through Steam and the Oculus store. It brings your desktop to a virtual environment, where it is rendered as a stand-alone screen of nearly any size. One of the common complaints about VR, is that there is not enough content. Virtual Desktop addresses that issue by allowing you to run any application you can otherwise run on your computer, in VR.

But, why?

Virtual Desktop is interesting because it allows you to selectively focus and magnify your activities. With virtual screens larger than your field of vision, you have the opportunity to fill your view with single focused intent. The Oculus Rift headset has built-in headphones which, when paired with audio input, allow you to further separate yourself from your physical space and immerse yourself in your chosen digital space. With multiple virtual monitors, you can relegate different tasks to different spaces that become available with the turn of a head.

So, you're too good for switching Spaces/Desktops now?

In reviewing the functionality of Virtual Desktop, the comparison to multiple workspaces was inevitable. On MacOS, Linux, and Windows, users have to ability to create separate workspaces (called Spaces, or Desktops, or Workspaces) for whatever workflow advantages might be had from such a delineation. The primary advantage of Virtual Desktop is that switching between desktops is as smooth as turning your head. Even with a trackpad or mouse configured to switch between Spaces with a gesture, the hard break between screens can be jarring. Something about shifting focus naturally through looking elsewhere reduces that disruption and makes fast-switching better.

Caveat Emptor

If you are motivated to explore virtual possibilities, there are a few things to bear in mind. Firstly, while VR technology has come a long way, it is still an imperfect tech. Currently, text rendering on the Oculus Rift is crude at best. On a white background, text tends to display a yellow shadow or echo. On a related note, VR headsets operate with the expectation that you will move your head to look around. This means that looking with your periphery generally yields low-quality visuals. Text input also suffers in VR. While Virtual Desktop includes an interface to allow input from controllers, it is time-consuming to enter large blocks of text. Even for users adept at touch typing, having a headset on makes it difficult to verify that your hands are properly aligned with your keyboard. Putting a headset on in a work environment can present other unexpected non-technical issues. A user will find themselves generally less aware of the physical world around them and, more importantly at times, the other people in it. Bystanders often find themselves having to resist the urge to take advantage of a VR user's lack of awareness. And finally, the more immersed you are in virtual space, the more jarring it is to finally decouple and enter the physical world.

The Future is Now

If you're someone who is consistently looking for ways to enhance your focus, give Virtual Desktop a try. New hardware is being developed constantly to address the issues identified above. Also, there is nothing quite like writing a blog post on a ten foot screen.

Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream Standalone Review

Looking for a VR experience using the Google Daydream platform that doesn't require a Pixel phone? The Lenovo Mirage Solo delivers a standalone VR experience similar to that of the Oculus Go. Unique to the platform is WorldSense, a location tracking tech that can add an additional layer of interactivity into VR Experiences.

Interested in giving one a try or have a VR project in mind that uses the Daydream platform? Contact a member of the Educational Technology team or email us at edtech@lclark.edu. 

DuckDuckGo: tracker-free search (assuming you want that)

A little while ago I read about DuckDuckGo, the tracker-free search alternative to Google. While I could call myself a generally satisfied Google customer, I am not so satisfied that I'm not willing to look at a pro-privacy alternative, and DuckDuckGo stands firmly on the idea tracking—or any type of account or sign-in whatsoever—is not a necessary ingredient for a good search engine.

I decided I'd take the DuckDuckGo challenge myself. Rather than simply using it a few times, I opted to go full-bore, changing my browser's default search engine setting so that typing terms into my address bar generates a DuckDuckGo search rather than a Google search. As you might imagine, I've had several people sharing a screen with me ask "what's DuckDuckGo?" or, more commonly, "That's not Google!"

In addition to providing a private, ad-free search experience, a notable DuckDuckGo feature is its use of "bangs" to create shortcuts to searching specific sites or services directly from the DuckDuckGo search bar.  DuckDuckGo includes a number of preset bangs and also allows for user-created ones as well, enabling instant search for specific websites. For example, including "!g" before a search conducts an encrypted Google search, using Google's search engine and, unsurprisingly, about of half of my searches started with it. The reason, however, was not as straightforward as I expected.

I quickly found I typed searches into my browser less out of inquiry and more out of laziness. When I searched "Gallien Krueger bass amplifier," I already knew I wanted search results to include the Sweetwater or MusiciansFriend websites, the Gallien Krueger website, and maybe a couple reviews from major music publications. I was not actually searching but was rather requesting Google aggregate the things I expected to find.

