Learning Enhancement in Higher Education with Wearable Technology

Abstract

Wearable technologies have traditionally been used to measure and monitor vital human signs for well-being and healthcare applications. However, there is a growing interest in using and deploying these technologies to facilitate teaching and learning, particularly in a higher education environment. The aim of this paper is therefore to systematically review the range of wearable devices that have been used for enhancing the teaching and delivery of engineering curricula in higher education. Moreover, we compare the advantages and disadvantages of these devices according to the location in which they are worn on the human body. According to our survey, wearable devices for enhanced learning have mainly been worn on the head (e.g. eyeglasses), wrist (e.g. watches) and chest (e.g. electrocardiogram patch). In fact, among those locations, headworn devices enable better student engagement with the learning materials, improved student attention as well as higher spatial and visual awareness. We identify the research questions and discuss the research inclusion and exclusion criteria to present the challenges faced by researchers in implementing learning technologies for enhanced engineering education. Furthermore, we provide recommendations on using wearable devices to improve the teaching and learning of engineering courses in higher education.

Self-Directed Learning using Eye-Tracking: A Comparison between Wearable Head-worn and Webcam-based Technologies

“…However, most of the studies use the expensive commercial-grade eye tracker with very limited scope. In fact, wearable headset devices such as eye trackers have come a long way during the past decade [3]. Researchers have investigated ways of developing wearable eye trackers for various applications, including education.…”

“…In addition to the range of wearable devices that currently exist for the learning enhancement [3], wearable eye trackers are placed and positioned on the head, enabling them to record subtle eye movements in different head movements and directions. Furthermore, the eye movement detecting cameras are embedded very close to the eyes, ensuring high accuracy.…”