Deploying a wearable computing platform for computing education

Many studies have attested to the efficacy of integrating innovative methods of teaching computing and engineering, especially for introductory students and at the K-12 level. As an example, robots have been successfully used to teach a wide range of subjects, from introductory programming to artificial intelligence. As a discipline, wearable computing is seen to be practical, yet futuristic and exciting, and it captures the attention and interest of people who might not otherwise be drawn to technology. Recent developments in this field have also raised the possibility of moving wearable computing construction within the reach of hobbyists and novices. However, there still exist substantial obstacles toward the adoption of wearable computing into education. This paper presents a framework with the objective of facilitating the integration of wearable computing into outreach and introductory computer science and engineering education. We also present a comprehensive evaluation of our platform, including a comparison with the current practice of sewing-based wearable computing.