What is Augmented Reality in Education?
Augmented Reality in Education Enhances Teaching and Learning Processes
- AR-powered virtual field trips to historical monuments and museums allow students to experience history in a more engaging way.
- Molecular structures and complex chemical compounds can be taught effortlessly through AR explanatory videos and animation.
- Students struggling with geometric lessons can use AR to examine and manipulate 3D geometrical shapes.
- Presentations are vital in today’s knowledge sharing culture. AR is a handy tool that makes your presentations more immersive and in-depth.
How is Augmented Reality Learning Applied Across Different Fields of Education?
“As educators, students, and parents become more comfortable with virtual learning, AR/VR have emerged as engaging tools for teachers to support their curriculums across K12, higher education, and lifelong learning institutions.”
Augmented Reality in Education and Training: Use Cases
1 AR for Early Learners
- Quiver Masks combines augmented reality coloring pages with face-tracking that allows kids to create interactive AR masks. Kids can apply their own imagination and retell exciting stories using the AR masks. The app offers an educational platform that enables educators and students to better visualize and understand various learning subjects.
- Catchy Words AR is a fun augmented reality app for students to practice their spelling skills. Using the app, students will be able to see letters floating all around them. By moving their phones or tablets and changing their positions, students have to catch the letters and solve the word. This improves their spelling skills and memory.
2 AR in Classroom
- Octagon Studio’s Dinosaur 4D+ augmented reality flashcards allow teachers to explain the origin and physiology of dinosaurs, while the students discern the animated reptiles with rapt attention. Through visual simulation, discovery-based learning, and interactivity, the app keeps students engaged in the classroom.
- AssemblerEDU AR app allows teachers to present complex concepts in 3D as if it is right in the classroom. Through its powerful AR editors, 3D library, and importing options, Assembler helps create a more accessible and exciting learning experience at school, which arouses curiosity and understanding among students.
3 AR in Remote Learning
- 3DBear AR app supports both in-class and remote learning by allowing students to create and experience their own virtual worlds. It’s a great tool for homework when learning remotely. Teachers can access lesson plans, assign challenges to students, and track them easily using this AR application.
- Human Anatomy Atlas 2023+ is a cross-platform (web & mobile) AR app that offers full female and male 3D interactive visual content and models to study gross anatomy. It’s the most comprehensive and portable anatomy and physiology reference available today.
4 AR to Increase Campus Enrollments
- The University of Scranton, Pennsylvania has successfully leveraged Augmented Reality in their admissions marketing campaign, way back in 2014 itself. Visitors at the university were asked to download a free AR app called Layar, and then point their phone towards the university logo on the marketing poster. The logo was transformed into a video that appeared to be playing on the poster.
- The Savannah College of Arts and Science has rolled out an augmented reality catalog detailing various courses, programs, degrees, majors, and other learning opportunities for students. The AR-driven catalog enables prospective students to learn more about the institution before enrolling.
Augmented Reality EdTech Trends That Reign Supreme Now
1. AI and AR Will Work Together
2. Mobile Augmented Reality
According to ARtillery Intelligence, the global mobile AR revenue is projected to grow from $6.87 billion in 2020 to $26.05 billion in 2025, at a CAGR of 30.5%.
Mobile Devices: 57%
Desktops and Laptops: 24%
AR Glasses: 6%
Not Specified: 13%
3. WebAR Solutions
4. Cross-Platform AR Applications
5. Interactive AR Manuals
Three Types of AR Used in Education Today
- Requires target images or markers to annotate things in a given space
- Phone camera feeds are used to place 3D digital content within the user’s visual field
- No object tracking systems required
- Utilizes advancements in cameras, sensors, algorithms, and processors to detect and map the real-world
- Merges virtual 3D objects into the user’s physical location
- Superimposes information based on your geographical location
Debunking The Myths About AR in Education
Myth #1 AR is Only for Fun, Gaming, and Entertainment
Myth #2 AR in Education is Expensive
Myth #3 Teachers Face a Huge Learning Curve
Myth #4 AR is Only a Short-Lived Trend
According to Fact.MR, the demand for Augmented Reality in K-12 education is projected to increase at a CAGR of 75% across the assessment period of 2021 to 2031.