Furthermore, when DuckDuckGo actually delivered me results I did not expect, more often than not my first impulse was to immediately type "!g" into the search bar and repeat the search. Google, after all, uses what it already knows about your past searching and browsing habits to tailor/improve/craft your search results specifically to you. I've had several instances where I searched for specific sites or organizations only to have their official site not show up in the first few results (or even at all). While that could be a possible flaw with DuckDuckGo, I also recognize that this often coincides with my typing the site name into my search bar rather than simply typing the web address and going straight there.

DuckDuckGo will deliver on its promise of a truly private, encrypted search, assuming that's what you actually want. On the occasions when I truly did not have a search result in mind before typing my query (recipes, general subject inquiries, etc.) I had no issue with DuckDuckGo's search results. I do recommend others give DuckDuckGo a try.

...assuming, of course, you are actually searching for something new.

Fingerprint Authentication is a Big Deal (at least for me it is)

I’ve been a smartphone user for close to a decade now. There are some conveniences—mobile internet, email, and camera, for example—I now take for granted. Other features, such as the ability to check my bank account balances via mobile app, have been available for a while, but slightly more cumbersome due to password authentication. Having to both recall and manually enter credentials to various services often outweighed the convenience and speed that was part of the selling point. While I understand the need for security, it did not make it any easier for me to quickly remember and enter the correct password for my banking app to check my balance while in line at the grocery store.

Utilizing a password manager has partly addressed this problem. I have used LastPass in my browser for a while now, though the LastPass mobile app had limitations—most notably, it did not auto-fill. While I could open the application, look up the password, copy it, and paste it into the field, that was several thumb taps and swipes away from the convenience I was looking for. For the bargain price of $12 a year, users gain the ability to auto-fill from LastPass on mobile. While that certainly made things easier, I still had to re-enter my master password at least once-a-day...which was approximately as often as I needed to log into mobile banking.

My recent mobile phone upgrade included a fingerprint scanner feature, allowing me to use my fingerprint as an authentication method instead of a numeric PIN or swipe codes to unlock my device. While I do still have to deal with the occasional “be sure your finger covers the entire scanner” error, unlocking and accessing my phone became quicker and easier. I was also pleased to discover not only could I unlock my phone using fingerprint, but I could also enable LastPass to accept my fingerprint authentication rather than the master password. Even better, however, was that most mobile banking apps allow the enabling of fingerprint access separate from my password manager. After I logged into my banking app and enabled fingerprint access, I had officially achieved the dream of one-touch secure access to information like my bank account balance, password manager, PayPal app, and other financial services.

An unexpected (but hardly surprising) consequence of my growing reliance on fingerprint authentication and password managers is I am now more impatient with manually keying in a password. I want (perhaps even expect) my computer to be as easy and quick to access as my phone and most websites, and it’s become a small, but notable irritation to momentarily return to manually entering a password.

Fingerprint scanners—like all security tools—are not infallible. Fingerprints can be copied faked, and physical changes to fingerprints may prevent access (I’ve scanned both my index fingers to be safe). In the end, I'm less concerned with these scenarios as I am with someone watching me type in my password or PIN. For me, fingerprint access provides an acceptably high level of security while also being much easier and faster than memorizing several passwords for several accounts.

...perhaps a USB fingerprint scanner is in my future?

Gamify Classroom Response with Kahoot!

Kahoot is a free web application that makes it easy to create game-based quizzes, polls, or discussions that students can play using any device that can access the web (computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.) The games you create and play are called Kahoots.

Once you create your free account, it's easy to get started by using an existing Kahoot or creating your own. The create Kahoot site walks you through the steps of creating your own game which can be customized with videos and images. Students do not need to create accounts to play.

How you might use Kahoot

• Introduce a topic or discussion
• Formative assessment
• Check for understanding
• Anonymous polling
• Gamify class sessions and engage students with individual or group competition
• Quizzes for self-paced study or in class test prep 

Considerations

• The Copyright/Trademarks section of Kahoot's Terms and Conditions gives Kahoot! property rights to all created content.
• Those playing a Kahoot can enter anything as their identification.
• By default, Kahoots you create are publically shared and resusable.
• Kahoots! require internet access.

