Daniyar Sapargaliyev, PhD

22 October 2015

Learning with wearable technologies: A case of Google Glass

Plan:

1. Introduction2. Method and limitations3. Google Glass in library spaces4. Wearables in teaching and learning5. Google Glass in Medical Education

5.1 Surgical Education 5.2 Cardiology Teaching 5.3 Studying Anatomy

6. Conclusion

1. Introduction

First wearable computers appeared in the early 1960s (Thorp, 1998). In the end of 1990s, Steve Mann created the ‘EyeTap Digital Eye Glass’ that was the one of the first attempts to make a head-mounted display computer (Mann, 2012). In 2013, Google started to sell a prototype of 'Google Glass', a new type of wearable technology with an optical head-mounted display.

Source: eyetap.blogspot.com

The purpose of this paper is to review recent studies into the theoretical and practical use of wearable technologies in libraries, medical faculties and universities.

Source: foradian.com

2. Method and limitations

The main focus of the search was devoted to the use Google Glass as a teaching and learning tool. We considered the conference papers, reviews, reports, web-documents, magazines and journal articles written in English language in the period from January 2013 to July 2015. In most cases, the findings and materials were based on description of pilots and experiences in United States’ universities.

3. Google Glass in library spaces

Today libraries remain the important educational sites with providing physical and digital access to information. But the fast development of information technologies reshapes these public buildings into virtual spaces. The use of wearable devices can crucially help library staff to attract new generation of readers.

Source: https://goo.gl/HnHH58

Glassware Aim Library AuthorMyGlass app Records debates from the first-

person perspective to examine speech techniques

Claremont University Library 

(Thomas, 2014)

Scan and Deliver app

Allows library staff to fulfill patron scanning requests directly from the library stacks

Yale University Library

(Patrick, 2014)

ShelvAR app Identifies shelf reading and inventory management

Miami University Library

(Hawkins, 2014)

The different situation is in university libraries. Evidently, there are many students and professors that visit university libraries every day and spend many hours for searching information at these spaces. Many university libraries invest in new technologies and try to improve digital access to learning materials (Table 1).

Table 1. Glassware apps for libraries.

4. Wearables in teaching and learning

The first serious discussions and analyses in the use of wearable technologies in teaching and learning emerged during the last three years (2013-2015). Some studies have examined the relationship between mobile learning and the use of emerging technologies (including big data and wearables) in higher education.

Source: http://goo.gl/RsJkal

Glassware Aim AuthorsgPhysics App ‘To perform an educational physical

experiment in the area of acoustics’. Weppner et al. (2014)

Glass Personal Inquiry Manager (GPIM App)

‘To support the learning- and inquiry-process just in time and in an unobtrusive way’.

Suarez et al. (2014)

Glassist App ‘To allow teachers to create individual portfolios for students, manage their information and share it with peers’.

Silva et al. (2014)

All of the studies reviewed here support the idea that Google Glass can be successfully used in several educational directions – mobile learning, flipped classroom, mobile-assisted language learning and even the use of big data. But we want to consider practical examples of the use Glassware apps in possible learning situations. There are three Glassware prototype applications presented on Table 2, which allow using its in different educational goals.

Table 2. Glassware applications for teaching and learning.

5. Google Glass in Medical Education

In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of literature on using wearable technologies in medical education. Today, there are three main directions in medical education that can be identified for successfully use Google Glass as a teaching and learning tool. We tried to describe how to use wearable devices for studying different disciplines such as surgery, cardiology and anatomy.

Source: http://goo.gl/SkB3Tu

5.1 Surgical Education

The study by Bola & Brighton (2015) offers probably the most comprehensive analysis of using Google Glass as a surgical training tool. The authors defined the three main ways of using the Glass for surgical practice:1. Tool for self assessment. 2. Evidence for annual review of competence progress. 3. Consultant support (video conferencing to other consultants at different sites in cases of unusual anatomy or difficult cases).

Source: http://goo.gl/aRA62e

5.2 Cardiology Teaching

One of the first studies in the use of wearable technology to improve cardiology learning was carried out by Vallurupalli et al. (2013). The authors explored different educational levels in cardiovascular practice for medical trainees. In this investigation, live streaming video demonstrated several practical actions in cardiology via Google Glass. Medical students received and saved learning information on their mobile devices.

Source: http://goo.gl/ZqOJen

5.3 Studying Anatomy

Benninger (2015) demonstrated the method that melds traditional medical palpation with Google Glass in teaching of human anatomy. Ciomek (2015) performed a similar study of using the Glass for clinical and educational value within anatomic pathology. The other successful example of using wearable devices for video recording was presented by Tully et al. (2015). The studies presented thus far provide evidence that the Glass is considered by the researchers as a tool for transmitting of live video for different practical situations and medical procedures.

Source: https://goo.gl/a0FAvD

6. Conclusion

The main goal of the current study was to determine how wearable technologies are used in education. One of the more significant findings to emerge from this study is that wearables have a big potential for development and attractive opportunities for student and educators. Robust and ubiquitous spread of mobile technologies and fast growth of wearables will lead to transition from handheld to hands-free approaches in learning and teaching in the nearest future. A future study needs to examine more closely the links between mature mobile learning projects and new pilots in learning with wearables.

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Daniyar Sapargaliyev, PhDdsapargalieff@gmail.com