Episode 25: Online Learning

Episode 25: Online Learning

Welcome to The Immersive Lens - the show where emerging tech meets creativity, education, and real-world impact. Hosted by Paul Engin (Professor of New Media) and Dave Ghidiu (Professor of Computer Science) at Finger Lakes Community College, this podcast dives into the technologies and creative innovations reshaping how we live, work, and learn - from AI and augmented reality to the future of media, design, and learning. 🗒 Summary In this episode of The Immersive Lens, hosts Paul and Dave talk with Jeff Dugan, Online Learning expert and Toy Story enthusiast. The landscape of online education is undergoing a radical transformation, fueled by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and immersive technologies. In this episode, we explore the central idea that distance learning must evolve far beyond the traditional "correspondence course" model of simply uploading documents to a digital portal. With groundbreaking tools like Snap's new AR Spectacles offering shared collaborative environments and powerful AI models like Anthropic's Fable 5 rewriting the rules of cybersecurity, the digital classroom is poised to become more interactive, accessible, and immersive than ever before. Hosts Paul and Dave bring their signature tech-forward perspectives to the table, weighing the thrilling collaborative potential of spatial computing against the very real national security concerns surrounding AI jailbreaks and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Joined by Jeff Dugan, Assistant Director of Online Learning at FLCC, the conversation ultimately lands on a powerful verdict: while emerging tech provides the necessary infrastructure, the true future of online learning relies on intentional instructional design and universal accessibility to foster genuine human connection and community. 🔗 Links & Resources: Groku Hawaiian Shirt - https://www.walmart.com/ip/Star-Wars-Men-s-Grogu-Baby-Yoda-Leaves-Hawaiian-Button-Up-Shirt-M-Large-Adult/324028969 [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Star-Wars-Men-s-Grogu-Baby-Yoda-Leaves-Hawaiian-Button-Up-Shirt-M-Large-Adult/324028969] Snap Spectacles - https://developers.snap.com/spectacles/get-started/introduction [https://developers.snap.com/spectacles/get-started/introduction] Claude Fable 5 - https://www.anthropic.com/news/fable-mythos-access [https://www.anthropic.com/news/fable-mythos-access] Project Glasswing - https://www.anthropic.com/glasswing [https://www.anthropic.com/glasswing] Statement on the US government directive to suspend access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 - https://www.anthropic.com/news/fable-mythos-access [https://www.anthropic.com/news/fable-mythos-access] AI jailbreaks: What they are and how they can be mitigated - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2024/06/04/ai-jailbreaks-what-they-are-and-how-they-can-be-mitigated/ [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2024/06/04/ai-jailbreaks-what-they-are-and-how-they-can-be-mitigated/] SpaceX to acquire Cursor for $60B in stock, days after blockbuster IPO - https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/16/spacex-to-acquire-cursor-for-60b-in-stock-days-after-blockbuster-ipo/ [https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/16/spacex-to-acquire-cursor-for-60b-in-stock-days-after-blockbuster-ipo/] Toy Story 5 Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c51ND9Hdbw0 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c51ND9Hdbw0] What Is SEO – Search Engine Optimization? - https://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-seo [https://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-seo] What is Instructional Design? - https://www.td.org/talent-development-glossary-terms/what-is-instructional-design [https://www.td.org/talent-development-glossary-terms/what-is-instructional-design] Regular & Substantive Interaction - https://oscqr.suny.edu/rsi/ [https://oscqr.suny.edu/rsi/] EKG Simulator - https://inlineteaching.com/medical/ekg [https://inlineteaching.com/medical/ekg] HoloLens - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMks7sMzPxI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMks7sMzPxI] The SUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric - https://oscqr.suny.edu/ [https://oscqr.suny.edu/] Mentions: @Snapchat @AnthropicAI @Mozilla @SpaceX @Apple @Google @Microsoft FLX AI Hub: http://www.flcc.eduhttps://www.flcc.edu/ai/ [https://www.flcc.edu/ai/] FLCC New Media: https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/ [https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/] #SnapSpectacles #VirtualReality #AugmentedReality #DigitalLearning #CyberSecurity #Anthropic #FutureOfWork #SpatialComputing #OnlineEducation #InstructionalDesign #AI #EdTech #GenerativeAI #HigherEd #Podcast #FLCC #NewMedia #TechTrends  #TechHistory #TheImmersiveLens ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an episode—and share with a friend who loves tech, creativity, or the future of education. Recorded at Finger Lakes Community College in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region. https://www.flcc.edu/ [https://www.flcc.edu/] https://www.theimmersivelens.com/ [https://www.theimmersivelens.com/] Stay curious. Stay connected. Thanks for looking through The Immersive Lens.

