What is augmented reality and how can it be used in education?

It has been shown that knowledge retention improves dramatically when children’s learning incorporates audio, video, and visuals and so a growing number of schools are embracing the use of augmented reality in the curriculum.

Augmented reality is in simple terms an enhanced version of the real world that is achieved through the use of digital visual elements and sound delivered via technology. The applications of augmented reality in schools are vast and as teachers get to grips with the technology they are finding more and more exciting ways of using it to enhance children’s learning.

With young children it is possible to take their drawing and texturise them so that they appear as a 3D image on the screen which can be rotated around 360 degrees making colouring much more interesting.

Older children can explore 3D images of the body and visualise the different systems of the body more clearly. Educational games that use augmented reality can be extremely motivational for pupils and can be used to teach problem solving and logical thinking.

Teachers can take advantage of AR tools to help students experience history interactively. Tools such as 360Cities enable virtual visits to sites worldwide to teach about cultural and historical perspectives whilst on field trips to museums and historical sites, students and teachers can use their smartphones to access AR apps that provide additional information and context about historical pieces on display.