Seeing is Believing: How Augmented Reality Transforms Immersive Learning

Immersive technologies, which includes Augmented Reality (AR), is revolutionizing education by bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world. In December 2021, Meta announced plans to expand its partnership with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India’s biggest school board, to offer AR training to more than 10 million students and a million teachers, over the next three years.

AR-powered field trips

It’s important for students to step out of the classroom and experience the material that they are studying. This could include historical sites, natural wonders, or even a visit to a courthouse or hospital. These field trips help your students get a feel of the real world, comparing it to their theoretical classroom learning. When your class visits these destinations, an AR overlay can transform the experience by adding significant information. For example, the Forest Explore AR app provides a pre-mapped tour with specific stops. Along the way, learners can engage with narrations, photos, videos and quizzes.

Bringing history to life

Something similar can be done for students when it comes to subjects such as history. It’s often perceived as a dry subject. With seamless AR integration, teachers can breathe new life into this historical events. Augmented reality provides a real-time overlay of computer-generated information to augment the historical real-world environment. AR in primary education has shown a positive impact on motivation, collaboration and academic achievement. With AR’s capacity for interactive overlay, you can superimpose historical elements onto the real world or even create historical re-enactments. You could stand in a modern city and use your smartphone or AR-enabled device to see buildings, people and even clothing transformed into their historical counterparts.

Medical anatomy and immersive learning

Human anatomy and physiology can be hard to visualize. Augmented reality helps enable this. For example, AR apps exist that derive virtual models of the human body from classic textbooks which learners can interact and engage with. It’s accurate, it’s engaging, available round the clock, and allows intrepid medical students to explore the body right down to the cellular level. 

You can read more about how AR is revolutionizing training in healthcare here.

Virtual labs for better recall

You can enhance hands-on science experiments and simulations with more layers of information. By adding AR overlays, students get a much more holistic view into the experiment being performed. This transforms the virtual lab into near-real situations, helping them improve recall. For example, through an AR application, students attending a density measurement virtual lab can determine the density for different materials without needing any of the materials.

Visualizing architecture and design

Augmented reality allows students, professionals and clients in engineering and architecture to explore projects in real-time, make changes on the spot and aid in project analysis. It also helps with planning and optimizing construction site safety by identifying hazards through virtual tours. AR enhances the capabilities of interior and landscape design by simulating the arrangements. You can ‘see’ how an item fits in a particular space using AR.

Imbibing culture, language and art

Augmented reality has permeated every sphere of education, including culturally oriented subjects like language learning and art. In a study published in PubMed Central earlier this year, researchers found that when they used AR in teaching Persian as a foreign language, they saw an increased level of satisfaction, enthusiasm and interaction. They also saw enhanced efficiency in learning and memorization.

Challenges

Having said that, there are certain challenges in the integration of AR in education, for two reasons. Firstly, access to AR devices remains a concern as not all students have equal access to the necessary technology, potentially creating disparities in learning opportunities. Campaigns like Meta’s are likely to improve the situation in the long term, through the democratization of AR tech availability.

Another major challenge is that content creation for immersive learning experiences can be time-consuming and resource-intensive for educators. It’s possible to improve this situation by leveraging third-party resources and creating custom content with the help of an expert like Hornbill FX.

Immersive technologies are breaking barriers in education, bringing the world to the classroom and the classroom to the world. It’s reshaping the way students learn and experience the world. Join the AR revolution! Get in touch with our team to learn more.