Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Google glasses in Education



I borrowed my friend's google glasses a while ago and I fortunately had some user experience with them. First of all I like the idea of wearable technology but still feel overwhelmed that Google glasses put a small screen right in front of eyes. I am also wondering whether we really need to be connected to the digital world every second, and we really need that much of information? 
Google Glass http://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com
There are educators using Google Glass and Google Apps in teaching already 

Benefits of Google Glass (particularly in education) - Google glass allows students to take pictures, record videos, (and many other Android apps) in a hands-free mode. It also brings in the conveneince of sharing, collaborating and creating online community. It serves as a handy tool in hybrid courses. The augmented reality on google glass is a cool feature and useful in class trips, historic tours to display facts instantly. Real-time searching and referencing are made easy through google glass. 
"How Google Glass Might be Used in Education" lists over 30 potential classroom applications of google glass in teaching and learning. 
Drawbacks and Concerns: Currently the price for google glass is about ~1500 USD (if I remember it correctly), it is still a significant investment for average family and schools. The battery time is short. In my short experience with google glass, I feel I am constantly distracted by incoming messages, emails, and all other notifications that I do not intentionally "wanted to know". We are already in a world of information overload. Google glass sometimes makes this situation even worse. The privacy debate is still ongoing about glass. 

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