Augmented Reality for the Educational Services Industry

There are compelling reasons for suggesting that AR is as innovative as we believe it is. AR is the latest breakthrough in this digital era. It will undoubtedly make a significant impact on the future as many industries are now adopting it.

With the Covid-19 pandemic leading to schools’ closure, parents and teachers had to adopt the new online teaching module. However, transitioning from traditional teaching methods to new ones was not easy. But many educationists think that this could undoubtedly be the future of the education industry. So, AR will become a part of our daily lives in one way or another.

In this blog, we will discuss how AR is going to influence and change the education industry in particular. But let’s have a basic understanding of what AR is.

What is Augmented Reality?

By adding virtual digital objects or content to the real-world environment, AR improves the real world. Images, videos, or interactive data can be objects. You can experience AR through portable devices such as mobile phones, smart glasses, etc. While VR will present a whole new world, AR will alter the existing world.

Different industries leverage AR, such as public safety, tourism services, entertainment, etc. There are numerous AR applications in healthcare that support the video platform and project enlarged hands on the patient. A senior surgeon can guide a beginner to his surgery wherever the surgery takes place. With several industries benefiting from AR, let’s see how the education industry is revolutionizing with AR.

Augmented Reality in Classroom Education

AR is the educational system’s future. Technology is already a significant factor affecting digital content, smart classrooms, and the online education sector. Implementing new technologies such as AR will empower students and teachers to more effectively explore and learn.

Today’s learning process focuses on bringing in the elements of interaction and creativity. AR allows the students to acquire, process, and remember information by providing visual representations. Thus, it will enable them to test their knowledge in practice.

Augmented Reality Benefits in Education

We have to keep in mind that the next generation will not be learning through chalk and boards. As many children have smartphones in their hands all the time, AR is a new way to have fun and education simultaneously. This is just one of the few benefits that AR brings to the table. Let’s look into a few more benefits that AR has to offer.

Engaging experience of learning

AR will help make classes more interactive and allow students to concentrate more on exercise than theory alone. Since AR brings virtual objects into the real world, it will enable learners to use physical devices to train skills.

One of the famous sayings is that “Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I will remember. Involve me, and I understand.” AR is all about helping students not just to see but also to experience and participates through which they can understand and incorporate things in their life.

Augmenting homework

One of the most burdensome things when you ask a student, is homework. However, this can change because of AR. It can help students do their assignments and homework better. Also, teachers could easily assign students AR-enabled tasks and keep track as well. This will allow students to explore educational concepts at their own pace.

AR illustrates some key essential points. It can break the boundaries of textbook learning, which has been sidelined as dull and tedious, making it interactive and absorbing by creating images and information “pop out of a textbook.

Augmented classrooms

An easy way to convert AR into conventional classroom training is by introducing Marker-Based AR Apps. Students can scan their textbooks after the app shows illustrations of complicated theoretical explanations. As students undergo the principles of a topic first-hand, the overall experience could turn the added value into a fun-filled exercise. As a result of AR, the quality of training in critical STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) subjects could significantly improve.

Giving education through entertainment

As we mentioned earlier that the next generation is pretty attached to their smartphones and screens. So, why not make sure they spend their time wisely on the internet. AR can make that happen as it makes lessons fun learning. Students are now finding it hard to learn with traditional methods of teaching. And with the Covid-19 pandemic far from over, AR can be a way forward in renovating the education industry.

Students tend to memorize what they see more than what they are learning, and that is making AR more imperative. By helping them see and experience and participate, AR takes them to the next level. As a result, AR has a positive impact on the students by giving them education as well as entertainment.

Turning abstract concepts into reality

Because AR uses 3D modeling and object recognition, biological concepts can be difficult for students to understand by hand and morph into engaging anatomy lessons. Also, per capita, learning will be much higher with every student and future doctor capable of extracting the touch and feel of operating on a patient.

AR breathes life into complex subjects that are expected to be learned by students. It can give complex, and abstract topics added creativity, interactivity, and engagement. Also, it simplifies the process of learning. Therefore, both teachers and students can also take control of the educational process via AR.

Affordable learning with a wide range of fields

It can be quite expensive to buy educational materials, and not everyone can afford to purchase them. However, students would only need smartphones and AR apps to use it for learning. When you take into account the widespread use of mobile devices, augmented reality is even more accessible in education. Also, AR can help save staff training costs as it can be easily given instead of traditional seminars and classes with AR headsets and apps’ aid.

Moreover, the use of AR does not restrict to a specific topic, age group, or level of education. AR can be useful for both preschool and higher education and even for corporate training. This technology is already utilized in various fields, from manufacturing and space to the medical and chemical industries.

Augmented Reality in Medical Education

There are two major kinds of medical education. The first is theoretical understanding, and the second is the practical application of that information. It is critical for medical students to learn practical skills. It is essential because the human body is a volatile, delicate, and complex system.

The learning process of medical education is hugely improved by augmented reality. It is capable of recreating or simulating specific situations, allowing trainees to practice with virtual components that resemble the human body and organ systems. It does not require an actual patient like any other traditional learning methodology. In this approach, augmented reality eliminates the process of putting one’s life at risk. As a result, augmented reality is excessively being used in medical education. It offers realistic experiences with minimal potential dangers, low-cost yet inefficient training, and real-time evaluation. Instructor support is available to provide accurate results in the education of the relevant skills.