More Information

Collins, Katie. “Kahoot! Is Gamifying the Classroom.” WIRED UK. http://www.wired.co.uk/article/kahoot-gaming-education-platform-norway

Singer, Natasha. “Kahoot App Brings Urgency of a Quiz Show to the Classroom.” The New York Times, April 16, 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/technology/kahoot-app-brings-urgency-of-a-quiz-show-to-the-classroom.html

Wang, Alf Inge, and Andreas Lieberoth. “The Effect of Points and Audio on Concentration, Engagement, Enjoyment, Learning, Motivation, and Classroom Dynamics Using Kahoot!” In Proceedings From the 10th European Conference of Game Based Learning. Academic Conferences and Publishing International Limited, 2016. http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~alfw/publications/ECGBL2016-Effect_of_points_and_audio_in_Kahoot.pdf

You can check out Kahoot at https://getkahoot.com/

Get a Custom Fit with Scan Tailor

So a student came to me asking about how to scan a chapter of a book so she could read it on her phone.  My first thought was, "Sure, we've got scanners--go for it."  Of course, my inner Sisyphus said, "No, no, no.  Let's see if there's a new way to do this--and not use scanners...

I had been using an app called Genius Scan for a while to take photos of receipts, convert to .pdf and save on Google Drive.  This works fine--it's a great app--except for the ads.  So, I went looking for something free and open source, and without ads.  I found Scantailor on Github and decided to give it a try.  Here's the rub on what it is:

Scan Tailor is an interactive tool for post-processing of scanned pages. It gives the ability to cut or crop pages, compensate for skew angle, and add / delete content fields and margins, among others. You begin with raw scans, and end up with tiff's that are ready for printing or assembly in PDF or DjVu file.

Anyway, we tried it. It worked fine, and the student had what she needed. The only major drawback, was that Scantailor doesn't aggregate your scans into a multipage document.  

Pros

- FREE
- Open Source
- Lots of features
- Customizable options
- Easy to use

Cons

- Not updated very often

Summary

Best Fee DIY Book Scanning Post-Processing Software (although that's really not saying much)

The Remote Pilot in Command

Earlier this year the FAA revised its rules concerning drones in a way that affects us here at LC.  The new rules are meant to bring more structure and responsibility to the commercial drone industry.  LC isn't conducting any commercial drone operations, so what does it mean for us?

Well, according to the FAA, if a professor were to use a drone as a part of teaching or while conducting research, that counts as a commercial use.  If the use is commercial, then an FAA granted UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Pilot's license is required.

To comply, LC sent me to the Hillsboro Aero Academy to take the test ($150).  I took practice test after practice test until I was satisfied that I should be able to pass.  I learned things like how to read aeronautical sectional charts,  tell the difference between class A and class G airspaces,  and how to interpret air traffic control information.

Watch out for that military airspace!!!

Yep, I know how to read this thing--well, mostly.  However, the chances of actually needing to use this information while flying a drone around LC are pretty low.   

The good news is, I passed the test!  I'm now the proud bearer of the title, "Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC)" Going forward, if a drone will be used on the LC campus by an employee during working hours, I or another RPIC will need to be present for the operation.

Any questions about FAA drone rules or inquiries about using drones for research may be directed to edtech@lclark.edu.  We look forward to flying with you...

Will Google Make Us Daydream Believers?

If you are wanting to dive into Virtual Reality, there are currently a multitude of options to choose from. High end headsets currently on the market include the HTC Vive (currently available for demo from EdTech!), Oculus Rift, and recently the Sony PlayStation VR. However, if you're looking for something a step above Google Cardboard, but aren't prepared to drop $399 and up (not counting the cost of supporting computer/console hardware), there is a new option: Google's Daydream, released yesterday.

With a price tag of only $79, Daydream boasts a high quality, yet simple VR experience. At the time of release, it is unfortunately only compatible with Google's also newly released Pixel phone, however broader Android compatibility is expected to come soon. Paired with a controller, the headset is comparable to Samsung's Gear VR, but due to its partially fabric construction, it is nearly 100 grams lighter and based on early reviews, much more comfortable to wear. 

Aesthetics and comfort aside, what sets the Daydream apart? The answer lies not within the headset itself, but its accompanying accessory. The Daydream's motion-tracked controller is a small and sleek device comparable to a presentation remote. Its intuitive use and lack of wires make it accessible when compared to the Gear's offerings.

