Newsletter 
Next stop on the Google Glass Explorer train, UC Irvine School of Medicine. That’s right, the Google wearable tech specs have captured the hearts and minds of those in the faculty at University of California Irvine School of Medicine, stating that they think Google’s wearable device offers up a seamless way to give Doctors hands free access to information they might need on patients. This is why they have just announced that they will be adding Google Glass to the schools curriculum, for those who are students in the first and second year anatomy courses. On top of that it’ll be part of the clinical skills training as well.
We have seen many applications of Google Glass in the past, with the wearables already making their way into some operating rooms for use by surgeons. UC Irvine however will be the first educational entity in the to have Google Glass become part of it’s teaching efforts. While the end goal is to provide Google Glass for use in the first and second year anatomy courses eventually, it begins this month with third and fourth year students first, with only ten pairs of Glass being part of the program. Later on UC Irvine says that they’ll be expanding the program with thirty more pairs on top of the original ten, and will be incorporating the learning into the courses for second year and first year students. All of this is expected to take place towards the end of the summer in August.
UC Irvine feels very passionate about the use of digital technologies within the classroom to help teach students. Google Glass isn’t the first piece of tech they have used for course programs. Starting in 2010, the School of Medicine equipped every single med student with an iPad packed with the necessary things they’d need. So Google Glass is not the first tech to enter the halls, but it is the next step. UC Irvine’s Dean of Medicine said that “I believe digital technology will let us bring a more impactful and relevant clinical learning experience to our students.” It’s great to see Google Glass getting more positive use from more than just the general public and from establishments that have no real ties to the tech industry.