Oral Roberts University Students Now Required To Wear Fitbits All The Time For A Grade

You might associate Oral Roberts University with students who are very strong in their Christian faith, but the Oklahoma college also puts a priority on students’ physical fitness. That’s why they’re the first U.S. college known to require all students to wear fitness tracking devices and reach a minimum step goal every day.

The devices replace an existing rigorous physical education requirement that the university previously had, where students tracked their exercise and other physical activity and assigned it point values according to a university system. Students completed the logs, which were part of their physical education grade, but why not use a technological solution if one exists?

This year, the university issued students a Fitbit Charge HR, which measures their steps walked or run and heart rate. For their class, they have to average 10,000 steps per day and 150 minutes of exercise every week.

While some employers (notably Target) offer Fitbits to employees as part of corporate wellness challenges, requiring students to use them for a grade is new. A school official explained to thee Washington Post that what data the school can see from students’ logs is limited: they apparently can’t see sleep logs, for example.

If that seems onerous, you should keep in mind that Oral Roberts has stricter schools than most colleges that you’re probably familiar with: they

Fitbits now mandatory for students at this Oklahoma university [Washington Post]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist