Wearable technologies can gather data—from the body of the wearer or from the environment—or provide information, or both. Wearables represent an evolution in our relationship with computing and hint at a future of ubiquitous connectivity where the furnishings of our everyday life are imbued with sensors, processors, and information displays. Inconspicuous wearable devices could change the landscape of educational computing. Wearable cameras, for instance, allow a learner to engage simultaneously as observer, reporter, and participant. As the things we own and wear acquire sensors, process data, and connect us beyond ourselves, they open new opportunities for us to see further, hear differently, and touch things we have never been able to reach, enabling a new self-awareness and an enhanced perception of the world around us.
Opportunity Statement:
Wearables, together eventually with implantables, are part of an inevitable shift toward human connectivism, which can’t be anything but amazing for learning.
Sources:
Educause – 7 Things You Should Know About Wearable Technology
Educause – ELI Podcast on Wearable Technologies
2015 Horizon Report – Wearable Technologies
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