Google Glass

Photo Credit:  Ted Eytan

ATSU and I will soon officially join the ranks of Google Glass Explorers.  I found out I was fortunate enough to have my proposal selected by MOREnet to get an invitation to the second round of this project.  MOREnet was looking for "highly motivated people" within the MOREnet membership who can contribute and share ideas on how Google Glass might be used to improve teaching and learning. I'm pretty excited to be able to participate.

For those of you not so tuned into the tech world, Google Glass is a very ambitious project from Google to develop wearable computers in the form of eyeglasses.  The initial group of beta testers, affectionately known as Glass Explorers, started back in February 2013.  Approximately 8000 people shelled out $1500 to try these miniature computers on your face. The original group was heavily weighed toward developers. The thinking was that developers could help expand the number of applications before additional rounds of testers had a chance to try the product.  This next round of invitations is thought to be significantly greater in number than the original 8000 and Google is expected to be ready to roll out the first widely available consumer version sometime in 2014.

To be selected for the explorers program requires a willingness to share thoughts and ideas about how this type of device can improve people's lives.  My list includes a variety of use cases.I'll share a couple now and others as I get to better know the capabilities and limitations of the device.

There were two use cases I submitted in my proposal to MOREnet.  First is a project that was suggested by KCOM OMM staff and academic technologies staff.  The idea is to record the delivery of OMM through a first person view using the video camera in glass.  The hope would be that this view would make it easier for students to see the hand and finger positions, and any movement during techniques.  An similar but alternative idea is to have students wear the Google Glass and use it to record their execution of various OMM techniques.  Faculty could then view the recordings and provide feedback.  The second use case is very similar tho the first.  In this case however, Glass would be used by Dental faculty and/or students.  The goals of the two use cases would be similar; namely improving existing instructional video and providing more detailed feedback to students.

I am very excited to experience Glass first hand and investigate its applications to healthcare education and even to administration process improvement.  As a true believer in technology, this is an exciting start to a whole new world of wearable technology.  Stay tuned for more.