From Wearing to Wondering: Treating Wearable Activity Trackers as Objects of Inquiry

Authors

Joel R. Drake, Utah State UniversityFollow
Ryan Cain, Utah State UniversityFollow
Victor R. Lee, Utah State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Contribution to Book

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Optimizing STEM Education With Advanced ICTs and Simulations

Publisher

IGI Global

Location

Hershey, PA

Publication Date

2017

First Page

1

Last Page

29

Abstract

Wearable technologies represent a rapidly expanding category of consumer information and communications technologies. From smartwatches to activity tracking devices, wearables are finding their way into many aspects of our lives, changing the way we think about ourselves and the world around us. The rapid adoption of these tools in everyday life hints at the possibilities these devices may hold in school and other educational settings. Drawing on examples taken from a five-year study using wearable fitness tracking devices in elementary and middle school classrooms, this paper presents two examples of how wearable devices can be appropriated for use in school settings. These examples focus on instances where students turned activity trackers into objects of inquiry using data from familiar activities.

Recommended Citation

Drake, J., Cain, R., & Lee, V. R. (2017). From wearing to wondering: Treating wearable activity trackers as tools for inquiry. In I. Levin & D. Tsybulsky (Eds.), Optimizing STEM Education With Advanced ICTs and Simulations (pp. 1-29). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.