Digital pervasion and loss of identity

This is a continuation of yesterday's post entitled: Always connected.

“We are all digital now” claims Paul Longley of University College London, in a research report (BBC News, 2006). In so doing, he identifies a global digital tribe. Taking into account the fact that much of the world’s population is more than a day’s walking distance from a fixed line telephone, and even allowing for the growing trend toward mobile phone usage in developing countries, or the paucity of computers in the third world, Longley’s claim could be considered contentious. However, where applied to western industrialised nations, it musters some credibility. There is none the less a need to acknowledge the digital divides that are perpetuated wherever technology is applied. Interestingly, Longley’s claim may hold some truth when contextualised in a world where cable and satellite television channels proliferate, digital mobile communication becomes ever more pervasive, surveillance of civil movement and activity is automated, and where digital identification of individuals, commodities and services is becoming common place. The location of a global digital tribe within this landscape is a feature of interest for this chapter.

Longley’s research team identified digital tribes by their socio-economic activities and by the manner in which they used information and communication technologies. Yet there are more subtle distinctions that can be made, particularly at the perceptual and motivational levels of analysis.

There is an argument that due to the process of globalisation, national boundaries (and therefore tribal boundaries) have been eroded to the point that we are amalgamating into a homogenous mass of humanity, and where the last vestiges of tribal identity are vanishing. In essence, the forces of globalisation have amalgamated us all into one tribe. We are living in a ‘corporate age’ runs the argument, in which all of our decisions are being dictated by ‘those who have the real power’. Therefore, wherever I travel, I can find the same fast food outlets, and the same familiar chain stores where I can purchase clothing and footwear I will be comfortable wearing. I can blend into the background because I am wearing a similar style of clothing to the hundreds of other people milling around in the high street, and I will not be conspicuous, because I am eating the same food and drinking from an identical soft drink can as the natives. Have I therefore blended in to such an extent into the local culture that I lose my identity? No, my individual identity remains intact, whilst my individualism is subsumed into the social melange within which I am located. Identity and individualism are not synonymous, even though there are obvious commonalities. The identity argument may break down when it is applied to the formation of a single ‘digital tribe’, but clearly there are many personal identities represented within the tribe. It is quite possible then, that there is in fact one ‘digital tribe’ in the broadest sense of its meaning, but there are many sub-sets of this large digital tribe – what we can term ‘virtual clans’.

Tomorrow: Virtual Clans

U-Learning?

Many would agree that anytime, anyplace learning has been somewhat elusive. Sure, we have had organised distance education for almost two centuries, and mega-universities (i.e. large open universities with >100,000 students) are now globally established and universally respected. But although open learning courses can provide learners with an equivalent experience to campus based learning at home and at work, it's difficult to accept them as 'anytime anyplace'. Content may be accessible anytime (especially if it's paper based) but dialogue with tutors or mentors is not always available, and neither is peer group interaction, nor is access to other materials and services. And it can still be a problem to learn while on the move.

Over the last couple of years I have given several talks on ubiquitous computing - also known as pervasive computing - and how it might be used in a learning context. I will call this ubiquitous learning or 'U-learning'. U-learning will rely heavily on access to devices and tools that enable and support learning in any context, whether mobile or static, anywhere 24/7, and in a manner that is seamless and unobtrusive. It will also need to be 'intelligent' according to the strictest interpretation of the ubiquitous model, so that it can predict changing contexts and user needs as they occur. The key tools of U-learning will be mobile phones, laptops and other portable wireless devices.

Mobile phones have never been more popular and public wi-fi zones are proliferating, even though problems are emerging for example in the free wi-fi coffee shop model. Attempts are being made for the provision of public internet access too. The picture above was taken in my home town of Plymouth this week, outside one of the largest highstreet banks. It's one of a number of free internet stations that are popping up (I would be interested to hear from anyone else who has seen or used one of these stations), as local authorities realise how important internet access is for tourism and business, but of course it won't be enough to satisfy the demands of U-learning, and I can't imagine anyone wanting to stand using one for long. Clearly, this is just the start, and there are several problems to overcome before we can start to experience genuine U-learning.

It may seem prosaic, but one of the most trenchant barriers to u-learning happens to be limited battery life. How often have you used your handheld device, or mobile phone, and the battery has died at a crucial moment? Battery technology is becoming increasingly reliable, with longer life, but it's still a niggling problem. There have been many attempts to address it. One possible solution is public battery charging stations such as those appearing in Japan but waiting for the battery to charge doesn't sound like fun. Another is wireless energy transfer - a method of transmitting power so that batteries can be recharged without having to plug them in. Although prone to technical problems, wireless power transmission is now in prototype testing stage, yet it may be a while before we see affordable versions. When a robust solution to battery life is found, U-learning will be realised widely, and when it is, we will finally witness true anytime, anyplace learning. But what then will be the implications for the traditional institution?

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Charging... charging... (James Clay)