The document outlines the launch of a think-tank for alumni from the Master of Arts in Learning & Emerging Technology (MALET) program at Empire State College, aimed at harnessing innovative projects developed by students. Initiated in March 2018, the think-tank seeks to engage members in collaborative projects, research opportunities, and logistics while maintaining a focus on quality and accessibility. The pilot phase emphasizes community building, project definition, and the exploration of emerging technologies, with discussions around member interests and collaborative activities.

1. Institute for New Paradigms
On Developing a Think-Tank of Alumni, at a Distance
Eileen O’Connor, Ph.D. Eileen.oconnor@esc.edu –
Jelia Domingo, Ph.D. Jelia.domingo@esc.edu

2. Launching
2018 — 2019
Academic
Year MALET: a faculty spinoff- initiating a
think-tank; piloted spring 2018; early
wings in current academic year

3. • BACKGROUND: In the Master of Arts in Learning & Emerging Technology (MALET)
program at Empire State College, often students have created advanced projects, such
as: virtual-reality environments and simulations; statistical training programs;
innovative web designs with resources for dyslexic individuals; and 360 cameras to
teach vessel docking at SUNY Maritime. Not wanting to lose this expertise, and having
worked with these students in a highly-network online design (virtual-reality meeting
spaces and shared videos), I was eager to continue with these students to harness
their design abilities, to develop new collaborative projects, and to eventually invite
organizations beyond the college to work with these creative, new-technologies
thinkers. To this purpose, I reached out to progressive alumni and students to join me
in developing a think-tank. The project began in March 2018 and has had sufficiently
strong participation to deem this pilot worth advancing; Dr. Jelia Domingo is now
joining in the effort as well bringing her creative thinking into the mix. This poster
session will share information about the meetings, the content, the record keeping,
and the approaches for reaching an equalitarian platform and consensus at a distance
(ie. Logo design, topics for future meeting, scheduling, committees) during the pilot
phase, reviewing the challenges and victories. As the fall Institute meetings are now
progressing, Dr. Domingo and I will present how this initial launch year is coming
together sharing how members are: requesting research opportunities; willing to join
in logistics and planning sessions; and supporting MALET efforts, such as helping
conduct the avatar-based, online Virtual Residency this fall. (Dr. Eileen O’Connor)

4. Components under development
• Reaching out via forms and notes
• Gathering input – keep things “slim” -
• Maintaining quality standards at the outset— while remaining accessible
• Primary minute taker; conceptual control — quality important
• Primary scheduler
• Invitation list
• Upcoming projects
• Regular presentations
• Meetings with committees
• Immersive Residency support
• Areas under definition
• Membership— Levels of membership
• Projects and products — operations manual
• Interest in research
• Logistics committee — preliminary tasks
• Challenges
• Time involved in reaching out
• Priming the pump — or too much control? Development: speed versus cooperating?
• Scheduling and maintenance
• Developing proof of concept, quality academics and applications -- for later grants and expansion
https://goo.gl/forms/7SvDfq6dF6HjvArq1 -- Newsletter form

6. Institute for New Paradigms - purpose
Ongoing needs as technologies continue to advance
• Developing leadership and experience in defining new ways of
thinking and working with technologies . . . grounded within an
experiential, psychological, academic and design framework
• Capturing and growing the quality and interest of graduates and
students
• Engaging with the larger visionary community

7. PLAN
- Executive; logistics
- Scheduling; activities
- Advertising;
announcing
DO
- More interactive
meetings
- Events – island visits /
hops – by others
- Activities / mini
courses
- White papers
- Others?
THINK
- Research / pubs
- Yours / mine

8. Initial concerns & perspectives – pilot
activities
• Key areas – during pilot
• Mission statement
• Logo development
• Polling of interest
• Mindful of constraints of adults —
no longer students
• Developing community for job
support and professional
development

10. Survey - 12 responses

11. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT?
• AR, AI, better use of google platform for collaborations
• Developing images from 360 camera
• Photos and portfolios
• Adobe Products and certifications, AR from Apple ARKit, WebDesign for students (coding)
• Web-worlds
• AR project sounds great, how can AR be utilized for corporate training, mobile app
development
• I might be interested in having people try out a game concept that I've been working on, if I
have a prototype.
• 360 Cameras for Motion Capture
• Availability of Interactive objects for in-world visitors/trainees and tracker devices and other
ways to measure visitor movement and activities in Kitely in particular - how to
personalize/script them for each world/activity
• Unity, Blender, shared project
• Opensource options, change management (how to get buy in when introducing new
technologies) Unity Game engine, up and coming... walk in web pages and other new
technologies, networking technologies old and new. Educational technology tools, the
simple, the new and the best. Business technology tools, the simple the new and the best.
Ideas for the logistics/
executive group?

12. WHAT MIGHT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT:
• VR and island download
• Publications and dissemination
• The future of higher ed
• Adobe Products and certifications, WebDesign for students (coding)
• Web-worlds, writing
• Visual analysis - how to
• Unity game development
• Accessibility for websites and what to consider when designing worlds for diverse
users
• None of the above, I'm afraid.
• Virtual world design, Screencastomatic, walk-in web pages.

13. Research- mine
in-the-works
Gather data
Immersive Res.
– observation
1st
Video coding –
tech-thinking
Other – course
IRB
Analyze data
Evidence
gathered &
interpreted
Writing /
reporting
Annotated bib
Journal review
Editorial review
Different ways
to participate /
Conceptualize
ESC – IRB -
restrictions
Yours / other -
ideas
Design new
studies
Tech in your
field? Journals /
conferences?
Join others
Works in
progress?
Evaluate thru
INP (eventually)
New
communication
/ needs
IRB - challenge
Research/pubs thoughts – committee clarifies & helps define
Retool / update your FP

14. Journal &
Publicity Review
Ranking systems
Determine
readership &
distribution
New standard
Google Scholar
Other indexes
Libraries &
distribution
Open licensing
Through
publishers
Peer review
important
Review journals
Look beyond
tech / ed
Tech coming
into many fields
Types & styles
of articles?
Research /
theory building
/ editorial?
Tone? Images?
Video?
Find other
promo areas /
vetted
News /
Newsletters
from others
Editorials from
their websites
Make database using
Google Forms