
The staff at Penn State University is reportedly going to conduct a research program that is set to explore the effect that wearables, such as the Apple Watch, have on human behavior. One of the main focuses of the program will be to turn to the device into a learning tool. The manager of advanced learning projects at Penn State’s Teaching and Learning with Technology Program, Ben Brautigam, told Government Technology that plans are currently in place to run several experiments that will look to the Apple Watch to help boost student achievement, especially in regards to self-regulated studying. Brautigam had the following to say regarding the matter:
The thing with wearables is that these are highly personal devices, even more personal than your smartphone. We can take this customized point of view to provide recommendations to students to enrich certain aspects of their learning.
One way that prompts can support students' awareness of their own learning is through modeling the types of questions students should ask themselves. Further, our scaffolds can prompt awareness of whether [the student] understands content and will also provide strategy suggestions.
Depending on the results of the study, which will end up comparing the Apple Watch to other technology platforms, it is possible that wearables could also become a staple in self-guided learning. Brautigam had the following to say regarding the matter:
If it does become prevalent, I think we'll have a leg up here because we've been sort of investing in this and exploring this since the inception.
Source: Government Technology