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DISCO System

DISCO stands for Direct Innovation System for Comprehensive Operations. It is a room within a school that allows you to go back in time to meet famous people who were at some of the most historical events of human history. An idea from early on in the 21st century was libraries where you could learn about historical events told by people who lived them. You could “check out” someone who lived in the great depression instead of just reading it in a book. Now we can build on that idea and create simulations of learning starting in second grade and endless applications afterward. Using all of the data in recorded history, we can accurately develop simulations where learners can talk with Benjamin Franklin about his science experiments, do an investigation and learn how DNA structures were discovered with Rosalind Franklin. You could learn about the age of enlightenment with Jean-Jaques Rousseau as your guide. The DISCO system is truly a party.

How it works

The DISCO system integrates learning into a whole other plane of existence. With specific rooms retrofitted with panels to create simulations for learning,  you can talk to famous philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and John Locke. Have a history lesson from Abraham Lincoln or learn how to row a Viking ship with Leif Erikson. All of these are achievable with the DISCO system. Using pre-programmed simulations, after entering the simulation room and closing the door, teachers can say, “Edwards class Grade three Vikings lesson 1, students can immerse themselves in their learning. In each school, a teacher can take from second grade through high school students into the simulator to learn how the world works or talk to someone famous, which is way better than reading some textbook. 

Technology 

The four technologies to build this system are the Internet of Things (IoT), AI automation, Extended reality, and Hadoop – open-source software facilities to hold all the data needed for the simulation. The internet of things provides vast information from every part of the world and can be scaled down to fit the parameters of each lesson set by the curriculum standards. Each simulation will be created by computer programmers that can last from 15 – 45 minutes. How to store this amount of data for each grade’s simulation, Hadoop, a software storage facility, will hold all necessary information and programming. The final piece of the puzzle is how to pay for the electricity it would take to run this simulation room. Solar panels and other forms of clean energy, such as geothermal, wind, and water power, would generate enough power and not create more greenhouse gasses. 

Learning 

Starting in second grade, students learn about Greek myths. Integrating all of the information available on the internet and students following the stories of Demeter and Persephone, Theseus, and the Minotaur. Onto third grade, where they learn about Ancient Rome: having students talk with each of the Roman gods and goddesses. When learning about Mesopotamia living amongst the peoples and how they built their buildings and lived without electronics and air conditioning. Working our way all the way to high school when students are required to take half a year of government and talk to George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. After that Econ, they get to learn how an economy works, the supply chain, and how things get done in the world around them. These simulations are hands-on and experiential learning experiences. There is no need for a test to have the students solve a problem in groups to test their newly acquired knowledge. According to Northern Illinois University, experiential learning allows the student to be “actively engaged in posing questions, investigating, experimenting, being curious, solving problems, assuming responsibility, being creative and constructing meaning. Students are engaged intellectually, emotionally, socially, soulfully and/or physically.” (Experiential Learning | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, n.d.). 

Dependencies

Dependencies include the security and integrity of the programs. Since these programs will be made by computer programmers, they should be given a test drive before being rolled out. The schools have to fund this facility’s building, which is good as it creates jobs, and many technology giants are more than likely to chip in towards the cost. Since the DISCO simulation is run by clean energy, the government offers incentives and pays for a portion of this room. The simulation room will need routine maintenance and a group of computer programmers as support to help if there is a glitch within the program. The security for creating this is more minor of a security threat than unauthorized access. Teachers will use retinal scans and their badges to enter the room. The room will require a headcount of how many bodies will be in the room, with a maximum of 30. Once inside, the teacher will instruct the AI system which program they wish to select from the list. Since the data is stored off-site, the room will have the units downloaded to the computer specified by each teacher at the beginning of each unit of study to not overload the system. The simulation will be monitored by an extensive data system to adapt in real time to the learning that is taking place and if remediation is needed. At the end of each day, the AI system will create reports for each class that has entered the room, in which students were on task and learned the necessary skills to move on. 

Conclusion

In 1750 Benjamin Franklin said, “Tell me, and I forget, Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I will learn”. He really had no idea what “involvement” meant for educators in the 21st century. This system creates one-of-a-kind learning experiences for each learner that enters the simulation space. Using all data from all over the internet and recorded history an accurate depiction of these people who have lived through some of the worst of times and some of the best can create a love for lifelong learning for every student.

References

Academic Standards. (n.d.). Arizona Department of Education. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://www.azed.gov/standards-practices

Apache Hadoop. (n.d.). https://hadoop.apache.org/

Burgess, M. (2018, February 16). What is the Internet of Things? WIRED explains. WIRED UK. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/internet-of-things-what-is-explained-iot

Experiential Learning | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Northern Illinois

University. https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide/experiential-learning.shtml

 Journal of big data. (2014). Springer-Verlag, GmbH.