Episode 24: AI Comparison

Welcome to The Immersive Lens - the show where emerging tech meets creativity, education, and real-world impact. Hosted by Paul Engin (Professor of New Media) and Dave Ghidiu (Professor of Computer Science) at Finger Lakes Community College, this podcast dives into the technologies and creative innovations reshaping how we live, work, and learn - from AI and augmented reality to the future of media, design, and learning. In this episode of The Immersive Lens, Paul, Dave, and Jeff tackle LLM benchmarking. In this episode of The Immersive Lens, the crew dives deep into the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI by conducting a series of real-time benchmark tests on leading large language models, including Google Gemini, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Grok. The conversation kicks off with Dave sharing his deep-dive research methodology, which reveals how radically these tools differ when executing massive, multi-source literature syntheses. The team uses these insights to explore how foundational shifts in AI architecture are changing the way we interact with data, moving from simple text generation to proactive research agents. As the episode progresses, Paul, Dave, and Jeff put these bots through their paces with a gauntlet of complex logic puzzles, strict negative constraints, and historically inaccurate prompts. The resulting performance gaps highlight the stark contrast between models that prioritize accuracy versus those that default to confident hallucinations. Ultimately, the team concludes that while AI capabilities are accelerating at breakneck speeds, users must remain highly critical of the output, as even the most advanced models still struggle with basic boundaries and truth-telling. 🔗 Links & Resources: Claude Cowork by Anthropic - https://www.anthropic.com/product/claude-cowork [https://www.anthropic.com/product/claude-cowork] Codex is becoming a productivity tool for everyone - https://openai.com/index/codex-for-knowledge-work/ [https://openai.com/index/codex-for-knowledge-work/] Introducing TRIBE v2 - https://ai.meta.com/blog/tribe-v2-brain-predictive-foundation-model/ [https://ai.meta.com/blog/tribe-v2-brain-predictive-foundation-model/] NVIDIA DGX Spark - https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/products/workstations/dgx-spark/ [https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/products/workstations/dgx-spark/] Perplexity Computer - https://www.perplexity.ai/personal-computer [https://www.perplexity.ai/personal-computer] Wikipedia: Gadsby (novel) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsby_(novel) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsby_(novel)] Anthropic will pay xAI $1.25B per month for compute - https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/anthropic-will-pay-xai-1-25-billion-per-month-for-compute/ [https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/anthropic-will-pay-xai-1-25-billion-per-month-for-compute/] Mentions: @OpenAI @Google @AnthropicAI @X @Meta @Perplexity FLX AI Hub: http://www.flcc.eduhttps://www.flcc.edu/ai/ [https://www.flcc.edu/ai/] FLCC New Media: https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/ [https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/] #LargeLanguageModels #ChatGPT #GoogleGemini #ClaudeAI #Grok #AIBenchmarks #TechHumor #SpatialReasoning #AIHallucinations #ChatbotShowdown #AI #EdTech #GenerativeAI #HigherEd #Podcast #FLCC #NewMedia #TechTrends  #TechHistory #TheImmersiveLens ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an episode—and share with a friend who loves tech, creativity, or the future of education. Recorded at Finger Lakes Community College in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region. https://www.flcc.edu/ [https://www.flcc.edu/] https://www.theimmersivelens.com/ [https://www.theimmersivelens.com/] Stay curious. Stay connected. Thanks for looking through The Immersive Lens.

