Technology Connections. Using Augmented Reality in Learning

Interested in augmented reality? Have you heard your peers talking about MergeCubes, AR Chemist, and other cool apps? If you don't already know, augmented reality (AR) is when a computer-generated technology is superimposed on the real world creating a composite experience. The concept has been around for a few years now and librarians are using it in a variety of ways in the areas of teaching and instruction. Students and peer educators are thoroughly enjoying it. This technology can encompass everything from Pokemon Go to Google Lens and can be used over an equally broad range in the school library and classroom. While there isn't as yet a provider who has emerged as a one stop shop for educational AR, MergeCube and Quiver are certainly pushing out rich AR content for educational settings. In this column, we'll talk about how ready-made augmented reality can be used in school libraries.

One of the chief struggles of the classroom teacher is reaching those students who struggle to decode text. Augmented reality can really step into this gap by showing core content in relation to real-world objects. For example, the Curiscope Virtuali-Tee can show the internal organs of the human body on an actual human. The use of AR helps give context to torso diagrams in biology textbooks and adds information without adding text. For struggling readers, this is a powerful advantage. This type of augmented reality is a great way for school librarians to partner with classroom teachers to help students research and understand concepts.

Augmented reality is engaging. For example, a New York Times article about the Hadron Collider may be dense and difficult for even high school students to read. However, because it is supplemented by an AR model of the Higgs Boson (an elementary particle) and the four Muons (elementary particles similar to an electron) it produced, it is much easier to understand how the collision happened (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/21/science/cern-large-hadron-collider-ar-ul.html). AR is a great place for students to engage before beginning research and to check their understanding against "reality".

Interactive models, available through AR, are wonderful for helping students understand difficult content and to make the cognitive leap between 2D and 3D. For example, Da Vinci Machines AR is a great way for students to understand the physics of Da Vinci's machines prior to building their own models. Driving the mars rover around the library with JPL's Spacecraft 3D is a great way to do team building and engage students in a concept like space travel or to introduce literature circles around space travel. Students will love the hands-on learning and the interaction with technology. It is engaging to be sure.

What hasn't been as successful is AR companion content for books. For example, the Great Civilizations Series and the iExplore series are books with AR accompanying content. However, the apps are, as yet, individual to each book, require significant bandwidth, and work inconsistently. However, as this technology matures, we can expect that companion AR is an area we'll see explode—a learning experience worth waiting for.

Augmented Reality Resources

• Merge Cube: https://mergevr.com/cube — A hologram you hold in your hands.
• Quiver: http://www.quivervision.com — Augmented reality coloring applications.
• Curiscope: https://www.curiscope.com/products/virtuali-tee — Learning with virtual and augmented reality through the inclusion of STEM.
• Da Vinci Machines: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dmatsokin.vinci1&hl=en_US — Learn about Leonardo Da Vinci and his machines through this interactive augmented reality app for Android.
• Spacecraft 3D : https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/apps/ — Interact with a variety of spacecraft through this interactive augmented reality app.
• iExplore Book Series: https://www.carltonbooks.co.uk/iexplore-into-deep-space-hb.html — Tie augmented reality to literacy with this amazing book series.