Quantified Self: Using wearables and apps to monitor Physiology and Behaviour

In this course, students will learn about state-of-the-art technologies and devices (e.g. smart watches, activity trackers) in the field of dietary behaviour, lifestyle and health.
Students will evaluate existing apps and will critically reflect on e.g. their usability, the behavior change theories applied, and the data quality. Finally, students will design a prototype of an app which will be evaluated for nutritional, public health, communication and IT aspects.

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge on evidence-based best practice in the use of innovative technologies in monitoring dietary and other lifestyle behaviours for public health and research purposes
• Judge the potential and limitations of conventional and innovative technologies used by individual consumers and for research purposes
• Make design choices for the development of a tailored innovative technology (app) that addresses problems and opportunities in the life-science domain
• Demonstrate knowledge on how a signal from a sensor is converted to a measurement in an app

Assumed Knowledge:
In order to successfully work in this course you need prior knowledge on nutrition, information technology and communication science. This knowledge is mainly covered in the courses: HNH34403 Assessment of Dietary Intake and HNH33903 Assessment of Nutritional Status or HNH25806 Research Methodology for Nutrition and Health I and HNH26306 Research Methodology for Nutrition and Health II or HNH24306 Methodology Nutrition Research; CPT53806 Internet-based Communication and Learning for Social Change; INF20806 Applied Information Technology. Together, these courses are part of the minor ‘Quantified Self’. For those who lack prior knowledge, some of the main readings/knowledge clips are available on Brightspace. You can study them in advanced or whenever needed during the course.