Benefits of Augmented Reality for Education Industry

The global health crisis caused one of the biggest disruptions in history affecting students all over the world. UNESCO, United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization, states that  144,697,476 learners were affected by Covid-19 during last year.

Throughout the lockdown, learners couldn’t attend their daily classes. Authorities and non-governmental organizations all over the world tried to come up with distance learning ideas and solutions in order to help students, parents, and everyone else involved in the process. Schools and universities had to adapt quickly to virtual classrooms to ensure the continuous educational process. Clearly, such conditions only hurried the process of traditional methods of education becoming more and more irrelevant. Turned out it was a perfect time for new trends to appear.

One of the rapidly evolving directions that became vital is the so-called ED-tech. Under normal circumstances, digital transformation is an evolution, not a revolution, but not at this time. Due to the pandemic, education technology investments are expected to grow by 16.1% a year to reach $181 billion by 2025.

Among different ED-tech trends, which have already made an impact on learners we’d like to focus your attention on Augmented reality, which will soon become a leading tool not only in education but also in medicine, eCommerce, Foodservice, etc.

Why VR and AR Technology is Preferred in Education?

AR teaching is a promising trend in education because of its immersive experiences, the ability to share information in new and engaging ways, and the potential to provide virtual experiences that expand access to educational opportunities that would otherwise be limited by cost or physical distance.

According to the report, the AR market size is predicted to increase from $3.5 billion in 2017 to more than $198 billion by 2025. With such compelling growth, it makes sense to consider how AR can benefit our daily lives.

The Wall Street Journal noted:

Across multiple industries, augmented reality, or AR, has transitioned during the pandemic from intriguing experiment to everyday tool.

Let’s take a deeper look and discover what AR is and how it differs from technologies like VR and MR.

AR (Augmented reality) is a modified reality version created with the help of computer-generated elements on a real image. Basically, it is the ability to combine digital data with a real-time experience. The real world and augmented environments can interact together and be digitally manipulated. To make this possible AR apps use QR codes, geolocation data, or the object recognition feature. Examples include Snapchat and the game Pokemon Go.

VR (Virtual reality) is a technology where users wear a headset and are fully engaged in computer-generated reality such as Medieval Time, Space, etc.

MR (Mixed Reality) combines elements of both AR and VR, where real-world and digital objects interact.

These technologies can be used as immersive teaching methods and potentially become a key tool in education and revolutionize the learning of both schoolchildren and students. Classic teaching methods usually engage students through a theoretical learning style with random use of visual images to illustrate the concepts. This method works for the humanities, while other subjects, like science, may benefit from the inclusion of elements of laboratory experiments.

Benefits of augmented reality in education

There are a lot of advantages of augmented reality in education and here we list some of them. Augmented reality benefits education because it

• Gives students extra digital information about any subject
• Makes complex information easier to understand
• Provides quick and easy access to information
• Makes higher levels of engagement
• Increases interactivity
• Facilitates understanding of abstract concepts
• Creates unusual, interesting, and exciting approaches to education
• Adds gaming elements to support theoretical materials
• Increases remote learning opportunities

Among other benefits of augmented reality for education is its ability to provide personalized learning solutions for people with cognitive and learning disabilities. There are immersive programs available specifically for special education:

• VOISS (Virtual Reality Opportunities to Implement Social Skills) at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning and the Department of Special Education. The project uses augmental tech to help students with learning disabilities develop and practice social skills. Students and teachers are working in a low-risk environment with a headset or web-enabled device.
• Virtual reality is used in education by Floreo. It offers VR-based lessons in social and life skills for kids with Autism spectrum disorder. Through interactive methods, learners practice conversations and social cues in a gamified environment. Educators can view progress and guide the experience via augmented reality apps for education.

AR innovations make the learning process more engaging and fun. Let’s have a look at a few examples of augmented reality in education.

Augmented reality in schools

AR innovations make the learning process more engaging and fun. Let’s have a look at a few examples of augmented reality in education.

History

Have you ever wondered what medieval castles would look like in a modern city? Or do you want to investigate the latest theories of what dinosaurs looked like? The British Museum has already begun using AR technology to help visitors understand certain exhibits. You can do the same during history classes. AR app Dinosaur 4D+ allows users to scan flashcards to see 3D dinosaurs. You can see dinosaurs in action, zoom in, and read all the information.

Another example is AR educational game “Blok Out”. The purpose of this is to increase your historical awareness. People visit a medieval prison in the Netherlands, known as the “Blokhuispoort” and by playing a game they learn interesting facts about this historical place and the history of the surrounding area.

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Science

With AR it’s possible to recreate three-dimensional models of almost any object: human body, planets rotating around the Sun volcano eruption, visualized mountains, water sources, and other geographical features, Conduct experiments with and not harm anybody. It’s all about safety now.

Chemistry

With AR, pupils can perform practical experiments without the need for a physical lab. Another example of useful development in this area is the app Experience Chemistry. Students go through different levels, learn about chemical elements and investigate scientific concepts through simulations and interactive labs.

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Field trips

From now on class trips can be fun and interactive. Using an application you can pick a point on a map where the field trip will take place, and organize activities at points of interest (i.e. scavenger hunt) During the trip, children use their devices to interact with these experiences. Also, technologies may teach children about how industrial development can impact nature and encourage them to become more environmentally aware.

Requirements for AR in the Classroom

• An Internet connection
• Mobile devices (smartphones/ tablets or pairs of smart glasses)
• AR apps

Augmented reality in education and training

AR in education can also offer adults to improve their existing skills and knowledge, as well as gain new ones. It is essential for employees of any field to update their knowledge and skills to stay competitive. It should be done on a regular basis. Technology makes this process more interesting and exciting. AR provides opportunities to extend their expertise within several areas, including

Medical education and training

AR might provide training for medical students with the help of simulations, create human body models that allow learning anatomy in-depth, and practice surgeries on virtual patients. Yale School of Nursing has already begun instructing students to practice medical procedures using a program that visualizes health problems using smartphones and QR codes.

Case Western Reserve University with Cleveland Clinic uses Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality technology to launch the app to teach anatomy to medical students. In the app, you can see and hear, for example, the heartbeats while learning the function of different parts of the heart. This makes the learning process immerse and complete.

Space industry

This industry is actively exploring augmented reality. Technology helps astronauts and engineers perform tasks such as performing complex tasks that require advanced technical skills, maintaining a space station, etc.

Environmental studies

The New York Times published an AR visualization to raise awareness of extreme levels of pollution from the Gulf to New Delhi. Using the app, you can see how the world’s most polluted air compares with pollution in your hometown.

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Architecture and Cultural Heritage

AR can be a great tool in terms of architectural studies and cultural heritage preservation. Ukrainian team has launched an application, PocketcityAR where with the help of AR technology you can view 3D models of architectural monuments of all 25 regions of Ukraine. The project started with 24 digitized identified objects in Lviv (Ukraine). The purpose of the project was to digitize the architectural monuments of Ukraine so that people can learn about them. The team wanted to draw attention to the destruction of architectural monuments in different regions of Ukraine and record what is left today.

Engineering

Typical applications of AR in engineering include production, training, and support. For example, the pump industry uses AR to help technicians simulate complicated pump installations in water and wastewater operations rather than relying on a repair manual.

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To Sum Up

Education is always open to innovations and searching for ways to make learning more effective, especially now during a pandemic. There are many ways in which AR can change schools, universities, and e-learning in general. Contact us to get more insights about e-learning software development services Inoxoft provides and software development for the education industry than is changing the way we learn now.