BERG: Wearable tech in primary schools: Introducing the EI Air-Guitar with GenAI

The arrival of GenAI creates a dilemma for biology teachers: how do we help children and young people to understand the power of wearable tech for health 'first hand' and the importance of using them wisely, without exposing them to the risks associated with data-sharing and directly accessing AI? This workshop will explain work so far to devise a 'hands-on' programme for primary schools designed to develop children's insight and capacity for critical thinking about wearable technologies that gather and process data relating to exercise and health. Three of the principles that make it innovative are: (1) We have borrowed a strategy that is used in pre-school where children are given toys and devices that are 'unplugged' so that they have limited functionality and in particular, are missing components which make the real thing a risk. The technology we use is a wristband that gathers and uses data in real time to control music. (2) The introductory activity is designed to appeal widely and to work for children at different levels and those with special needs. This strategy of looking at ways to use data for fun and entertainment first is designed to be more inclusive and appeal more widely than focusing children's attention directly onto health and exercise when they try out the wristband. (3) The sessions can be cross-curricular or take place within timetabled lessons for biology, music, computer science and philosophy and ethics. We will appreciate feedback from teachers, education researchers, technologists, parents and teacher education students and professionals in healthcare. We have pilot data and prototypes to share and will be glad of input about ways to take the research forward. Context and study design: The Faith guitar is a wristband that means that children can 'air-guitar' in synch to a favourite piece of music. When the children work together, the instruments in the music align. Prototypes have been developed with the help of Technocamps at Swansea University and we are trialling these with researchers and students in the Department of Education in preparation for piloting in schools. In our current draft of a set of lesson plans, in session 1, children explore the tech for themselves and once they have understood that they can use their movements to control how their individual instruments sounds, more functionality is made available so that they can add more moves (handclaps, synchronised dance) to create a unique interpretation. The teacher explains how it works – the wristbands connect to a gameboard computer which modifies the music. The teacher also explains that the computer and devices connect locally – no data is shared outside school. Ideas lab: these experiences are linked to a series of sessions in the ‘ideas lab’ where children will look more deeply at what data is gathered and how it can be used. We notice that the data can indicate how much physical exercise the wearers are doing during the session or how much variety is in the moves. We can see which types of music go with more vigorous interpretations. We also can work out their ease of individual children’s movement for the arm – or another limb if we move the band. Children are encouraged to think of applications and reasons they’ve met at home e.g. smartwatches, fitness trackers, physiotherapy after an accident, improving coordination etc. the next step is to talk about who should see this data. Children discuss what data from their session with the air guitar they feel comfortable about sharing, with whom and whether adding their name to their data matters. Throughout the discussion children can refer back to the wristbands and try out scenarios using it as a prop and/or within its limited functionality.