Episode 23: AI Summit Wrap-Up

In this episode of The Immersive Lens, hosts Paul and Dave talk with Debora as they debrief the second annual Community Convening. The landscape of artificial intelligence is evolving at breakneck speed, and staying ahead means understanding both the bleeding-edge models and how they are applied in local communities and classrooms. In this episode, the conversation centers around the recent AI Community Convening at Finger Lakes Community College, moving the discussion from basic chat interfaces to the highly anticipated era of agentic AI and on-device processing. It matters right now because local enterprises, educators, and the general public are moving past the initial shock of generative tech and are now eager to build practical, everyday applications to wear multiple hats more efficiently. Hosts Paul and Dave, alongside FLCC VP of Strategic Initiatives Debora Ortloff, share their unique perspectives from the ground floor of the event, highlighting the massive community engagement and the democratization of tech skills. The trio's final verdict suggests that next year will be defined by seamless AI integration, where visible interfaces begin to fade away in favor of background agents, offline local models, and wearable smart devices that execute tasks asynchronously. Second Annual Community Conveninghttps://www.flcc.edu/ai/annual-convening/ [https://www.flcc.edu/ai/annual-convening/] Jen O'Brienhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-obrien-futurist/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-obrien-futurist/] Katie Pullen  |  Owner  |  Katie Pullen: Allstate Insurancehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/katiehause/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiehause/] Sean Murray  |  Director of Product Management  |  ITXhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/seangmurray/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/seangmurray/] Dan Sharp  |  Senior Product Manager  |  ITXhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-r-sharp/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-r-sharp/] Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-fable-5-mythos-5 [https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-fable-5-mythos-5] Anthropic suspends new AI models after government directivehttps://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/anthropic-suspends-new-ai-models-fable-mythos-government-directive-rcna349901 [https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/anthropic-suspends-new-ai-models-fable-mythos-government-directive-rcna349901] What is Windows ML?https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ai/new-windows-ml/overview [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ai/new-windows-ml/overview] Introducing Apple’s On-Device and Server Foundation Modelshttps://machinelearning.apple.com/research/introducing-apple-foundation-models [https://machinelearning.apple.com/research/introducing-apple-foundation-models] Google AI Edge Galleryhttps://developers.google.com/edge/gallery [https://developers.google.com/edge/gallery] Google's Gemma 4 31B local modelhttps://huggingface.co/google/gemma-4-31B [https://huggingface.co/google/gemma-4-31B] Introducing ChatGPT Images 2.0https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-images-2-0/ [https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-images-2-0/] The Medium is the Messagehttps://web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/mcluhan.mediummessage.pdf [https://web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/mcluhan.mediummessage.pdf] OpenClawhttps://openclaw.ai/ [https://openclaw.ai/] Microsoft Scouthttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-scout/get-started [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-scout/get-started] Cloudflare CEO says bot internet traffic has overtaken humanshttps://mashable.com/tech/cloudflare-data-bot-traffic-overtakes-human-traffic-on-internet [https://mashable.com/tech/cloudflare-data-bot-traffic-overtakes-human-traffic-on-internet] AI Integration Specialist Micro-Credentialhttps://www.flcc.edu/academics/programs/ai-integration-specialist-microcredential/ [https://www.flcc.edu/academics/programs/ai-integration-specialist-microcredential/] Mentions: @MIT @Apple @Samsung @Meta @Android @Google FLX AI Hub: http://www.flcc.eduhttps://www.flcc.edu/ai/ [https://www.flcc.edu/ai/] FLCC New Media: https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/ [https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/] #AgenticAI #VibeCoding #FutureOfWork #SpatialComputing #SmartGlasses #TechCommunity #MachineLearning #DigitalTransformation #LocalBusinessTech #Innovation #AI #EdTech #GenerativeAI #HigherEd #Podcast #FLCC #NewMedia #TechTrends #TechHistory #TheImmersiveLens ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an episode—and share with a friend who loves tech, creativity, or the future of education. Recorded at Finger Lakes Community College in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region. https://www.flcc.edu/ [https://www.flcc.edu/] https://www.theimmersivelens.com/ [https://www.theimmersivelens.com/] Stay curious. Stay connected. Thanks for looking through The Immersive Lens.

