The Futuristic Role of Wearables in Education

Zac Amos – October 25, 2024

Collected at: https://www.iotforall.com/the-futuristic-role-of-wearables-in-education

Technology has long played an important role in everyday life. Now — with devices like wearable technology — schools are taking a new approach to education. From smartwatches to smart glasses, wearables are revolutionizing how children interact with information. These devices are becoming more prevalent in daily activities, giving educators the tools to enhance academic performance and create better learning environments for everyone.

Wearable technology is on the brink of transforming how schools approach education and redefining how students engage with their learning environments. While this innovation is already making strides in enhancing education today, its potential for the future is limitless. As technology advances, incorporating it into the classroom will be key to developing a brighter future in teaching and learning.

What Is Wearable Tech?

Wearables are electronic devices that people can wear as accessories. This technology has smart capabilities that assist users in many tasks. Wearable devices are embedded with sensors and software and can interact with the wearer using data to provide real-time feedback.

People often associate wearable technology with the healthcare industry, where providers use them to track patient health. However, these innovations are expanding beyond this sector and making their way into classrooms.

The first wearables date back to the 1960s as a centimeter-scale computer hidden within a pair of shoes. While primitive compared to modern devices, they paved the way for the wearables most users have today. There are smartwatches, fitness trackers, and virtual reality (VR) headsets people can wear on their wrists, chests, or heads.

One of the most familiar wearables is the smartphone. In many ways, these pocket-sized devices have changed how people interact with information. They are significantly more powerful than their early predecessors. A smartphone has a processing speed over 100,000 times faster than NASA’s Apollo Guidance Computer from 1969. With this processing power, wearable tech like smartphones facilitates easier and more interactive learning experiences.

Current Uses of Wearable Tech in Education

Wearable technology is already making a huge impact in classrooms by improving learning experiences and offering new ways for educators to engage students. Here are some current ways schools are integrating this technology into education.

1. Provides a Platform for Learning

Wearable tech provides a targeted platform for students to engage in hands-on learning activities. For example, smartwatches and VR headsets help them build computational skills by enabling them to write and test code. This immediate interaction between learners and technology fosters technical skill development and problem-solving, making learning more application-oriented.

2. Collects Learning Data

Schools that collect data via wearables can track students’ performance and gain deeper insights into their progress. For instance, a fitness tracker used in physical education can monitor a child’s heart rate and endurance levels. This information enables teachers to evaluate their physical performance.

3. Guides Learning Structure

Wearables like smartwatches and smartphones can create a structured framework for any learning activity. These devices instruct students, enhancing their interactions with math, language arts, science, and more.

For example, a smartwatch strapped to a user can act as a tutor for students learning math concepts. Teachers can send step-by-step instructions directly to their wrists to help them tackle equations. This provides educators with a way to teach without constant supervision, streamlining the learning process and helping pupils learn at their own pace.

4. Enhances Subject Learning Through Immersive Experiences

Another excellent use of wearables in education is creating immersive learning environments. Imagine students wearing T-shirts with sewn-on designs to learn about human anatomy.

Learners can visualize the different organs by interacting with these shirts, making biology much easier to grasp. Other wearables — like augmented reality (AR) glasses and VR headsets — allow students to explore historical events or walk through 3D models of complex molecules in chemistry.

The Future of Wearable Tech in Education

Wearable tech holds exciting possibilities for educators in the future. Some of the ways it could shape this industry include the following.

1. Personalized Learning Paths

Wearable devices have the potential to improve learning by offering customized educational experiences. They will be able to track learning progress in real-time and adapt lessons based on an individual’s performance and learning pace.

For instance, smart glasses may analyze pupils’ focus levels during lessons and suggest interactive content or exercises to deepen their understanding. This personalized learning ensures each student gets the most out of their education, allowing them to thrive at their own speed.

2. Gamified Learning

Wearables will bring more fun learning activities to education. AR glasses could gamify history or geography subjects, allowing students to learn about ancient civilizations or different countries through virtual scavenger hunts. Smartwatches will reward students for their achievements to keep them motivated. Creating a competitive environment could engage students further in school.

3. Advanced Data and Analytics

Data analytics will also empower educators with machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). For instance, smart wearable devices may analyze eye-tracking movements, behavioral patterns, and response times to offer insights into student performance.

By training computational models to interpret behaviors, teachers can understand how well students are retaining and understanding information. Simultaneously, it will allow schools to understand why pupils are struggling with their progress so teachers can adjust lesson plans that suit their classrooms’ needs.

4. Supporting Mental and Emotional Well-Being

Wearable tech will be more than useful for academics — it will also be able to monitor learners’ mental health. It will achieve this by detecting new stress levels and mood changes. As such, a wearable wristband could alert teachers to allow breaks and mindfulness exercises.

These insights would help schools learn to recognize when students need emotional support, creating a more supportive educational atmosphere in the long run.