Teaching and Learning with Wearable Technologies

Abstract

This paper presents analysis and findings from a research-driven experimental study that was designed to explore the possibilities of and challenges in the use of wearable computers for supporting learning activities. The overall aim of the study was to explore whether the use of data produced by the pupils in physical education lessons could serve to make abstract numbers and figures more contextualised and concrete, and act as a motivational factor in learning mathematics and social science. The teacher in this study taught all three subjects. The teacher had previously expressed concern regarding the pupils’ understanding of mathematical concepts such as graphs, and the pupils had performed poorly on national tests. Our findings suggest that the use of wearables in teaching and learning provides pedagogical opportunities in and across subjects. However, privacy issues emerged both prior to giving the pupils the watches as well as during the study.