Episode 22: 2nd Annual AI Conference

Welcome to The Immersive Lens - the show where emerging tech meets creativity, education, and real-world impact. Hosted by Paul Engin (Professor of New Media) and Dave Ghidiu (Professor of Computer Science) at Finger Lakes Community College, this podcast dives into the technologies and creative innovations reshaping how we live, work, and learn - from AI and augmented reality to the future of media, design, and learning. In this episode of The Immersive Lens, hosts Paul and Dave talk with Debora Ortloff about the upcoming FLX AI Hub Community Convening. Paul and Dave sit down with Debora Ortloff, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC), to discuss the upcoming 2nd Annual FLX AI Hub Community Convening on June 10, 2026. The conversation centers on artificial intelligence not as a distant corporate tool, but as an immediate, paradigm-shifting disruptor that demands community-wide literacy. From unleashing creative communication through ChatGPT’s latest typographic infographic features to acting as an operational lifesaver for lean small businesses, AI is reframed as a collaborative partner rather than an automated replacement. Debora, Paul, and Dave share their unique experiences navigating this fast-evolving terrain - ranging from using local large language models (LLMs) to protect data privacy to leveraging AI for dense policy analysis and everyday trip planning. The collective verdict of the episode is clear: successful AI integration must always be human-led, anchored in critical thinking, and accessible to everyone regardless of their starting point. As FLCC opens its doors for the annual convening, the ultimate goal is to move the local community from passive observers to active, empowered drivers of technological change. 🔗 Links & Resources: 80 Year old Math Problem Solved by AIhttps://x.com/emollick/status/2057271533358162270 [https://x.com/emollick/status/2057271533358162270] Backrooms: Why Is Gen Z So Scared of the ’80s?https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/backrooms-why-is-gen-z-so-scared-of-the-80s/ [https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/backrooms-why-is-gen-z-so-scared-of-the-80s/] AI Vampires (Marc Andreessen)https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYvU5evMr3m/ [https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYvU5evMr3m/] GPT Image 2 - AI Image Generatorhttps://openart.ai/ai-model/gpt-image-2/ [https://openart.ai/ai-model/gpt-image-2/] Second Annual Community Conveninghttps://www.flcc.edu/ai/annual-convening/ [https://www.flcc.edu/ai/annual-convening/] Ontario County Chamber of Commercehttps://www.onchamber.com/ [https://www.onchamber.com/] EKG Simulationhttps://inlineteaching.com/medical/ekg/ [https://inlineteaching.com/medical/ekg/] Register for the FLX AI Hub Community Convening - JUNE 10, 2026https://www.givecampus.com/schools/FingerLakesCommunityCollege/events/flx-ai-hub-community-convening [https://www.givecampus.com/schools/FingerLakesCommunityCollege/events/flx-ai-hub-community-convening] Mentions: @MIT @Apple @Samsung @Meta @Android @Google FLX AI Hub: http://www.flcc.eduhttps://www.flcc.edu/ai/ [https://www.flcc.edu/ai/] FLCC New Media: https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/ [https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/] #AI #EdTech #GenerativeAI #HigherEd #Podcast #FLCC #NewMedia #TechTrends #TechHistory #TheImmersiveLens #FLXAIHub #CommunityConvening #SmallBizTech #TechLiteracy #HumanLedAI #FutureOfWork #DataPrivacy #LocalLLMs #InnovationInEducation ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an episode - and share with a friend who loves tech, creativity, or the future of education. Recorded at Finger Lakes Community College in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region. https://www.flcc.edu/ [https://www.flcc.edu/] https://www.theimmersivelens.com/ [https://www.theimmersivelens.com/] Stay curious. Stay connected. Thanks for looking through The Immersive Lens.