As far as app offerings go, so far they are relatively slim. For those still under the spell of Pottermania, the Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them VR App is a safe bet. Also included at launch are a number of games, museum tours, and VR experiences produced by news sources such as The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and USA Today. 

        

Product Review: Ricoh Theta S Spherical Camera

Aided in part by innovations such as Google Cardboard, 360-degree video has grown increasingly more mainstream over the past year and a half. Last March, YouTube started allowing its users to upload 360-degree content, followed by Facebook later in the year.

360-degree content is created using either a constructed rig of cameras, or a camera specially designed to capture 360 video. The videos are then stitched together, using a variety of processing technologies. Information Technology has purchased a Ricoh Theta S camera as our first venture into 360-degree production. Though Ricoh is known more for their copiers, printers, and other office equipment, they were the first major manufacturer to enter the spherical camera game, back in 2013. 

The Theta shoots in full HD, with a maximum of 25 minutes of continuous filming, and ~175 minutes of total capacity. An added benefit is the Theta’s ability to live stream content with an active internet connection. Using streaming software such as Open Broadcaster Software (free and open source) anyone can broadcast an immersive experience over the web in an instant.

While other 360-degree cameras (see Bubl, Sphericam 2) offer a more sophisticated multi-camera approach, the Theta does surprisingly well with just front and rear facing cameras. It’s also very lightweight, fitting in the palm of your hand. This makes shooting film in public much more convenient, compared to walking around with an awkward cube or ball-shaped camera.

Product aside, 360-degree video is also starting to open new frontiers in the field of education. Students can now document experiences like field trips and studying abroad in an entirely new format. As an example, check out this virtual museum tour produced by one of LC’s very own students.        

2016 Faculty Technology Institute

On Monday, May 16th, faculty gathered in Templeton for the 2016 Faculty Technology Institute, a yearly tradition spanning back over 17 years. For those unfamiliar, the Faculty Technology Institute (FTI) is a full week of sessions exploring the role of technology in education, offering faculty the opportunity to learn about new technologies and explore ways to incorporate them into their curriculum and teaching. This year’s event included over forty faculty participants, as well as staff from the Watzek Library and instructional technologists from Whitman College, and the University of Puget Sound.

The sessions were preceded by an opening keynote from Laurie Burruss, Professor Emeritus at Pasadena City College and an Educational Consultant at lynda.com. Laurie spoke on the power of new media and its implications in the field of education. From there, participants were able to join sessions within four tracks: Instructional Video, Data: Share, Store, Synthesize, Teaching in the Info Age, and Transformative Tools & Trends.        

A new offering this year was the Video Deep Dive option, which guided faculty through the process of creating a short instructional video. Following an open application process, five proposals were selected, and participants were paired with an EdTech staff member, who guided them through the process from start to finish. Participants included: Cecilia Benenati (Foreign Languages), Erik Nilsen (Psychology), Cara Tomlinson (Art), Julie Vorholt (AES), and the team of Liza Finkel and Barbara Shepperson (GSEC). Links to their finished products can be found at the bottom of the FTI page.

A few of our participants took some time to share their experiences with the EdTech team at the conclusion of FTI. Inspirations to participate varied, however one idea was constant amongst our faculty: video is key to the future of education.

“I believe that instructional video is only going to become more ubiquitous. Therefore, learning more about instructional video can only improve the quality of my teaching.” said Julie Vorholt.

Liza Finkel echoed her sentiments. “We need to integrate more video and other technology skills into our program and this seemed like a good way to get started.”

While EdTech staff are available year-round to assist with the creation of instructional video, the Deep Dive was unique in that it allowed participants to work on their projects in the same room, at the same time as other faculty. This was a component participants particularly enjoyed.

“I certainly benefited from being able to observe my colleagues’ video development and their usage of a variety of tools and applications. I especially enjoyed seeing how they approached their video development in their academic discipline.” said Vorholt.

Barbara Shepperson agreed. “I think working so closely with another faculty member was challenging but also rewarding. And, it was great to be a student again……helps you to remember what it is like from their perspective.”

In all, the 2016 Faculty Technology Institute provided faculty with a great opportunity to explore technology and connect with colleagues both inside and outside of their disciplines. For more on FTI, including a complete overview of sessions offered, check out our Sched page or search for the #FTI2016 hashtag on Twitter.  We hope to see you all again in 2017!

