Software developers and hardware engineers are continuing to surprise people with advanced augmented reality technologies. With each technological breakthrough, this digital revolution is becoming more impressive. And you can see the impact in different domains, including education.
Loaded with interactive digital elements, augmented reality is paving its way in the real-world environment of education. According to recent research, Augmented Reality (AR) can be seen influencing the traditional learning process.
Not only does it introduce innovative ways of teaching and learning but also has the potential to change study schedules and location.
Let’s take a look at how augmented reality can make the classroom environment more informative and engaging.
Impact of Augmented Reality on Education
Have you wondered why students get bored or inattentive in class during lessons? The answer to this question is that they’re often bored with the conventional ways of learning. Harvard GSE, in its recently published report, stated that the use of standardized teaching modes is the main reason behind students’ inattentiveness in the class.
If a teacher doesn’t know how to engage students or make a class interactive, learning cannot take place. It doesn’t mean that teachers necessarily have to make every student a scientist, but the goal should be to make the lesson engaging and interesting. This is where the role of augmented reality comes into play.
A child can easily be distracted by digital devices, like tablets or smartphones. Eighty percent of children have smartphones. They use these gadgets for a plethora of purposes that include social media, connecting with friends, and playing games. However, there are fewer young people who use digital gadgets for studying, finding information, or doing homework.
Modern educators believe that combining augmented reality and smartphones for education can be a big shift in the teaching and learning domain. The impact of augmenting reality is inevitable and can bring potential learning benefits. AR, in numerous ways, can provide advanced digital information. It can make learning complex subjects easy.
Many educators have started incorporating AR in their lessons. It shows that the ability of AR to connect digital content and reality is not only improving but also bringing innovative options for teaching, which improves the learning process.
Caspar Thykier –Co-founder and CEO of Zappar, has incorporated augmented reality in computing for students at the primary level. With the help of workshops, they familiarize students with the structure of AR and multimedia skills.
Moreover, TAFE NSW- a vocational college in Australia equips their students with the required skills to champion spatial computing using AR tools and applications.
These institutions have successfully incorporated AR in their teaching and learning format, which is enough to see the impact of AR in education. According to them, AR can serve as an excellent facilitator that promotes learning through actions that aid teachers and engage students.
How can Teachers use Augmented Reality in Education?
As mentioned earlier, many educational institutes have already started using AR in their classroom. However, there are still many who are skeptical when it comes to incorporating AR-based teaching methods into lessons.
Neglecting the modern teaching methodologies or new approaches may create problems for children, particularly alpha children who are more familiar with acquiring knowledge through gadgets.
Let’s go through some of the creative ways educators can use AR in the classroom:
1. Digital Puzzle Box
The activity is similar to BreakoutEDU. The only difference is that it configures challenges on the computer. Teachers can get students engaged with these activities via a tablet, Chromebook, and a smartphone.
It has tools that enforce gameplay and set timers. This AR -based challenge is an innovative way to teach students collaboration skills and improve their social and emotional learning skills.
2. Augmented Reality Field Trips
Teachers can add AR experience by placing physical locations with the help of GPS coordinates. Many teachers have used augmented reality in their field trips and enhanced the learning experience of students.
All a teacher needs to do is to pick a field trip location on the map and place experiences at interesting points.
During the field trip, students will use their phones or devices to interact with pointed experiences. Many European teachers have tried augmented field trips and found them an effective learning experience.
3. Virtual Expedition
Want your students to experience Mars, Antarctica, and Machu Picchu in virtual reality? Google Expedition is, without a doubt, an excellent way to do that. However, the content is limited there, but you can make or design your own content by using a VR headset, like Google Cardboard.
You can embed 360- degree videos and photos in virtual reality. Moreover, Google has created AR experiences that enable students to explore augmented mode of the human body, oceans, space, and volcanoes. These models appear in class like the one Pokemon Go shows in the players’ living room.
4. Student Creation
Students can create an augmented reality experience in their classroom to show their learning. The activity is not only fun but also creative and gives a chance for students to share their creation outside the classroom.
Platforms, like the Metaverse AR platform, do not need QR codes to run; many educators have been able to implement these activities in class. They are suitable for all grades and subjects.
How Augmented Reality- based Learning Benefits Students?
AR in Classrooms
Creating lessons that can engage students in the classroom has become a challenge for teachers in this dynamic age. Uniquely presenting information can help students remain attentive. Whether it is a bio of a person, historical data, or scientific study, a visual 3D explanation will give students a better idea of the topic you’re teaching.
Students may take assistance in their assignments or use videotapes or audio to find useful information.
Better Understanding of Abstract Concepts
One of the biggest advantages of using AR technology in education is its ability to create virtual realities of abstract concepts that are hard to imagine and comprehend. The ability is great for visual learners who find theoretical information hard to digest.
A Portuguese institute called Polytechnic integrated augmented reality into mathematics lessons, and students found it very helpful.
Interaction and Engagement
It is not necessary to design an entire lesson based on augmented reality. By incorporating a small part, such as a 3D dimensional model or a teaser, that supports the main lesson, teachers can enhance the learning experience. It may help students learn the topic and see it from a new perspective.
For example, a Canadian company CASE incorporated AR by transforming a gym wall into an interesting ball game. An augmented reality layer was added to the wall where kids threw balls to hit floating images. It was a great physical exercise.
Object Modeling
AR can be great when it comes to learning manual exercises, manual training, and solving quizzes. AR apps can do wonders in medical studies as they can help students explore human anatomy in an entirely new way.
As AR learning is based on 3D models, it has more room for creativity. From rotation, style to color, you can do a lot with animation and special gadgets.
Bottom Line
Despite all the benefits and uses of augmented reality in the modern world, it is still in its infancy in the education domain. Thus, AR can facilitate teaching and learning methodologies and open new ways of learning.
