How Augmented Reality in Education is Changing the Way of Learning

Augmented Reality is one of the latest trends in the Ed-tech industry. This technology has its own existence and with time it’s gaining popularity. The journey of Augmented reality in education in the digital world enables students to interact with virtual and real-time content for better understanding and forming effective learning.

AR in education enables students to explore historical and ancient civilizations, and illustrate biological processes, and chemicals in real-time to get deep insights into the subject.

In comparison to the traditional mode of education and training, AR development solutions in education help in developing critical thinking and better analytical skills for students by providing them with immersive and engaging learning experiences.

According to the reports of Global NewsWire, the ed-tech industry is growing with record speed, by 2026 it is expected to reach $68.71 billion with an annual rate of 17.9%

How does Augmented Reality in Education Work?

AR works by implementing digital information into real-world objects to create a 3D experience, which allows users to interact with the physical world and digital world. 

It uses sensors, cameras, and advanced vision algorithms to understand the user’s environment.

Here are the mechanism and work process of Augmented Reality 

• An AR-enabled smart device with a built-in camera like a smartphone or tablet studies a video to identify the physical object and the user’s nearby environment.
• A 3D replica of an object in the cloud connects with the real and virtual environment.
• The AR-enabled device downloads all the information about the object from the cloud. It overlays the digital information to the user with the help of markers and trackers like GPS, accelerometers and other sensors. Altogether they create a digital 3D interface.
• With real-time data-enabled devices, the user can easily give a command with the touchscreens, voice and other sensors.

AR with its smart sensors, input devices and processors provides a top-notch and highly convenient watching experience. AR/VR in education and training has a wide range of uses and it enables its users to learn in a tailored way. 

Types of Augmented Reality Technologies

Location-based Augmented Reality

Location-based augmented reality does not require any physical markers and identifiers to work. It is a position-based technology, bound to share the GPS of the user’s location for performing work.

GPS and other location-based AR, help better understand the physical environment, and outdoor learning activities and catch geography lessons.

Projection-based Augmented Reality

Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) or Projection mapping is another name for Projection-based AR. It uses projectors to overlay the digital content into the physical objects in the real world. It requires projecting computer-generated images and visuals into the real-world surface to create a dynamic augmented environment. 

Projecting digital content on physical objects helps in science, technology, and mathematics to explore better 3D experiences.

Semipostion-based Augmented Reality

Semi-positioned Augmented Reality relies partially on the user’s physical location to overlay digital content into the real world. It uses the combination of positional data and other related information to find how to display the augmented content.

It allows the creation of new images, modification and replacement of any old images, in the field of art, history, and biology for finding their virtual specimen.

Examples and Real Life Use Cases of Augmented Reality in Education

Everything changes over time. Augmented reality is that change in this innovative world, which takes on the traditional way of learning and teaching. AR is changing the whole experience of viewing for both students and working professionals.

Here are some interesting use cases of Augmented Reality in education.

AR for Primary and Secondary School

Teaching primary kids students is a challenging task too, and we see that the children are very observant in their childhood.

Examples of augmented reality in education are many, among them Silver Lake Elementary School provides in-depth knowledge of geography with AR education. This is the best use of virtual reality in education, which allows students and young minds to grab better and deeper knowledge of geography 

AR in Colleges

Students in their higher education can choose any subjects from the Humanitarian science, technology, and commerce stream, augmented reality solutions for any college or university can be super beneficial for obtaining knowledge. 

For example, Yale’s Centre for Collaborative Art and Media is using AR in education to study more about brain and psychological behavior.

AR for Working Professionals

Teachers around the world implement Augmented Reality to provide training. It helps in creating engaging and interactive learning experiences which increases technical skills.

For example, Semantic Scholar’s augmented reality training platform is enhancing technical skills and developing diverse learning forms.

AR in the Space Industry

The space industry is on the top edge of adopting new, innovative technologies. AR in the space sector leverages Augmented Reality for education, to train astronauts and engineers to perform complex tasks which demand advanced technical skills. 

The best augmented reality in education examples, NASA is using AR to teach astronauts and space scientists how to walk on the surface of Mars.

Real-World Examples of Augmented Reality Apps in Education

To add more skills and understanding abilities of students, Schools, and colleges are integrating AR apps in the current syllabus and curriculum. 

Here are the top Augmented Reality apps for education that are impacting the learning experience in the fields of science, medical history, and technology. 

