At the Glasgow University Learning and Teaching Conference 2019 with Digital Education Team delivered a session on using Augmented Reality in Teaching. Here are some highlights from that session.
Firstly, what is AR?
Two definitions that sum up AR pretty well, the first…
“Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real-world are ‘augmented’ by computer-generated perceptual information.” (Schueffel, P. 2017)
And the second definition to tie it together…
“In AR, the environment is real, but extended with information and imagery from the system. In other words, AR bridges the gap between the real and the virtual in a seamless way” (Chang, Morreale, & Medicherla, 2010)
So Why is AR important? And why should we use it?
Rosenbaum, Klopfer and Perry (2006) state that “A new set of skills is required from students in an information-based economy, and traditional classroom practices often do poorly at teaching these skills. Students should be able to work with incomplete information, adapt to changing conditions, manage complexity, and fluidly create and share knowledge.”
Now more than ever it is important that we develop independent, skilled and highly valued graduates. Augmented Reality can “promote self-directed learning, self-motivation, problem-solving skills, and knowledge-application skills” (Liu et al., 2009) vital in today’s working environment. In 2008, Klopfer demonstrated AR mobile games allowed learners to organise, search and evaluate data and information and therefore, enhance their skills in navigating primary and secondary data through these tasks (Hsin-Kai Wu et al. 2012). In addition, AR “facilitates an innovative and fascinating learning mode, which eliminates isolated feelings in learning”
So AR, in various ways, could grant students extra digital information about any subject, and make complex information easier to understand.
To summarise, AR is… a tool the bridges the gap between reality and the virtual world, it extends information and uses imagery to engage the end user. It is important as It provides space to practice, allows time for skills development, it can be exciting and fun, it provides mass information in minimal space and it meets the needs of the new generation who are used to living in a virtual space.
How can you embed some quick and simple AR tasks in to your teaching materials?
Well to get you started we recommend that your read this article by Capterra
Some tools that can help you >
- ZappAR – https://www.zappar.com/
- BlippAR – https://www.blippar.com/
- LayAR – https://www.layar.com/
Don’t forget to fully plan out your design for the learning task and fully research that this is the best method of delivery for your programme or course.
You can view the PowerPoint presentation by selecting the download link above.