Wearable Technology: Opportunities and Challenges for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in Developing Countries

Abstract

The higher education landscape in developing countries is faced with many challenges, one of which is high faculty to student ratio. An obvious implication of this is compromise on the quality of classroom engagement. The distractions caused by the not conducive learning space and instructors' inability to elucidate correct feedbacks from students usually lead to poor learning outcomes. Feedback mechanisms that are unobtrusive and efficient in processing large data in real-time are needful to measure quality learning experience in such large classroom settings. With the latest impact of penetration and adoption of internet and mobile technologies in most developing counties, wearable technology is a feasible solution to manage and monitor classroom involvement; as real time student feedback can be integrated in the design and delivery of instruction in and out of the classroom. In this paper, we present state of the art of wearable technology and explored the opportunities of wearable technology in the higher education. Specifically, we presented scenarios in which wearable technology can be employed to understand and analyze physiological signals and emotional responses from learners in real-time; the end result of which would increase the quality of classroom engagement, inspire new pedagogy, drive new trends in peer-to-peer collaborations, and increase the learning outcomes. Moreover, we identified some challenges that may hinder this development such as: inconclusive user studies of wearable technology in developing countries and inadequate infrastructure. Finally, we make appropriate recommendations on how these challenges can be surmounted

Evaluating the affordances of wearable technology in education

“…With regards to the ability to share/transfer information, wearable devices' capacity to instantly transmit and receive data presents a number of concerns related to privacy, social and ethical issues (Ezenwoke et al, 2016). Moreover, the ICT infrastructure must be addressed, as it plays a vital role in ensuring an uninterrupted and widespread internet i.e., needed for an effective running of wearable devices in educational institutions.…”

“…Moreover, the ICT infrastructure must be addressed, as it plays a vital role in ensuring an uninterrupted and widespread internet i.e., needed for an effective running of wearable devices in educational institutions. These issues, alongside possible students' distraction while using wearable devices especially in large overcrowded classrooms, raise a significant concern regarding the feasibility of using this technology in the education sector (Ezenwoke et al, 2016).…”

Wearable Technology: Facilitating or Complexing Education?

“…With regards to the ability to share/transfer information, wearable devices' capacity to instantly transmit and receive data presents a number of concerns related to privacy, social, and ethical issues [16]. Moreover, the ICT infrastructure must be addressed, as it plays a vital role in ensuring an uninterrupted and widespread internet that is needed for an effective running of wearable devices in educational institutions.…”

“…Moreover, the ICT infrastructure must be addressed, as it plays a vital role in ensuring an uninterrupted and widespread internet that is needed for an effective running of wearable devices in educational institutions. These issues, alongside possible students' distraction while using wearable devices especially in large overcrowded classrooms, raise a significant concern regarding the feasibility of using this technology in the education sector [16].…”

Wearable technologies for students with disabilities

“…Wearables present a number of privacy, social, and ethical concerns (Ezenwoke and Ezenwoke, 2016). An important question to ask is: How will school personnel ensure that student data is not shared publicly and used only for its intended purpose?…”