Experts say that self tracking tools such as Fitbits and motion sensors may help people better understand their learning styles. Although the step counting and sleep time recording functions of wearable devices are commonly used and have become a habit, the application of similar 'digital selves' in the field of education is still in the early stages of development. A researcher at Open University in the UK summarized the application of wearable technology expected by education experts in K-12 and universities: can we self track our learning journey? How to make sure that one study day is better than another? Can data be presented in a meaningful and academic way?
To understand the impact of some self monitoring devices on education, it is first necessary to clarify the definition of these technologies. An associate professor in the Department of Educational Technology at Ohio State University said that wearable devices are an 'intimate two-way channel' between oneself and the world. Unlike the interaction between computers or mobile phones and us, wearable devices automatically collect our information and take proactive prompt actions. Imagine, in your daily work, Fitbit gently pushes you away from your desk and takes a few steps.
As the cost of wearable technology continues to decline, researchers have always had more opportunities to study the relationship between human physiology and learning and determine whether there is a correlation. For example, the relationship between the number of heart beats or changes in skin temperature and participation in the classroom.
We infer psychological states through physical changes, 'said a researcher at the University of Texas at Arlington, who equipped students with the E4 bracelet from the startup technology company Emptica to monitor heart rate changes and skin electrical activity, used to measure students' emotional responses. This idea is to better understand how physical sensations affect learning.
At State University of New York at Oswego, an assistant professor of psychology has been tracking students' heart rates to understand their emotional changes in the classroom. Every three hours from 9am to 11pm, text messages will prompt students to enter their heart rate and answer questions, including 'How do you feel' and 'Are you in a small class or a large class. By detecting changes in students' emotional states at different times of the day, researchers hope to better understand the relationship between learning and emotions.
Researchers are even studying how learning posture is related to the ability to acquire knowledge. Researchers have deployed Microsoft Kinect motion sensors in classrooms at Pacific University to track changes in the position of 48 students' bones. Can we associate sitting posture with students' attention? 'The researcher asked,' Are there any activities that can better motivate students
Another way to bring wearable technology to the classroom is to authorize students to provide data themselves. Drawing inspiration from Peter Drucker's theory of 'If you can't measure it, you can't improve it', educators are considering how wearable technology can become a motivating factor for students to learn. If a learner can see real-time signs of learning physics, can they make adjustments similar to what a Fitbit owner might take?
In some cases, researchers conclude that students will learn better when they analyze their actual data rather than hypothetical numbers from textbooks. The associate professor of educational technology at Utah State University studied elementary school students equipped with personal health trackers. After analyzing their heart rate and step count on both uphill and downhill slopes, it was found that the actual analyzed student situation performed better than the numerical prompts in textbooks.
As an emerging technology, the application of wearable devices in education involves numerous ethical issues. Why is the purpose of using learner data?
Integrating wearable devices into the education sector requires the development of information transparency. '' Ethics often lag behind technology, 'said Voithofer of Ohio. When combined with other datasets or repeated for multiple purposes, personal data becomes more abstract. For example, a device that anonymously collects data on students' emotional patterns, which may then be associated with their exam scores. Some students may object to universities measuring their emotional state to make judgments about their academic performance.
In the wearable technology learning environment implemented by previous researchers, educators, and businesses, Voithofer asked them to carefully consider how data is collected and used. We need to develop the transparency of information in the application of wearable devices in the field of education, and transparency is the core of moral responsibility
This is also a reminder that not everything can be measured. Overreliance on data may lead researchers to make incorrect assumptions about how students learn.