Final Exam Blog

Final Exam
Ethics and Technology
Emily Hagedorn

In a previous blog entry I discussed the reasons why distance learning will never be able to replace classroom education. I am going to refute these ideas and explain why distance learning is up and coming and might eventually replace classroom education.
A new type of education is quickly becoming available to grade schools, high schools, and colleges. This creation is called second life where individuals create an avatar, which is your persona in a virtual world. A professor at the College of Mount St. Joseph has already adapted second life and believes it is a great idea. Second Life has become popular and retailers like Brookstone are using it as a marketing tool. You are able to buy their items that they would have in a real store and they will be shipped to your home. P&G is using second life as a place where they can have meetings in a virtual conference room. This is a great advantage because employees that have to do a lot of traveling to meet with someone from a different company could just meet in a conference room on second life. This would save money and time. Also many professionals need continuing education and instead of driving to the meeting place, they could just get on second life and have the meeting without the hassle of driving. The University of Cincinnati and Ohio University are on second life. Detailed images of their campus, buildings, and classrooms are available. In coming freshman would be able to get on second life tour the campus and be able to learn where all their classes will be held so they won’t feel as overwhelmed on the first day of school. The Ohio University has a virtual lab where middle school students can do science projects.
Second life allows people to interact with people from all around the world. People can come in contact with someone who is learning the same subject matter and allow them to discuss their ideas in a virtual setting that looks like real life. For instance, they could meet at a park to have a discussion about their class or meet at a restaurant to talk. This is incredible and allows people to further their knowledge by having conversations with people around the world.
There is also what is called digital teacher avatars. A teacher avatar allows a teacher to interact with many students in a single setting. This would help students get more of a one-on-one interaction with the teachers. There can be a class full of students that live in different parts of the world that can tune into the same lesson about chemistry or any other subject matter. There are many things an avatar can do that a human teacher just simply cannot do. For example, if a teacher’s teaching strategy does not work for you that can be changed to a way that will work for you so you can learn to your full potential. The tone of their voice or certain gestures they make that bother you can be altered. The avatar can mimic each student so they learn more effectively. If you are not a morning person you could create your classes so they all appear in the afternoon. Second life is a virtual reality that looks like real life. The students meet in a virtual classroom so no gas and time has to be wasted to get to class.
Second life appears to be quickly advancing and may take over traditional education. It is more convenient for busy, working students. They can tune into this technology around their other schedules. A virtual reality helps students excel academically to the best of their abilities because it can cater to a student’s every need.


My previous blog entries about Andrew and David argue that these robots are not considered to be human and never will be. I am going to refute my previous belief and discuss how advanced robots such as, Andrew and David should be considered human.
The Bicentennial Man is a short story written by Isaac Asimov. There is a robot named Andrew who was processed to be a maid. One day Andrew develops his own thought process by showing his creativity. This was not what he was designed to do, but he went outside the boundaries of his capabilities. Andrew creates original pieces of furniture, which he sells and makes money off of. This instance brings Andrew a step in the direction of being human because we as humans do this same thing. We think outside the box and come up with solutions to problems that arise in life all the time. Another instance that makes Andrew human is when he decides on his own to be free. Andrew wants to live in his own house and be governed by his own rules. This is the essence of human beings. As we grow up and get married we move into our own homes and make our own rules. To feel more human Andrew wears clothes. The last step that Andrew chooses to do is to have surgery to get a more organic/human-like brain. This surgery ultimately kills Andrew. Because Andrew sacrificed his life to become a human he should be considered a human due to his decision. Andrew took it upon himself to be free, live life like a human, and die like a human so he should be considered a human because we virtually do the same things. We are free beings who live life and eventually pass away.
David is a robot boy that is created in the movie Artificial Intelligence. When Martin comes home from the hospital David grows an attachment to him and begins to mimic what he does. For example, in the movie Martin is sitting at the dinner table eating and David decides to try and eat food also even though it shuts his system down and he has to get fixed. This mimicry that David does is what all children do as they grow up. They mimic what their mother or father is doing to learn. David is learning like a child learns and therefore is like a human. David also has an emotion love. He shows unconditional love for Monica, his mother. This emotion makes David like a human because all humans have love. David devotes the rest of his life to become a “real” boy so he can go home. He spends 2,000 years praying in front of a blue fairy that he thinks can make him into a real boy. This dedication and hope to be real, makes him think like a human. David truly believes he is different and one of a kind and that would make him human because every human is unique in their own way.