Are your students losing interest? Are you looking for new ways to engage your class, but still using the same traditional teaching methods? You’re not alone. According to a recent Harvard GSE report, student engagement is declining every year because institutions’ focus on standardized teaching methods. The good news is there is a solution, and it might appear counterintuitive.
Augmented Reality has come a long way since snapchat filters, and while smartphones and tablets might be the last thing on your mind to get your students to focus, this immersive technology might be just the thing for motivating a tired and uninterested class.
Here are several points on why AR in education is a great addition to studying, teaching and learning:
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Need help explaining complex and abstract concepts? Show – don’t tell! Especially when it comes to complex topics, students will learn faster with visual 3D models. Augmented Reality superimposes images and animations on real-world environments bringing the real and imaginary together. There is no doubt that your students will understand concepts better when they visualize it.
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Can I have your attention…please?
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer! All teachers understand the headache of a classroom full of kids using their devices during a lesson. Instead of forbidding electronic devices in class, teachers can (and should) use these innovations to increase student engagement. AR education provides a playful approach to learning, which makes the lessons more emotionally stimulating and thus memorable.
Check out our project with Wikitude that created a fun and educational experience for kids:
I choose practice over theory.
Renting a space and allocating resources for hands-on learning can be expensive and unrealistic for most teaching facilities. With AR tech, students can perform hands-on exercises without the need for physical laboratory equipment. This type of technology can be applicable to almost any type of subject. Practicing surgery in medicine or putting together projects in engineering, discovering space or the underwater world, augmented reality can take learning to the next level. A real-life Ms. Frizzle!
I am environmentally friendly and cost-efficient!
With AR apps, users can learn anytime, anywhere from their smartphones or tablets. This is the best way to replace paper books, posters and huge physical models – all things that take valuable resources from our environment. Normally no additional tools are required for AR – schools typically have some tablets available and 95% of teens have a smartphone. There are no or very small additional costs for parents and teachers to spend on the online learning and teaching tools.
We all know that we remember best when we see and experience things. And the numbers show it – researchers found immersive learning 70-90% more effective than traditional learning. Augmented reality proves this fact. 3D visualization in AR applications helps learners to better understand the subject.
Of course, there will always be educators who believe that technology is destroying our generation. We can’t stop people from using technology, but we can make sure they don’t waste their time on it and use it more efficiently.
