LMS in 10 years

In the future of Learning Management Systems (LMS), virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality (VR, AR, MR) may become prominent. An idea is to introduce holographic instructors to enhance the face-to-face aspect of LMS. This may involve teachers wearing headsets and students interacting with holographic teachers. It could also be used for substitute teaching or remote meetings. The holographic teacher would follow rules using sensing and imaging technology. The idea may sound strange, but it could be a preparation for what LMS could become in the next 10 years. After reading the discussion prompt, I tried to reflect back on technology from 10 years ago to do a quick compare and contrast. With a little help from Google, it was kind of hard to think about leading technology in LMS in 2014. There have been huge changes in LMS, but one of the most important ones was data speeds and how quickly or slowly we were able to access learning materials. Now, fast forward 10 years into the future, and what LMS might look like. I'd like to say VR, AR, and MR, or virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality are the top contenders to really take over. However, what if we took the face-to-face aspect in LMS and took it one step further? Rotman stated learning management systems, or LMS, is a platform that assists the delivery of content online for learning purposes, or it's a web-based software used to facilitate the delivery of online, face-to-face, and blended courses, whether in an academic setting or in the world of business. Hear me out, guys. I'm going to get a little futuristic here. What if we used mixed reality in a classroom setting, but instead of students operating with a head-mounted display or a headset, the instructor or the teachers did, and we introduced the holographic instructor? First thing that came to my mind reflecting 10 years ago was holographic Tupac when he did his performance at Coachella in 2012. If you're too young to know what I'm talking about, nah, just ignore the fact that I'm old, and if you remember this, that was crazy, right? Tupac, RIP, was performing at Coachella through a computer-generated imagery in 2012. That is 12 years ago, guys. Technology has improved so much with AI since then, so again, what if we had the capabilities of having a holographic instructor? It sounds super bad for teachers in the field, and it's already a touchy topic because there are people in different industries that are losing their jobs to AI, but in the case of meeting a substitute or if you can't attend a meeting in person, my holographic image would still be present and engaging through the classroom or office space. Programming the holographic teacher to maintain and follow school rules or office rules through sensing and imaging technology would be a way that students and coworkers would still be able to follow expectations. Students and learners would be able to interact with the holographic instructor the same way they would if we were truly face-to-face. Now for the teachers wearing the head-mounted display, we would be able to still participate in whatever setting we're in and would be able to view the classroom or office space as if we were still in person. Hearing myself say all this sounds very strange, I'm not going to lie, especially because I'm a teacher now. However, I don't know what LMS will look like in 10 years. I guess the idea is turning into a preparation for what could be. Now as a learning designer, my role could still be the same. If I were a learning designer for Spacely Space Sprockets Inc., I dare you to say that I'm Seth, and I needed to perform a needs assessment, I would be able to do this in holographic form. I put on my head-mounted display, I now join the meeting and learners are able to engage with the holographic learning designer and I can provide real-time feedback. If I was not able to participate in person, per se, or with my own headset, proper programming could have AI-generated suggestions based on the needs of the organization. Whichever setting the holographic instructor is needed, learners or students, whomever, will be getting a digital face-to-face. I just keep continuously thinking about movies that have like the holographic face that pops up, they're on the spaceship and they're like, oh, commander, blah, blah, blah, douche, and they pop up and they just get to talk to them as if they were present. I feel like this could be the path that LMS could be taking in the next 10 years. Who knows?