PROF. DR. GULSUN KURUBACAK-MERIC
Biodata:
Dr. Gulsun Kurubacak-Kurubacak-Meric is a professor in Distance Education at the College of Open Education at Anadolu University. Dr. Kurubacak-Meric undertook graduate studies at Anadolu University, Turkey (MA. Educational Technology) and the University of Cincinnati, USA (Ed.D. Curriculum & Instruction), and also has worked a post-doctoral fellow at the College of Education at New Mexico State University, USA (2001-2002). Dr. Kurubacak-Meric earned her B.S. degree in Computer Engineering from the College of Informatics Technologies and Engineering of Khoja Akhmet Yassawi University in the year 2012-2013. Dr. Kurubacak-Meric is currently a student at the Law Program at the College of Open Education of Anadolu University. Dr. Kurubacak-Meric has over thirty-five years of experience in focusing on the egalitarian and ecological aspects of open and distance learning; finding new answers, viewpoints and explanations to online communication problems through critical pedagogy; and improving learner critical and creative thinking skills through project-based online learning, universal design principles and new communication technologies (ubiquities technologies, mobile technologies, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, etc.). Dr. Kurubacak-Meric had been the Group Coordinator of R&D and International Relations at the College of Open Education of Anadolu University between 2014-2018. She has been the Open Education System Quality Group Coordinator at the same College since January 2020. Dr. Gulsun Kurubacak-Meric is the founder and editor-in-chief of AUAd (Journal of Open Education Research and Applications – http://auad.anadolu.edu.tr) as well as associated editor of TOJDE (The Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education – http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr). Dr. Kurubacak-Meric is also the founding member of the Open and Distance Education Programs Accreditation Agency (AUDAK), and the head of the board of management members at the same accreditation agency. She continues to provide pedagogical support for open and distance learning.
Abstract:
Building the Digital Wellbeing of the Elderly through Transhumanist Technologies
The use of technology for the improvement of the individual is the basic definition of transhumanism. On the other hand, transhumanism is a way of thinking about the future, and also a movement developed gradually over the past two decades. It is based on the endless of human transformation. Therefore, transhumanism can be viewed as an extension of humanism. As a movement, transhumanism aims to upgrade the human body through science, constantly pushing back the limits of a person by using the cutting-edge technologies to fix the human body, and to upgrade it beyond its natural abilities, such as learning. In this context, new communication and information technologies will be another way to help humanity transformation.
Transhumanism must advocate the moral right to use technologies to extend the individual capacities, to surpass natural limits and improve human themselves in not only physical and psychological but also learning areas. In other words, the cutting edge technologies must be used to improve human lives for living longer, healthier and intellectual existence. At this point, transhumanists must be progressive, advocate the use of emerging technologies to improve not only human lives including cybernetics, artificial intelligence, social networks, space colonization, cryonics and curing aging but also human learning. Transhumanism, therefore, must be a sound philosophy by valuing scientific facts, reason and logic above spiritual principles as well as seeing humankind controlling its own transformation, and promoting rational thinking, freedom, tolerance, democracy, and concern for human beings. Improving the human learning means to improve the human organism that transforms beyond natural and biological limits.
Building digital wellbeing of the elderly must be one of the most important focuses of transhumanism. Not only can transhumanism radically change human habits, but also life practices. Therefore, the aim of this presentation will be to foresee a futuristic view of how transhumanism can achieve the sustainability in the context of the elder people lives to prevent human intelligence in the future. The foundation of a revolutionary transformation on elder life will be established for the social networks. Thus, transhumanism must be sustainable, and be transforms humans through ecological environments in two main areas given below:
- it would need a self-learning artificial intelligence to emerge; such super-intelligence would go beyond everything we have ever known. Such an AI would know no bounds as it could self-reprogram indefinitely and more efficiently than humans ever could. It could even conceive ever-more powerful microprocessors to make itself smarter, and so on.
- building of the digital wellbeing of the elderly would increase dramatically the life expectancy and maximum longevity. That would allow humans to dissociate from their bodies and enjoy the processing capacity of microprocessors, among other technological advancements. Not only are transhumanist technologies far from but also research teams are already working on the roadmap to those radical developments.