Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality

via GIPHY


Augmented Reality and 3 reasons it might help promote learning in new ways.

Augmented Reality is exactly what the name describes.  It is the ability to take the actual world that we experience, and augment it to include visual or data integration, that can enhance or alter the experience of reality.   This is different than my previous blog on "Virtual Reality", which provides fully generated environments that you can interact and immerse yourself into.  Augmented reality "adds on" to the real experience with educational or entertainment that is otherwise not present.

3 ways that companies are creating AR products for use in educational settings.

Augmented reality has some significant advantages for improving engagement and experience in the educational setting.  One of the more common uses is the ability to introduce 3D visualization in the classroom, as part of an existing 2D presentation on screen.  As example, a science class on human anatomy can allow the students (through the viewer on their cell phones of tablets) to view an image of the human body, and allow the body to emerge into the third dimension, and rotate for enhanced viewing.

Another example is the ability to deliver portable learning modules.  Cards or simple oages can be distributed, with the students able to engage the AR, and view a 3D image of a speaker or event, that is pre-defined by the learning plan.  Additionally, this allows the curriculum to be updated and kep current, without having to re-preint or distribute the stimulus card.

In addition, the creative use of Augmented reality allows students to explore beyond the learning plan.  If programmed appropriately, education delivered in AR will allow students to explore their intellectual curiosity, beyond the designated plan.  This type of exploring allows students to engage while being entertained, which will encourage incremental learning.

Criticism of using AR in the classroom.

One potential criticism of using AR in the classroom is that the curriculum can be viewed as a source of entertainment, which may distract from the importance of the message.  Students may be engaged with the "shiny object" aspect of the lesson, but miss the critical elements that the lesson was designed to deliver.

Pedagogical contributions of AR, challenges of using AR in the classroom, and areas for further research in AR.

Augmented Reality is extremely relevant for education because of its alignment with Constructivist concepts and situated learning . "Augmented Reality is learner based, allowing the learner to direct their course of discovery in a rich environment that allows for experimentation and making mistakes with no major consequences" (Augmented Reality in Education). The learner can become engaged in an active process that delivers visual and interactive forms of learning.

Augmented reality holds a great deal of promise in for educational purposes. However, despite the fact that the technology needed to deliver AR in the classroom is readily available, AR’s use in educational settings is growing at a slow pace. "Several challenges are present for educators interested in adopting AR in their instructional environments but they are not insurmountable" (D.R. Miller 2017). Restricted budgets make it difficult to invest in necessary equipment. Additionally, customer AR training modules require technical expertise and development, that is also not funded, and sometimes not available. However, Increasing hardware availability as well as software advances are affording more instructors access to the tools needed to design, develop, and implement their own AR in and around their classroom. This requires individual commitment from the teachers, willing to take on AR projects above and beyond the current curriculum.

Augmented Reality continues to evolve, as fast as technology continues to move faster, and deliver faster levels of engagement. Additionally, the more consumers engage in AR, the more feedback that becomes available regarding the areas where more development is needed, providing insights into developing markets and functional uses. "Mobile phones are such an integral part of our lives that they might as well be extensions of our bodies; as technology can be further integrated into our lives without being intrusive (a la Google Glass) – it is a certainty that augmented reality provides opportunities to enhance user experiences beyond measure." (Augmented reality - The Past, the Present and the Future)


References:


Augmented Reality in Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://educationar.wikispaces.com/Augmented Reality in Education

Augmented Reality – The Past, The Present and The Future. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/augmented-reality-the-past-the-present- and-the-future

Miller, D. R., & Dousay, T. (n.d.). Implementing Augmented Reality in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/itet/article/view/18601




Second Week Assignment:  My Aura

Aurasma username: Torralbas

Explain how and for what purpose your Aura might be used in an educational setting.

The Aura can be used to demonstrate unusual behavior associated with over consumption of alcohol, as part of a sociology or psychology curriculum.  Although, the AURA I created here is more for entertainment, it can easily be customized to provide educational content on the influence of behavior for different types of alcohol or drugs.  Possibly to help training in counselling to identify behaviors associated with different drugs or alcohol.

If your product were more sophisticated or further developed, what potential do you envision for it to make learning more or less engaging?

By creating an interface, an Aura creates a sense of "treasure hunt" for knowledge.  This type of tool breaks outside of the mold of reading and memorization, and links learning to real world exploration.  Similar to the game "Pokemon", that encouraged kids (and yes, adults like myself) to go out into the community and public parks, and search for Pokemon, while exploring the parks and malls.   

In a more sophisticated fashion, an Aura can be used for corporate product visualization.  An Aura can be created for an entire line of liquor bottles, that allows the customer to scan one of their bottles and see visual cues regarding the location of the bottle manufacture, or possibly have a high quality image of an empty glass bottle for visual inspection.  Additionally, the liquor companies can build consumer promotions that allow consumers to engage in with their brands in a new way.

I hope you enjoy my Aura!