Myth #5 AR Experiences are Solely Designed For Classroom Learning
Augmented Reality Education Applied in Professional Training
AR in Education Enables Industries To Improve Training Efficiency and Outcomes
1. Healthcare and Medicine
Example:
2. Retail
Example:
3. Manufacturing
Example:
4. Military Training
Example:
5. Equipment Installation and Maintenance
Example:
6. Space Exploration
Example:
Top 3 professional educational fields in which AR is used the most:
Medical Training
Science
Engineering
Top Benefits of Augmented Reality in Education
Accessible Learning Materials
Several educational institutions struggle both technically and financially to update outdated learning materials. This can be solved using a customized AR application that helps download the latest content and present it in a highly interactive format. Replacing printed textbooks, manuals, brochures, and posters with AR can save your printing costs. Mobile-based AR apps allow anyone to access learning materials from anywhere.
Higher Student Engagement and Interest
Through interactive and gamified learning, AR keeps students engaged throughout the lesson. This makes learning effortless and fun-filled. Immersion techniques, such as virtual worlds, encourage students to explore the learning materials more deeply. It makes lessons appear more interesting, relevant, and real. Motivation drives higher student engagement and improves the pace of learning.
Interactive Learning Environment
AR helps implement more self-practice sessions and hands-on learning exercises to provide students an interactive learning environment, even within their classrooms. For example, an AR app that takes students to a virtual aviary can help them learn more about different bird species. Students also get an opportunity to learn and practice new skills in an interactive learning environment.
Improve Memory and Concentration
Augmented Reality helps bring lessons to life, so students can easily recollect the key details. For example, a history lecturer can use AR technology to create memorable interactive stories to narrate the Colonial American period, instead of presenting plain images on an LCD projector.
No Expensive Hardware Required
Augmented Reality can work without any expensive hardware. What you only need is a contemporary smartphone that already has the hardware needed to run AR apps. Augmented reality can present the required 3D models and accompanying explanations in situations where it is necessary to explore scientific devices, equipment, blueprints, charts, tables, or any other physical learning materials.
Safe and Effective Workplace Training
Through interactive and gamified learning, AR keeps students engaged throughout the lesson. This makes learning effortless and fun-filled. Immersion techniques, such as virtual worlds, encourage students to explore the learning materials more deeply. It makes lessons appear more interesting, relevant, and real. Motivation drives higher student engagement and improves the pace of learning.
Develop Your AR Training Application with Fingent
Frequently Asked Questions About AR in Education
AR in Education:
Right from K-12 to higher education and employee training in corporate settings, AR can be applied to improve both teaching and learning. Augmented Reality learning technology allows teachers and educators to incorporate personalized, game-based learning that extends beyond the classroom. Use of AR in education sector improves the learning environment by driving student engagement and experience.AR in Training:
Augmented reality applications can solve the skill crisis that negatively impacts the workforce productivity. Several industries use Augmented Reality to improve their workforce’s productivity, bridge skill gaps, impart workplace training, save the time and effort of their employees, and cut down on hiring and training costs. AR allows new employees to receive training on-the go using real-time instructions.- >> Make classes more interactive through 3D simulations and models that help students try physical experiments in a virtual world.
- >> Instead of giving orders and instructions, teachers can act as guides who help students learn concepts by themselves. Experiential learning improves knowledge retention among students.
- >> Game-based learning improves teacher-student collaboration in classrooms. Simple lesson plans and question-answer sessions conducted using AR make classes more fun and interesting.
- >> 2D images and textbooks can be easily converted into 3D interactive models using AR. Teachers can exploit this feature to grab the attention of their students. Conducting practice sessions using AR-based learning simulations keep student engagement levels high.
- >> AR can be used to create fun quizzes, mock tests, and puzzles that drive student participation. It can replace dreadful examinations. AR-based evaluation also excites teachers as they can save time and personally assess how each student is making progress.
- 1) Technical challenges, such as hardware issues, device malfunctioning, content glitches, and poor usability.
- 2) Limited content capabilities to create AR-based learning curriculum. Not all training topics are suited to fit within AR’s capabilities. This forces AR content creators to design microlearning experiences.
- 3) Outsourcing your app development requirement to a reliable AR software development partner.
- 4) Compared to a Virtual Reality (VR) experience, AR doesn’t support all the training modalities. You need to perform a complete training analysis to understand if AR training can deliver the immersive experience that you seek.