Google, the hotbed for innovation and free thinking, introduced the Google Glass in 2013 to wide critical acclaim. A revolutionary concept that had little to do with the usage that glasses have been traditionally known for, Google Glass was all about integrating technology, especially social connectivity, at an absolute personal level.
In recent times however, the Google Glass’s price and its relative complexity and failure to appeal to the target audience have sidelined it as far as groundbreaking technologies go, yet theorists have lauded the Glass’s probable applicability in certain key functional areas. For example, education.
For a long time, the global education scene has been about the traditional teacher- student equation. Google Glass, with its net connectivity, the all-seeing integrated camera and super-fast access to a rich variety of information, can graduate to being an educational tool of very high applicability indeed.
The typical Google Glass comprises of a touchpad, camera and display. Representing the zenith of wearable technology, the Glass offers a simple UI wherein the touchpad located on the side can be prompted for information that is then displayed on the LED illuminated display. High resolution 720p HD videos can be recorded with the camera, and crystal-clear pictures can be clicked as well. Google Glass is a study in minimalism, yet encompasses a lot of technology that is relevant in a classroom setup.
True, the Google Glass’s price dampens the possibility of the former’s active role in the global education scene. However, the Glass can practically open up portals of information that may otherwise have not been so easily accessible. For instance, Google Glass can make field trips more informative by offering first-hand information about key exhibits and landmarks directly to the so called ‘Glass explorer’. A teacher sporting the Glass can open up a Hangout and have students from across the planet join the class remotely. Think about this applicability in places where education isn’t so easy to come by, thanks to the country’s geographical location or political situation. Africa, for instance.
Students equipped with Google Glass can take notes in real-time, or if attending a foreign language class, the translations could be displayed instantaneously on the display. Currently, Google has responded to the lackluster response to the Glass and moved the project to the backburner. However, under favorable conditions, more R&D would have resulted in newer uses for this intuitive wearable technology in the education sector.
As can be gleaned from this article thus far, Google Glass offers a world of possibilities when applied in a dynamic platform such as education. This technology simplifies the idea of constant connectivity and the near constant inflow of information can help students learn better and teachers/tutors teach better. The Glass’s simplicity and portability renders it more attractive than more elaborate educational tools that serve a similar purpose. The seamlessness offered by the integration of Google Glass could help solve some of the fundamental interpretational concerns that are afflicting the global education scene currently.
That is, if Google will bring back the Glass as more than a tool to check your Facebook wall and tweets, and dedicate its prodigious technological might in integrating the Glass concept into global education.