Holo-Human: This Augmented Reality app helps to explore the various models of human anatomy with an internal and 360-degree view. Teachers can easily create lesions in this app.

Expeditions: This versatile app, enables hundreds of AR tours, in which teachers and students can create and explore the interactive and real world in a virtual environment.

Exoplanet: Developed by Professional astronomers, this app provides an interactive list of known planets and orbiting stars in the galaxy. 

Touch Surgery: This AR app is very helpful for doctors and surgeons, they use this app for the preparation of surgical cases and to learn about various procedures.

3DBear: This AR app combines Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and 360-degree photos, and 3D printing to enhance the experience of remote learning.

zSpace: This AR-enabled app gives the functionality of creating an immersive academic experience and creating content for a diverse range of learning courses.

Benefits of Augmented Reality in Education

The impacts of Augmented Reality technology have the potential to change the learning and teaching experience, it offers unique benefits for leveraging diverse learning styles and subjects.

Some important benefits of Augmented Reality include:

Enhanced Engagement 

AR creates an interesting and effective experience that captures the interest of the students while learning. When students interact with digital educational content in real-world environments, they build a strong connection to the subject effectively. 

Augmented reality in education and training is used to build a strong foundation, develop a deeper understanding of their learning, and make them able to gain more information.

Improvement in Visualization 

AR simplifies complex concepts and non-pictorial ideas in a visually engaging manner, students get all the learning information much faster and easier to understand the most difficult topics.

AR & VR in education combining 3D models and simulations with engaging text, brings a better experience and breaks all the traditional teaching methods for concept conveying.

Improve Collaboration Capabilities

Augmented reality in education helps students to take the vast opportunities for the learning of diverse subjects without getting bored. AR helps students to be more collaborative with its interactive lessons, also the involvement of many students working together builds the skill of teamwork.

Differentiated Instruction

AR provides diverse learning environments related to the learner’s style and preference, it also allows teachers to create customized educational content that resonates with each student. This tailored and personalized learning experience ensures a more effective learning environment. 

Accessibility of Learning

On accessibility, AR breaks all the learning hurdles. AR enables students to interact from any place and any medium to explore knowledgeable content.

AR in education provides accessibility and unique opportunities to experience diverse topics from the learning intent.

Cost- Effective

In comparison with the traditional educational format, AR & VR market trends in education are very cost-effective. There is only an upfront investment for getting the device, after all, it has long-term benefits.

In the age of innovative learning, AR is a part of mainstream education and it is more accessible and affordable.

Common Misconceptions and Myths about Augmented Reality in Education

In recent years, Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies in education have built a huge scope and excitement. As a growing innovation in the Ed-tech industry, there are misconceptions and myths related to AR in education.

Let’s bust some common Myths related to Augmented Reality in education.

Myth 1- AR is only for gaming and entertainment

AR received popularity because of the gaming and entertainment industry, but in real life, adding Augmented Reality in education can enhance the student’s experience of learning and understanding critical things. It will also increase engagement in learning and developing a better skillset.

Myth 2- Augmented Reality in education is very expensive

Many institutions are applying the AR solution in their learning curriculums, to level up the quality of education. With the right process, AR is cost-effective and offers value for money in the long run. It can reduce the cost of training and increase the ROI by huge numbers.

Myth 3- AR in education is only for a short period

Like any other emerging technology, people often predict that it will not survive in the long run, but, according to studies, in the next ten years, the demand for AR in education will increase at a CAGR of 75%. Augmented reality in education with smart education app will enhance the learning and training experience for both students and teachers.

How Appventurez can help you in developing your Augmented Reality app in Education

Augmented reality in education has the infinite potential to impact the learning and training world. From developing learning interest to grabbing the most difficult and complex topics with ease of understanding and exploring real-world experience, AR covers all. 

Despite numerous benefits, adopting AR in education can be challenging on the way to develop an educational app in Ed-tech. Building Ed-tech apps like AR in education gets through the challenges of a lack of necessary training, which carries the day-to-day changes and expertise in the field to manage. Another challenge is dependence on hardware, it is solely dependent on the hardware of cutting-edge technology. The Content Portability issue is another challenge to using AR in education.

Appventurez as a global educational app development company, will bring you the real-world experience of Augmented Reality in education with a team of experienced and dedicated AR & VR app development in education.