educating with augmented reality

Augmented reality is quickly advancing to be one of the next ground breaking technologies that revolutionize the way we live. Many believe this might be far off, but it’s coming quicker than you might expect. Due to this, we should consider what areas in our life that augmented reality might benefit us. One specific aspect that has great potential for use of augmented reality is education.

The education space, for the most part, hasn’t changed for the past hundred years. Students sit in desks. Teachers stand and lecture. Indecipherable notes are written on boards. How can one stay engaged in a classroom that was built for the 19th century?

The modern education system often falls short in delivering a truly enriching and fulfilling learning experience.

But what would an ideal education system look like for a modern society, and how might augmented reality help move the education system in a better direction?

the current education system

Let’s establish a few things about the current education system (at least in the United States).

THE STANDARD OF TEACHING IS NOT ENGAGING

The traditional model of public education, which emphasizes memorization and regurgitation of information rather than critical thinking and problem-solving, may not be conducive to engaging students. The increasing pressure to meet standardized test scores and other benchmarks may also contribute to a lack of engagement in the classroom, as teachers may feel the need to prioritize test preparation over more interactive and experiential forms of learning.

PEOPLE LEARN DIFFERENTLY

The modern education system often relies on a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching, which can be challenging for students who learn in different ways. Some students may be visual learners, while others may be auditory learners or kinesthetic learners. However, the traditional education system often emphasizes the use of aids such as lectures and textbooks, which may not be effective for all students. Additionally, the pace of instruction may not be adjustable, which can be particularly challenging for students who need more time to process and understand new information. As a result, students who learn differently may struggle to keep up or may become disengaged in the classroom.

STUDENTS AREN’T ACTUALLY LEARNING

As mentioned before, a majority of students aren’t actually learning. They are regurgitating information that they have crammed to understand, only for it to be forgotten.

CAN AUGMENTED REALITY IMPROVE UPON THESE PROBLEMS ?

Augmented reality does not solve everything, however it is going to be an incredible tool in the future.

AR BRING MORE ENGAGING LEARNING
AR has the potential to bring more engaging and experiential forms of learning to the classroom. Students will be able to see three-dimensional models in the real world. They will be able to see visualized thoughts of others through experiential forms of education. For some individuals, who have Aphantasia, the inability to visualize in their heads, this is a game changer. It will be able to engage individuals to see in new ways.

AR CAN CATER TO DIFFERENT LEARNERS AND CREATE STRONGER MEMORIES
Students also learn differently as mentioned before. Augmented reality has the power to bring forward new experiences that reach all of your senses: visual, using 3D imagery; auditory, using spatial audio; feeling, using haptic feedback; and even smelling, using olfactary generators (this is a bit far off).

There has been some research that has been done that has suggested that engaging all your senses while learning can help increase stronger memories according to Meik Wiking, the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark. This is because our brains are better able to encode and store information when it is presented in multiple ways. For example, if we see, hear, and touch something new, our brains are more likely to create a strong and lasting memory of it. This is both engaging and helps people who learn in different styles.

Information can also be presented in different learning styles. Education content for AR will be an entire market in itself and will open a lot of opportunity to cater to people of different learning styles.

AR ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN NEW WAYS

In addition to being engaging, students will also need to be able to convey their thoughts in a more critical way. They will be able to create experiences or models that help them explain their thoughts. In the future, there will likely be tools like DALLE-2 or MidJourney for 3D objects that allow students to speak their thoughts into a virtual existence. By doing this, students will have to critically think about how express their thoughts in this new medium. At the same time, students will be able to express themselves creatively.

HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS ACCESSIBLE

One way to make augmented reality (AR) technology more accessible to everyone is to utilize WebXR, which allows users to access AR experiences through their web browser on their mobile device. This approach is currently the most accessible option, as it does not require specialized hardware such as AR headsets. In the future, it is likely that AR glasses will become more prevalent, but it will be important to ensure that these technologies are also accessible to all individuals, regardless of their socio-economic background. This could be achieved through initiatives such as funding programs for schools in disadvantaged communities, or through the development of more affordable AR hardware.


HOW CAN EDUCATORS INCORPORATE THIS IN THEIR LESSON PLANS?

As mentioned before, educators can begin incorporating these sorts of technologies in their classrooms today. Creating content in tools such as 8thWall and ZapWorks, students can use their smart phones to open up a website and see content in their surroundings. Below is a simple example of an animated dinosaur in 3D (if you are on desktop, you may need to scroll down in the window to find the QR code to scan).

There is a bit of a learning curve to learning to generate code to create content like this, however 8th Wall has some great templates that are easier than most to pick up. This is also a great opportunity for augmented reality products to be created in this space.

As presented, there are many reasons to be excited about using augmented reality in education. It creates for more engaging and memorable learning, it helps cater to different learners, and will allow students to express themselves in new ways. It will not be the only way that is used to teach, but will serve as a great tool and brings up a lot of questions around how our society will change from using AR in our every day life.

What do you think the future classroom of tomorrow will look like?