Hi Jenna,

We completely agree. Throughout our design process we have worked with in-service elementary school teachers to help shape our technology and co-design learning activities for our prototypes. In addition, one College of Education PhD student team member (who has since graduated) was a former teacher. She helped bring a crucial pragmatic perspective to the work and also helped create explicit links to Next Generation Science Standards. However, there is still much to do, many possibilities to explore, and we are always looking for helpful suggestions. :)

Thanks for your comments,
Jon

Great questions Pati.

Re: how can we ensure that all learners are benefiting from our prototypes. I think that this is a challenge for any emerging technology due to access and cost issues. Our project is no different. However, we have tried to engage a diverse set of children and teachers in our design process to make sure that different perspectives are represented in our designs.

An additional way to scale-up access is to democratize who can create BodyVis-like tools, as your post suggests. Our team has brainstormed ways in positioning children not just as users of e-textile/wearable learning platforms but also as makers. We’re excited with this possibility—this constructionist perspective resonates strongly with our team :)—and we have discussed it informally in our co-design groups with teachers but have not yet pursued it.

In terms of deployments, as early work, we’re interested in exploring our prototypes in a range of contexts and learning environments. Thus far, we have largely focused on informal learning environments (e.g., after school programs) but we are working with local school districts to implement our tools into science curriculum. For the informal learning evaluations, we have performed six BodyVis and six separate SharedPhys study sessions with 130 children aged 5-13.

Thank you for all of that information. It sounds like you are doing some great work in this space and it really looks like the children you work with are enjoying both of your tools. I will be following your project to see what you learn!

Thanks for your questions Avron—they reveal, perhaps, firsthand experience with the challenges of integrating technology into learning environments. :)

The short answer is: yes. We have had many technology issues along the way from wires shorting to batteries draining and Bluetooth disconnecting. However, we pilot test and stress test our prototypes multiple times before our actual deployments with children. So, we have largely been fortunate that no major tech disasters have occurred.

Two brief stories worth sharing:

For one SharedPhys deployment site, we had to bring our own projector, our own large-screen display, and a ladder for the projector to sit on in addition to all our other equipment. This was difficult to fit in our car, as you might imagine. :)

The chest-worn physiological sensors that we are using are not designed for children (but instead for athletes and soldiers), so we have gone through a few iterations of modifying the straps to properly fit children’s bodies (a tight fit is necessary to properly sense data and to prevent the sensors from moving during all of the activities that the prototypes encourage).

Thanks so much for your interest Megan.

The original inspiration for this project was an e-textile project called Warning Signs developed by Nien Lam and Sue Ngo: http://nienlam.com/post/114985415378/warning-signs. I use this project in my teaching (e.g., http://cmsc838f-s15.wikispaces.com/). During a class discussion, a student, Leyla Norooz, thought that this type of approach could be the basis for an exciting new way to learn about the body—others agreed, and so she started working on it for her MS thesis project.

We are currently working with the Prince George’s County school system to evaluate BodyVis and SharedPhys in the classroom. We are always looking for other partners as well. :)