Episode 21: AI Challenge Part 2

Welcome to The Immersive Lens - the show where emerging tech meets creativity, education, and real-world impact. Hosted by Paul Engin (Professor of New Media) and Dave Ghidiu (Professor of Computer Science) at Finger Lakes Community College, this podcast dives into the technologies and creative innovations reshaping how we live, work, and learn - from AI and augmented reality to the future of media, design, and learning. The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence has democratized software creation, introducing the world to "vibe coding"—the conceptual approach of leveraging large language models to construct operational programs through natural language prompting alone. This breakthrough means foundational technical constraints are dropping precipitously, letting non-programmers turn creative ideas into standalone digital reality overnight. In this high-stakes episode, the team circles back to review their individual achievements and technical frustrations after attempting three tiered challenges: crafting an interactive game, managing dynamic file handling, and mastering spatial hardware programming. Throughout the discussion, the team's distinct perspectives come to light. Guest Jen Carney shares her journey from utilizing standard text-based AI assistance to developing highly engaging logic apps, noting both the sheer speed of development and the occasional math counting quirks encountered with Google Gemini. Video engineer Jeff Kidd opens up about his shift from procedural skepticism to outright fascination after watching the AI build an interactive Editing Decision Trainer completely from scratch. Meanwhile, Paul Engin reveals his trials in navigating spatial design architecture using the Galaxy XR and Apple Vision Pro, highlighting where the boundaries of web-based spatial interaction currently stand. Ultimately, Dave and the team deliver an optimistic verdict: despite a few limitations with secondary file links and platform limitations, AI-driven programming expands creative potential, redefining how educators and enthusiasts can design custom digital media. 2nd Annual Community Convening at FLCC [https://www.flcc.edu/events/all-events/2026/june/flx-ai-hub-community-convening.php] https://www.flcc.edu/events/all-events/2026/june/flx-ai-hub-community-convening.php [https://www.flcc.edu/events/all-events/2026/june/flx-ai-hub-community-convening.php] Vibe Coding Challengehttps://www.theimmersivelens.com/p/vibe-coding-challenge.html [https://www.theimmersivelens.com/p/vibe-coding-challenge.html] Zorkhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Entertainment [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Entertainment] King's Questhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Quest [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Quest] Sierra (makers of King's Quest games)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Entertainment [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Entertainment] CSC 145 - AI-Partnered App Creationhttps://www.flcc.edu/courses/csc-145/ [https://www.flcc.edu/courses/csc-145/] Mentions: @MIT @Apple @Samsung @Meta @Android @Google FLX AI Hub: http://www.flcc.eduhttps://www.flcc.edu/ai/ [https://www.flcc.edu/ai/] FLCC New Media: https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/ [https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/] 🎧 Subscribe to The Immersive Lens to stay curious and connected! #SpatialComputing #XRDevelopment #VibeCoding #TechPodcast #HumanAICollaboration #FutureOfCoding #SoftwareDemocratization #DigitalMediaDesign #InnovativeTeaching #ComputerScienceTrends #AI #EdTech #GenerativeAI #HigherEd #Podcast #FLCC #NewMedia #TechTrends  #TechHistory #TheImmersiveLens #CommittingAI #TechEthics #DigitalClone #ValKilmer #VisionPro #AppleVisionPro #CursorAI #AIFails #PromptEngineering #CreativeTech ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an episode—and share with a friend who loves tech, creativity, or the future of education. Recorded at Finger Lakes Community College in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region. https://www.flcc.edu/ [https://www.flcc.edu/] https://www.theimmersivelens.com/ [https://www.theimmersivelens.com/] Stay curious. Stay connected. Thanks for looking through The Immersive Lens.