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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Smart Glasses for Teachers Can "See" Students’ Questions (read more)


Smart Glasses for Teachers Can "See" Students’ Questions

A teacher can’t always expect students to raise their hands and admit that they don’t understand something—many keep their questions to themselves out of shyness or embarrassment. Stumped pupils won’t have to say a word, however, if the teacher is wearing the new set of "smart glasses" recently developed at the University of Carlos III in Madrid. The glasses utilize augmented reality to notify the teacher through visual cues of students’ questions and concerns.

Any student can send a cell-phone text message that the glasses will interpret and present to the teacher as a thought bubble over the student’s head. The bubble will symbolically convey if he or she is confused, has a question, or wants the teacher to slow down, and other such feedback. Students can also convey that they do understand the lesson, or if they know the answer to a question that the teacher has just asked. The teacher can also program the glasses to show notes and talking points to share with the class at key moments in the day’s lesson.

Wearing the smart glasses, teachers will know clearly how well their students are grasping the material, where they are having trouble, and whether to skip over a certain part of the lesson because the students already know it.

Affordable new models could come out in the next few years, and the technology could be adapted to Google’s new Glass, as well, according to Ignacio Aedo, professor of computer science and project participant.—Rick Docksai

Source: University of Carlos III


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