Transforming the Digital Classrooms – Role of Augmented Reality

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Characteristics of the Learning Ecosystem

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Problem Resolution from mPowerO to Robotex India

mpowero Case Studies of Robotex India

Augmented Reality (AR) integrates digital technology in the form of device-generated information with the real world environment to provide an enhanced version of reality.

While augmented reality enhances to provide a real environment for more participation, immersion and interaction, virtual reality creates an artificial environment.

AR has a deep impact on the education system in laying a pathway for making learning more interesting, interactive, immersive and contextual for generating better learning outcomes and progressive learning paths.

Let’s look at a few ways by which AR is transforming the classrooms:

a) AR-enabled learning course material:

Learners (students) can bring alive the lessons in their textbooks (only when books are AR-enabled), using AR apps on their mobile phones or smart devices for learning purposes.

Digital Publishers can add AR features to their books to provide context, in the form of developing AR-enabled textbooks.

Example of a real-world scenario:

An artist taking lessons can have AR features such as a gallery containing the works of the artist and some more information about the era in which the artistic works have been created. Learners who carry lessons pointing to AR App(s) on their smart devices can make use of the gallery to gain more insights into artist’s works and life.

With AR features embedded in the learning textbooks, teachers are spared the hassle of creating their own audio/video materials in the form of fostering interactivity to supplement the learning process and hence experiences for learners.

b) AR-enabled worksheets:

AR-enabled worksheets enable students to learn independently any time anywhere at their comfort. Static content disengages students by disorienting their interest. Digital rich content promotes interactivity with content made available in multiple content formats.

AR-enabled worksheets, assignments, assessments make homework both easy and interesting. Students when attempting to point their AR-enabled mobile phones on their worksheets, the app would then launch corresponding digital elements such as audio, video, quiz, map, podcast, via virtual representation of an object in 3D form.

Learners thus browse through a host of contextual digital material, learn at their own pace, try various activities, and also learn by doing.

c) AR-enabled word walls:

Creating word walls in each class to enrich the vocabulary of the students in a classroom can be effectively used as an innovative idea by the teachers. Words to be taught during a day can be a part of the word wall on a day-to-day basis. Students can understand the concepts better using these AR word walls by accumulating the synonyms and further sentence formations with the words that are being taught by the teachers.

Furthermore, lessons with similar words can be accessed via the AR app to view audio/video and other 3D elements to learn and understand more on the concepts.

d) AR-enabled content:

Digital Publishers are yet to up their processes to entice young learners with AR-enabled eBooks and learning material. Several digital publishing platforms allow publishers to create AR-enabled content. Publishers simply need to upload their content on the platform in PDF formats and follow the steps to add AR elements to the content to make it much more interactive and intuitive.