Augmented Reality: The Future Of Education Or A Passing Fad?

Technology is here to stay – but which technologies will become part of daily life and which ones will be forgotten isn’t always clear. This applies to the educational space as well, with tech having the ability to improve how children learn unlike ever before.

One technology that’s worth thinking about is augmented reality, often referred to as AR. Augmented reality is an interactive experience in a real-world environment. Using a tablet or phone, a user sees the real world through the camera, but AR lets you overlay visual elements onto reality, such as animations, shapes, sounds, or videos. This is in contrast to virtual reality (VR), where users use a headset to immerse themselves in a fully virtual world.

If you’re curious as to why augmented reality is important in education and whether or not it’s here to stay, here’s a guide to the future of AR in learning.

What are the benefits of augmented reality in education?
Using AR as a teaching tool helps students in plenty of ways. One major advantage is that it makes the learning experience more immersive – it can be hard to visualize complex topics just by reading about them in a textbook, but seeing them jump off the page and into the classroom helps kids understand new concepts more easily.

Augmented reality is also exciting, engaging, and interesting to students, helping them focus and pay attention. AR can make math equations come to life in 3D, help students view an insect up-close, or let them rearrange letters into words, inspiring curiosity and creativity.

From a teaching perspective, AR is also easy to use and access. All teachers need to do is download the lesson plan and get started, meaning the information presented to students is always up-to-date and accurate.

AR can also be safer and simpler than traditional learning methods, especially in the sciences. For example, instead of making a messy baking soda volcano or dissecting a frog leg, these lessons could be done virtually by students.

Because AR is usually accessed via a phone or iPad/tablet, it uses tools we already have in our pockets. This means it’s generally more affordable than VR technology, which requires expensive gear and wearable headsets to access.

Are there any downsides to AR in education?
Like all aspects of technology, AR isn’t perfect. There is a barrier to entry in that you need access to a phone or tablet, something not all students have. While this could be shared or provided within the classroom by the school, students learning from home without a tablet could be disadvantaged.

There are also the known risks associated with too much screen time, including feelings of isolation and addiction, as well as shortening of attention spans. As parents know, screen time should always be managed carefully, even during homeschooling. To mitigate this, AR should only be used as needed, as part of a larger lesson led by a teacher – it shouldn’t become a replacement for traditional learning methods.

How is AR being used in education?
AR might sound like a fun novelty, and it can be – it’s frequently used in games and social media apps like Snapchat. However, it also has plenty of educational benefits. So how do teachers use augmented reality?

The beauty of AR is that it can be applied to just about any school subject. If a trip to the zoo isn’t possible, for example, you can bring a life-sized animal right into the classroom, letting students see how they size up compared to a gorilla or lion.

Younger students would also enjoy the excitement of making a drawing or painting in art class, then watching it come to life as a 3D object. There are also lots of exciting AR opportunities in astronomy – imagine holding your phone up to the night sky and seeing stars or planets in vibrant detail.

In a high school setting, augmented reality is useful for dissections, chemistry, and history. With AR, for example, you can get an up-close look at a Gutenberg press, making it easier to understand how its creation changed the world.

What is the future of augmented reality in education?
How can augmented reality shape the future of education? Tools like AR and even VR provide new opportunities for both teachers and tutors.

Gone are the days when chalkboards, books, and overhead projectors were the only ways of demonstrating formulas, teaching spelling, or sharing information. These days, technology like AR, VR, and learning apps can help school subjects come to life in living color. Augmented reality is interactive, fun, and effective, and is becoming more widespread – not just in education but also in entertainment, online shopping, health care, and real estate.

It seems highly unlikely that AR is a fad that will disappear soon. In 2020, the industry was valued at $14.7 billion, but is expected to increase to $88.4 billion by 2026. So what does this mean for the education industry? Well, we think it means that AR is here to stay. Technology like AR gives students new, more immersive ways of learning, which can only be a good thing.

For AR to become an effective and long-lasting part of the classroom, however, it needs to be used sparingly. Nothing can replace the human interaction between teachers and students, so AR should be used as an occasional tool, not as something that replaces teachers completely.

When used appropriately, augmented reality can broaden the horizons of students, inspire creativity and curiosity, and make learning more engaging. Any tool that makes it easier for students to learn is a good thing, so we hope augmented reality continues to find its place in the classroom.

 

Featured image by Tobias on Unsplash