Exploring Automation Tools: If This Then That & Zapier!

Hello and welcome to the (freshly rebooted) Lewis & Clark Educational Technology blog! Each month, we’ll be posting about emerging technologies and how you can use them in both your teaching and everyday life. So be sure to keep checking back, or subscribe!

This month, we’ll be highlighting web application automation services. As the name implies, these services allow you to automate tasks between different supported applications, taking tedious manual tasks out of your hands. Just set it and forget it. With The Internet of Things growing faster by the minute, so are the number of automation services supporting it. However, the big names in the industry for the past few years have been If This Then That (IFTTT) and Zapier.

So which service should you use? That depends on what your goals are. Typically, IFTTT focuses on consumer services, like news websites, connected home appliances, social media, and fitness wearables. Zapier currently has over twice the amount of connected applications, but focuses more on services for businesses and office productivity. There is some overlap between the two, but feel free to check out our application matrix for questions on specific applications.

Both IFTTT and Zapier feature examples of popular automations on their websites. These are a great place to start, and can help inspire you to think of other aspects of your life or work you’d like to automate. For today’s test case, my goal was to automate sign-ups for a videoconferencing software IT is currently piloting called Zoom.

Since we are piloting this software, we only have one license and one login. Prior to creating this automation, if an instructor wanted to schedule a videoconference, they had to email the details, and our staff would then go in and manually schedule the meeting through Zoom’s website. Essentially, the task was being done twice, and I wanted to make it more efficient. 

First, I signed up for a Zapier account, which took just seconds. Currently, they are offering a 14 day free trial that allows unlimited use of their applications. After the 14 days is up, your account will default to the free plan, which limits you to 5 concurrent types of “zaps” (automations) that can work up to a total of 100 times a month. This is more than enough for my current needs, but if for any reason it’s not for you, feel free to check out Zapier’s paid plans, which start at $20 a month.

For a quick rundown on how I made my Zap, click here.

Google Classroom

 At the start of the Fall 2014 term, Google slowly deployed Classroom, a new addition to Apps for Education designed to help teachers create and collect paperless assignments using Google Drive and Docs. Classroom is somewhat of a one-trick pony, but is very good at streamlining the administrative headaches involved with collecting student work in Google Drive.

Why Use Google Classroom?

• Create and collect assignments in Google Drive with due dates - Classroom automatically manages naming conventions and keeps assignments organized and secure
• Track, grade and return assignments easily and electronically
• Easily share materials stored in Google Drive with your class
• Classroom makes it easy for students to find shared materials and keep track of assignments

Can Classroom replace Moodle or my class web page?

Probably not. Since Classroom only works with Google Docs and Drive, those who are used to a full featured class web page may find Classroom limiting. However, if you are interested in collecting and returning student work using Google Drive, Classroom can be a useful addition and you can easily add a link to it on your primary class web page.

Where can I learn more?

To learn more, come to our Google Classroom session at the 2015 Faculty Technology Institute or check out Google Classroom Help.

Have you tried a Chromebook?

The Chromebook sits triumphantly atop a MacBook

In many ways, the Chromebook is a tablet shaped like a laptop. It relies on an internet connection much of its functionality, and it's operating system is built on Google's Chrome web browser. Why would you use one? Well, if you're a heavy user of Google Apps (and we're a Google Apps campus), it's essentially all you need. A Chromebook essentially makes your browser your operating system, and as long as you're okay with the Chrome web browser, you're all set.

You won't be able to install large applications like Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Suite, even those applications have sensed the wave of the future and begun offering web-based applications. As the internet connection speeds improve, it becomes easier and more convenient to rely on web-based tools and storage to do your work. They're less expensive than iPads, while still having keyboards and USB ports. They can also easily be swapped between users, since Google user data syncs immediately upon login. For those reasons and more, they're gaining traction in K-12 education, as schools look for inexpensive solutions for getting computers in the classroom.

We have a Chromebook as part of our educational technology sandbox, and it is available for checkout to faculty and staff at the IT Service Desk. Drop on by and give it a whirl! You might be surprised with how easy it is to warm up to. Just be sure to follow our instructions for connecting it to campus wireless.

For more information:

• Meet Chromebooks!
• "Considering a Chromebook?" - Chromebook FAQ
• PCWorld - Why Chromebooks are schooling iPads in education