How Augmented Reality Is Upending Education Sector?

Let’s be honest, the duo of technology and education has been considered an intrusion into the flow of long-standing stereotypes that knowledge alone resides in the books and gadgets, and technology is the root of all the evils that sidetrack students and learners.

Well, this era of the pandemic has done a thing or two that can be seen as a catalyst for new trends. It worked as a breaker of stereotypes and proved the stereotypes otherwise. 

During this time (and post-pandemic), one of the technologies to penetrate and ingrain itself into the education sector is indubitably Augmented Reality. 

In the coming 5 years, the AR market is predicted to reach a staggering $198 billion, with the education sector having a confirmed share. 

Strong reasons are backing these predictions. So before we probe the real-life use cases of AR in education, it is only appropriate we make ourselves familiar with the benefits that trigger the new and innovative AR applications into various sectors.

Why Is AR Becoming Popular By The Day?

Promotes Edutainment

With time, the meaning of education has been changing constantly. Learning is not a monotonous solely-textual process anymore. Neither it can prevail in modern times, where imagination can’t be contained in the pages of books or blackboards. Students need innovation and creativity to build upon a concept.

AR here helps in digitizing any kind of information, layered over a real environment in the form of images, video, audios, texts, 3D models, etc. More so than anything else, this quality is what makes it a versatile technology constantly becoming crucial in education. Moreover, it is a godsend for differently-abled children and students. 

Simplification of complex concepts

A study published in 2017 states that AR holds the key position in integrating the learning process with technology, ultimately promoting the learning process and simplifying it.

When it comes to STEM subjects, the old-fashioned cardboard cuttings and 2D drawing are good for nothing, and for the lack of a better word, ineffective and uninteresting. Complex subjects such as human anatomy need practical experiences to understand. AR can optimize theoretical knowledge and make the learning of complex concepts easier with the help of Object modeling.

Cost-effective incredible features

As compared to its initial applications, AR products have become more accessible for public use. All thanks to Moore’s law suggesting any technology is bound to become cost-effective as its real-life adoption becomes wider. 

Albeit, over 50,000 units of Hololens were sold by Microsoft in 2019, we have strong reasons to believe that the number will rise as the technology keeps becoming more accessible. Moreover, there are many popular AR education apps in the market which offer remarkable features for free or affordable subscriptions.

Globally accessible learning

Since there is no bar on variety, there are hundreds of applications that are developed for remote worldwide accessibility. Through these Edtech mobile applications, students from around the world can access updated and elaborate study materials such as AR books, videos, infographics, etc., to help them cross the bridge of difference in opportunities.

For example, a project in Myanmar is trying to improve children’s sexual education and promote healthy gender relations with the help of AR resources. Whereas, BBC has also developed a mobile app named “Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed” that uses 3D models of human organs visualized in every setting.

Real-world Applications Of AR In Education Sector

Augmented Classrooms

The meaning of classrooms has been redefined and AR played a crucial role in it. Marker-based AR apps can create a conventional classroom training experience. These apps will help students scan textbooks for queries and readily provide illustrations and solutions for complex theoretical topics and equations. 

Other areas where AR helps in making “new classrooms” as effective as the conventional ones are its use in teaching paleontology, chemistry, science, and history. EBSCO chose a few AR applications for K-12 students that enhance personalized learning in a classroom. 

MERGE Cube can become an essential tool for teachers in teaching STEM subjects. It is an AR-platform which is like a hologram in your hand. Another app is CoSpaces Edu, which promotes students to create virtual 3D worlds with coding. They can curate virtual exhibits, tours, and infographics for a more interactive experience.

Homework turned AR

The paradigm of homework might just take an interesting AR-turn in the coming future. For instance, assignments could be given in the form of AR-induced worksheets. If the students find them hard to solve, they can use these AR-enabled applications providing points towards the correct answer.

Edtech companies like ClassVR, targeting subjects such as Science, English, Technology, Design, and whatnot via AR-apps, will come forward with apps dedicated to school canon and curriculum to expand the usage and ways of adopting AR in the education system.

Objects Modeling

Upon targeting the cognitive capabilities with AR simulation and object modeling, it will make abstract concepts easy to understand. AR is a system that enables users in the classroom to manipulate 3D objects and get information from a real environment. By rendering the life-like touch and feel experience to the medical trainees and students, it would become easy for them to cope up with the difference between the theory and the practical.

Content-on-Demand

With the continuously increasing adoption of AR, the increase in demand for AR content from educators and students is in order. Then, Augmented Reality-as-a Service (ARaaS) would be the next big thing in AR. 

Metaverse an AR-platform is already on to the trend by enabling users to create content on demand. From testing hypothesis via simulations to curating informational AR pop-ups to explain concepts right away, there are many possibilities at the hand of what AR could shape up to be.

AR-induced exhibitions

Yes, its a thing now and will become more prominent and advanced in the coming years. For instance, art students of Brazil’s Graded School utilized the Aurasma AR tool with a green screen app to develop an enhanced exhibition for visitors for their art gallery.

From what we have gathered so far, the horses of AR are nowhere near stopping in changing the education system as we know it.

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