Using the Apple Watch to Teach and Learn About Heart Rate Variability While Vacationing

Abstract

Vacations are known to contribute to well-being. Wearable sensing technologies associated with 'the quantified self' hold promise for designing experiences such as vacations based on evidence to optimize their well-being outcomes. Tourism organizations may also ask to collect data from customers to help with experience management. The present project shows the potential of heart rate variability data, measured using an Apple Watch, during vacation to produce such insights, and to do so in cooperation with students for the purpose of inspiring them to state-of-the-art research ideas in the context of tourism. Findings show that heart rate variability during vacation appears to follow a conversation-of-resources pattern, whereby days with low life satisfaction on vacation feature significant increases in heart rate variability. While students gained insights from providing these data and becoming familiar with the Apple Watch, future iterations of this project may feature students learning to work with their data themselves.