Don't want to wear that Fitbit? Guess you don't want that A grade!

[dendawg]

http://consumerist.com/2016/02/02/or...e-for-a-grade/

Really? I understand making physical fitness a priority, but to hold your grade hostage over it? Too far!

[Kogarashi]

Hm. Seems very strange.

On the one hand, it is replacing a "rigorous fitness requirement," so one could argue that they're merely updating the method of reporting. On the other hand, one would think they'd have non-FitBit options for students who don't want to wear them.

I was reading recently that FitBits can be used to track your location and basically verify if you were where you say you were, so there's also a chance it could be used to prove students were, indeed, at lectures like they claim. I don't know if that's a thing that particular university would end up using it for, though.

[wolfie]

According to the article, students are required to average 10,000 steps per day. What happens if they get a student who is in a wheelchair? Either penalizing them for not walking the required distance, or not accepting them as a student due to being in a wheelchair (my understanding is that the curriculum is heavy on theology, so it's not like a truck driving school turning away a blind person - where the disability is an inherent disqualifier for the curriculum) is discrimination on the grounds of disability, and highly illegal.

Also, there have been a few reports of people being allergic to the material the FitBit band is made of. Requiring people to be exposed to something they're allergic to could land the university in a lot of hot water.

[Valentinian]

I had the thought about disabled students too, Wolfie. Heck, I'm mildly disabled - I'm collecting types of arthritis, soon I'll have a full set! - and I sure as heck wouldn't be able to make those requirements.

[Kogarashi]

All the more reason the school should provide non-FitBit alternatives. I would assume they already have fitness requirement alternatives in place for disabled students, but there should also be alternatives for people who just can't wear the FitBit due to the aforementioned allergies.

[mjr]

Here are my questions:

What does a FitBit actually measure? I know some of them are supposed to be able to track locations. But do they track steps only, or movement in general?

What if an individual partakes in some other form of "fitness" exercise? Say, they don't really care for running (and they obviously can't walk all the time, since they're sitting in class a few hours a day) but they do yoga or Tai Chi, or lift weights? Would that count?

I'm not sure how large this university campus is, but 10,000 steps a day is approximately five miles.

[wolfie]

Not to mention that the devices detect movement, not necessarily the type of movement they interpret it as. I've got a cheap electronic pedometer that I've given up on. It works fine when I'm off-duty, but the slightly more upright seating position in my truck compared to my car left me with a reading that I'd walked over a thousand miles.

[Aragarthiel]

Also, there have been a few reports of people being allergic to the material the FitBit band is made of. Requiring people to be exposed to something they're allergic to could land the university in a lot of hot water.

The allergies apply to the charging port thing- it's made of metal, the band itself isn't. There are rumors that these allergies are actually chemical burns caused by sweat reacting with the battery. I'm prone to believing it since I have severe metal allergies myself and it looks nothing like the pictures I've seen. If it's true, this could land the university in even more hot water, since it would be risking the health of all students and not just those with nickel allergies.

If it is an allergy, though, I would hands-down refuse to wear it if I went to that school. Anything but gold, titanium, and surgical steel gives me blisters if I wear it too long, and even a few hours of exposure can leave me with a rash that takes days to heal.

[Ironclad Alibi]

My wife bought a FitBit but it doesn't work on carpet, where she does most of her walking. You need to walk on a hard surface for it to register your steps. I'm sure a few enterprising students have found a way to mechanically make the FitBit count up.

Oh lookie, there is already a website up for that.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I'd hate having to wear the FitBit because it would just be one more thing for me to lose.

That and I'd probably get an allergic reaction for the metal.

[Mr Hero]

I've never used FitBit. I'd just prefer to use my $200 pedometer that also happens to play awesome games like Bravely Default.

[Jetfire]

Not to mention that the devices detect movement, not necessarily the type of movement they interpret it as. I've got a cheap electronic pedometer that I've given up on. It works fine when I'm off-duty, but the slightly more upright seating position in my truck compared to my car left me with a reading that I'd walked over a thousand miles.

... to fall down at your door?

[greek_jester]

... to fall down at your door?

"When I'm working, yes, I know I'm gonna be
"I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you..."

I love that song

[MoonCat]

I've got two pedometers, one cost about $25 and the other about half of that on sale. Both work fine on carpet, sidewalk, whatever. But 10,000 steps can be hard to do if you don't have that many places to go!

When I was doing physical therapy for my shoulder I made 10K steps a few times, since getting there and getting home involved more walking than I do on a normal day. But my job is sedentary, and I have to stay on the phone for most of my 7.5 hours. I make the effort, but I figure if I top 7500 steps I'm doing well (for me).

[RealUnimportant]

A workmate has been trying to use one of these, and it's been misreporting anything from 10-50% of their daily walking, and of course measures nothing even if you're standing about for hours regardless of the amount of calories this burns as opposed to sitting down...

When I was at school, my last 2 years I was excused PE due to various broken bones - how would that be handled by this lot?!