1. " How software can act as an assistant to the user rather than a tool, by learning from interaction and by proactively anticipating the user's needs."

My comments 

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a. I can abstract a few structures here

~ Structure 1: "software act as an assistant"

~ Structure 2: "by learning from interaction"

~ Structure 3: "by proactively anticipating the user's needs"

Word tree-threads

Phrase tree-threads

Sentence tree-threads

Notes from http://www.media.mit.edu/about/faq#what 

1. "... foresaw the coming convergence of computing, publishing, and broadcast, fueled by changes in the communications industry"

My comments:

a. What is the relationships between 'media' & 'communication'?

b. I want to relate media to "mediation" in learning science.

Tree-threads created based on "Mission and history"

Word tree-threads

A-1.1.1-w1: future

A-1.1.1-w2: technology

Phrase tree-threads

A-1.1.1-future-ph1: better future

A-1.1.1-future-ph2: future-obsessed product designers 

A-1.1.1-technology-ph1: aided by technology

A-1.1.1-misc-ph1: embed .. digital .. with .. physical

Sentence tree-threads

A-1.1.1-future-s1: "At the Media Lab, the future is lived, not imagined."

Notes on "Mission and History" of Media Lab

from http://www.media.mit.edu/about/mission-history

1. Future

1.1 "At the Media Lab, the future is lived, not imagined."

1.2 "Media Lab researchers design technologies for people to create a better future."

Microsoft Publisher helps people perform some tasks with available templates that embed the expertise of graphic designers. Therefore, with these templates, users lacking graphic design skills can still produce professional look documents. Moreover, even professional graphic designers might save time by simply modifying the templates.

A few typical moments in my daily life:
 
Moment #1: Visited Google Map, checked the route to a target place
Moment #2: Inside the subway train, viewed the subway map to see where to transfer
Moment #3: Calibrated with Canada Food Guide Map to plan my eating
 
Moment #4: Chose one of the navigation maps (in the software tool Articulate) for my e-learning design.
Moment #5: Designed a navigation map from SmartArt, and then combined with Articulate.

As Lectora, Captivate, and other tools are called rapid e-learning tools, after all, they are only authoring tools. These tools can fasten the programming, and maybe some graphic design processes; however, they cannot fasten the instructional design process.

In Adobe Photoshop, users can manipulate lines, shapes, colors, lights, & patterns etc, to discover and create an image. In B-learning, users can manipulate abstract learning concepts to discover and create a learning solution. Maybe in not too far future, users can manipulate both abstract learning concepts and simulated learning activity to discover and create a learning solution.