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Human emotion, once about feelings and expression, can now be calculated and recognized by a computer, as if it were a math problem. As stated in the article "Making Mona Lisa Smile" by Nick D'Alto, there is a new technology created by Prof. Thomas Huang, as a way to improve the relationship between computers and humans. Meaning, ads and websites would be able to assess the user and adjust what is shown, depending on the emotions of the human. The example given in the article is"... if you smile when a Web ad appears on your screan, a smiliar ad might follow. But if you frown, the next ad will be different" (D'Alto 6). Not only is this device useful in the world of marketing, but may also be of use in a classroom. The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) would have great value in the way teachers and students communicate,as a way to improve the education of students and the way teachers teach. Though there are many pros and cons in this given situation, if done right, this device could help students greatly.

To begin, the use of FACS would be a wonderful way to help students and teachers communicate indirectly. This would be done through a computer that could analyze the movement of the muscles in the face to identify the six basic emotions- happiness, surprise, disgust, fear, and sadness. In a classroom setting, whether it be during an assignment or lecture, teachers would be able to use FACS to read the emotional response of the students to help determine their thoughts on the given subject. This could allow teachers to improve and change the way they do things, in order to better the students educational experience. In addition, this technology could be utilized to keep students honest in the classroom, expecially on assignments and tests. The complexity of FACS is able to read mixed emotions, which would allow teachers to build an understanding on their students, and help the teachers find a way to relate to the students. Also, a conselor may also be able to help students more effieciently with the use of this device. They would be able to read the emotions of students to help them determine the mental and emotional state of a students. Though all of these pros seem good on paper, there are also many cons that come with it.

Ultimately, it is quite clear that this device may seem intrusive to some people. As stated in the article, "Using video imagery, the new emotion-recognition software tracks these facial movements..." (D'Alto 4), this technology would be able to use videos to track facial movements and determine how people feel. Some students may think that their rights are being violated with the use of FACS. Students may not want teachers to know how they feel, especially if the feeling is negative. However, D'Alto states, "...we humans perform this same impressive 'calculation' every day" (D'Alto 5), meaning people naturally utilize the function of decoding emotion. It's most likely not that difficult to determine how someone feels. In current technology, there are fingerprint scans and facial recognition, that essentially have the same purpose. So, in the end, this device may not be as intrusive as people may think.

Overall, using the Facial Action Coding System would benefit many people within the school system. Teachers would be able to connect with students and determine whether their teaching methods are working or not. This would then improve the education that the students receive and result in a happier classroom environment and better grades. The FACS' understanding and analyzing of emotion may eventually lead to the improvement of education and the attitutes students have towards school.

Score: 4