Red Queens and Increasing Returns in Edutainment

Red Queens and Increasing Returns:

Technologies that have a strong representation among competitors in today’s marketplace are easy to discern as possibilities for increasing returns by staying one step ahead in the field of educational technology.  Thornburg and Arthur provide insight to the notion of Read Queens and Increasing Returns as forces behind competitive edge in educational technology. The topic of competition between DVDs and video-on-demand is an excellent example for analyzing the impact of Increasing returns and Red Queens. 

At Aspire Innovative Learning, we apply these principles to increasing student engagement by creating new learning possibilities for virtual environments, blended social forums, and learning analytics. According to Arthur, “increasing return” suggest that forerunners in technology are more likely to succeed in market competition because they have a greater capacity to meet the need. The decision to rent or purchase a DVD versus digitally via a video-on-demand provider is a good example of new technology emerging to meet social needs by building on current technology advancements.  Chris Anderson, "Tech’s Long Tail,” explains how setting the right price, gaining market share, displacing an established technology, and becoming ubiquitous are the four key stages of any viable technology.  

By imagining how new technologies can increase student engagement by creating new learning possibilities for virtual environments, blended social forums, and learning analytics. According to Thornburg, “Red Queens” emerge when a new technology gains an advantage over their competition by meeting new needs.  McLuhan’s tetrad describes DVDs as an obsolete technology that has been replaced by video-on-demand; technology advances allow for new ways of provide all forms of Edutainment.  We hope to create new technology will obsolete non-interactive on-line learning environments by offering innovative curriculum and instruction.

Reference:

Arthur, W. B. (1996). Increasing returns and the new world of business. Harvard Business Review, 74(4), 100−109. Retrieved from the Business Source Complete database.

Thornburg, D. (2008c). Red Queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

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