Horizon's Report - Wearable Technology

Wearable Technology
Last week we looked at the Makerspace movement and how it can have an impact on education.  This week we will look at how wearable technology could have an impact on education in the next two to five years.

According to the Horizon's Report, wearable technology refers to devices that can be worn by users, taking the form of an accessory such as jewelry, sunglasses, a backpack, or even actual items such as shoes or jackets.  Wearable technology, once a figment of imagination, is now a reality with such items as Google Glass, the Apple Watch, or the GoPro Camera.  Much of the wearable technology today allows users to track sleep habits, location, and social media.  The technology can even augment reality to display a virtual world right in front of the user.

Imagine teaching a unit about WWII fighter pilots and students being able to immerse themselves in the actual environment the WWII pilots were in during a battle.  Students would be able to see and feel much of the same things these pilots felt.  Think of the possibilities in student products after such an experience.  Or, imagine a student having the ability to track their fitness levels throughout the day and actually track how active they are.  Another possibility is a student on a field trip wearing a GoPro camera to keep a record of what they learned and did.

Cost is an obvious hurdle to implementing this technology in the classroom, but as these technologies become more popular and there is more competition in the market, expect the cost to decrease.  Even if using these technologies is not possible in the near future, it is fun to think about the variety of things teachers could have the students learn and do.