Virtual and Augmented Reality in Education Art and Museums

Educational institutions and museums widely utilize virtual reality and augmented reality throughout the world. To fully harness the potential of virtual and augmented reality facilities, schools, museums, and art galleries will need to reconsider conventional ways of working and traditional thinking patterns in the near future. AR and VR technology integrated into exhibitions can assist visitors in engaging with and interacting with art. Visitors can explore places and stuff that cannot be displayed using virtual and augmented reality technology. As a result, technology has created new opportunities for learners and users who want to help shape the art and museum experience.

Augmented Reality in Special Education

The use of augmented reality (AR) in education is now garnering a lot of attention, especially in special education. Handling children with special needs requires different treatments, but AR’s adaptability and efficiency make it simpler to suit the students’ demands. AR can accommodate these learning experiences, allowing you to personalize your teaching to their specific needs. An augmented reality application, for instance, may bring books and other printed resources into reality by including 3D visuals, videos, and sounds. It may also provide instructors with the option of tweaking text to make content simpler to understand for pupils who are blind or deaf. AR democratizes learning for those with special needs. Some augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) apps are out of reach for some families due to their high cost. While on the other hand, AR is cost-efficient.

Augmented Reality in Education Research

AR technology enables the intermingling of actual items and virtual information to enhance students’ research engagement with physical environments and enhance their learning. Students may now learn complicated things in a pleasant and simple way due to advancements in technology. For example, by arranging virtual research excursions to a museum or zoo in another nation, lessons can be taught in the presence of a teacher as if they are currently at the location. Innovative and engaging experiences in areas ranging from science and engineering to foreign languages and social science can improve educational research.

Augmented Reality in Education Apps:

Augmented reality is being used in educational institutions to enhance conventional courses and increase interaction. The following are some augmented reality apps for education:

Holo-Human: This augmented reality app offers users a creative environment to examine human anatomical models, including internal and 360-degree views. Teachers can also create lesson plans through this app.

GeoGebra Augmented Reality: This interactive application enhances science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by allowing students to explore figures and 3D functions, develop critical thinking abilities, and more, from geometry and algebra to statistics and calculus.

Expeditions: This adaptable application, which includes hundreds of AR tours, allows instructors and students to create and discover dynamic, virtual environments.

Exoplanet: An animated list of known planets orbiting stars in the Milky Way is provided by this application, which was created by a professional astronomer.

Boulevard AR: This augmented reality app brings artwork from the National Portrait Gallery to life, allowing you to have a museum-like sensation from anywhere.

Augmented Reality Examples in Education

Below are some Augmented Reality examples that help students in different areas of study:

Math

AR technologies can assist instructors in creating interesting and educative math content that piques students’ interest and helps them achieve academic achievement. For example, Photomath is a smartphone augmented reality program that allows students to scan a math problem from a physical worksheet and then take them through calculation stages using animation. Through visualization and interactive 3D models, AR apps may also assist students in learning mathematical topics. The Merge Cube, for example, allows students to hold, examine, and rotate a virtual cube, making geometry learning more participatory.

Chemistry and biology

Teachers may use AR applications to help make scientific learning more appealing by using interactive lessons. Teachers can help students with their scientific investigations by mixing AR components, videos, and animation. Chem101 AR, for example, assists students in comprehending complex chemicals such as acids and oxides. Students may realistically change chemical structures and create new compounds using special cards.

History

Teachers may use augmented reality technologies to help students interact with history. 360Cities and Timelooper, for example, provide virtual excursions to locations all around the world to teach about cultural and historical views. In addition, students and instructors may use their cellphones to access AR applications that give more information and context about historical objects on exhibit at museums and historical locations.

Coding

One prominent advantage of augmented reality technology is that it allows students to participate in the process of generating lesson plans in coordination with instructors. Instructors can also use platforms to create coding lesson plans that incorporate AR technology. Tynker, for example, supplies schools with tools for teaching video game development. It also enables students to create augmented reality classroom projects.

Disadvantages of Augmented Reality in Education

AR has various advantages in educational contexts, but certain disadvantages and obstacles have also been highlighted by researchers, which may be attributed to accessibility, pedagogical, and learning concerns.

Concerns About Privacy

One of the biggest drawbacks of AR technology is the requirement to produce, analyze, and gather massive amounts of user data. Moreover, because of the potential sensitivity of the data acquired, AR poses privacy issues.

To provide an immersive experience, AR collects extensive biometric data from the users. While this is essential to provide a better experience, it does present a privacy risk.

Concerns About Health

While immersive technology has the potential to increase learning significantly, there is also the possibility of addiction and other health issues. However, when it comes to introducing immersive technologies like AR in schools, parents are generally open to utilizing technology, although they are slightly concerned about health risks such as eyesight and social isolation.

Teachers’ Flexibility

Teacher Adaptability Institutions must ensure that their instructors have the necessary degree of technical understanding before implementing new technology in the classroom. Some teachers may find it difficult to switch from conventional to innovative teaching methods. Furthermore, Students may lose attention if there are technological issues during the lecture if they are not comfortable operating the technology or troubleshooting a problem.

Final thoughts

The induction of augmented reality in education has no doubt made a significant impact on the education industry. Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, the educational services were the ones that had to adopt a new model of teaching online.

AR is redefining the process of teaching and learning. And with it is becoming more and more accessible due to new devices and applications that aim to provide an immersive experience on a large-scale while being cost-effective. Immersive technology has the potential to be the most significant breakthrough in the education sector.

The global market for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) has an estimation to reach US$72.8 billion in 2024. This would increase 54% over expenditure over the five-year CAGR period. In the coming years, we will experience a complete transformation of the education system, powered by digital learning concepts and cutting-edge technologies. AR encourages and motivates students to self-learn and explores the untapped opportunities for innovation.