How is Augmented Reality a Boon for Education?

Augmented Reality is future of Classroom Education and Training

Augmented Reality (AR) has many applications in various sectors, but undoubtedly, its use in education and training is something that offers many possibilities. The interaction level to the subject becomes in dept, wherein student gets to look at the information and research first hand as if physically available in the classroom. The engineering and medical institutes require more of the real-time functional training. With advancement in the technology of ar app development, training and learning become easy, effective and efficient. This AR technology will be boon for the primary school teaching, as kids trends to learn from there tablets and smartphones with a access to the internet.

First of all, augmented reality provides an interactive channel with the student, so that at any moment you can be part of a more enriching experience.

What is Augmented Reality?

The augmented reality consists of the vision of a real-world physical environment through a device (smartphone, tablet, etc.) to be shown in real time along with an additional layer of virtual elements. Unlike virtual reality, it is not a matter of replacing physical reality, but different multimedia information elements are placed in the view of the real world: texts, images, 3D models, videos, audios, animations, etc. 

These multimedia elements are stored and associated with a remote server. Therefore it is necessary to have an internet connection on the computer, tablet or smartphone to retrieve them and add them to the view of that physical reality.

Elements of Augmented Reality

In order to achieve this superposition of virtual elements in the view of a physical environment, an AR system must consist of the following elements:

  • Camera: It is the device that captures the image of the real world. It can be the webcam of the computer or the camera of the smartphone or tablet.

  • Processor: It is the element of hardware that combines the image with the information that must be superimposed.

  • Software: It is the specific computer program that manages the process.

  • Screen: In it, the real and virtual elements are combined.

  • Internet connection: It is used to send the information of the real environment to the remote server and recover the associated virtual information that overlaps.

  • Activator: It is a real-world element that the software uses to recognize the physical environment and select the associated virtual information that must be added. It can be a QR code, a bookmark, an image or object, or the GPS signal sent by the device.

  • Marker: It is an element more typical of 3D augmented reality systems. It can be a box printed on paper or an object that we move and place in real space and that the system recognizes and uses as a reference where to add the virtual three-dimensional model.

Augmented Reality in the Classroom

The advantage of Augmented Reality is that the student can experience the experiences in the first person and not just be reading information on a blackboard or looking at photographs. Just imagine how different it is to be told about how big the dinosaurs were, and to feel that you are standing next to you and be able to size this size technological promise could transform the learning experience into something much more ludic and interesting. Augment Reality scenarios with interactive creations can allow a digital representation of concepts in the learning process of the student


5 Uses of Augmented Reality in Education

1. Educational Itineraries
The use of AR facilitates and increases the educational use of itineraries in school trips, museums, exhibitions, etc. The added layer can contain texts, images, animations, videos, audios, etc. considerably expanding the available information.
Students can use these itineraries already prepared as a basis for the development of research projects. If the creation tool is affordable, you can also develop these AR contents individually and collectively and put them into operation for the others. This would increase the possibilities of augmented reality in the classroom favouring both the consumption and the creation of content using this technology.

2. 3D Models
There are concepts and processes that are ideal for learning with three-dimensional models because they provide an added and unique value as paper or two-dimensional constructions do not.

3. Simulations
In the initial phases of learning, the use of AR in simulations allows interesting features such as ease, availability, immediacy, safety in practice, trial and error learning, cost reduction, etc. For example, in psychology, AR systems are used to treat phobias of patients to spiders and cockroaches. Simulators with AR technology are also used in safety issues such as fire extinguishing, welding with a coated electrode or in the form of cooking a steak.

4. Real-Time Translators
The AR technology can also be applied to translate the existing text into an image of the real environment. Word Lens is an application for mobile phones and tablets that captures the image through the camera, recognizes the text, translates it into the chosen language and shows that image on the screen replacing the text with its translation. 

5. Accessibility

Augmented reality can also contribute to increasing access to public resources and spaces. This is especially useful for students with educational needs because it increases the possibilities of access to information. An example of AR for accessibility is the Accentac project. Here is the graph of AR that shows the rising interest in students.
However, it is a matter of a short time, that the market offers many more options both to companies those deal in AR App Development, and to consumers who want to innovate in their day to day through this technology. Among the latest Augmented Reality trends, the most common is its integration with various curricular areas such as mathematics, science, physical education, languages, knowledge of the environment, among others. A clear example of this is in learning. It is evident that learning in an interactive and entertaining way makes the process more efficient and that information is retained better and longer, both by children and adults.

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