Global competencies and 21st century digital tools are top of mind in the K-12 education system. Boards of education and educators alike, are working to imbed relevant and authentic learning and pedagogies into their programs. As we learn more about the technological advances and benefits they can bring to learning environments, pedagogies and theories are adapted in order to incorporate these tools. Augmented reality is one such tool that has drawn recent attention for its ability to immerse audiences into an enhanced environment, bring to life objects or animals, and create a visual, sensory experience for all participants. 

In a time when the respective scholarship is focused on constructionism, constructivism, and the maker world (Wolf, M., Sobke, H., & Hauge, J.B., 2020), AR situates itself neatly into both theories and the maker world, that serve to support student learning and achievement. As such, it is ultimately beneficial for educators to find resources that supplement this technology into their classrooms. 

As we evolve from the industrial age of education, Reigeluth (2012) reminds us that our current education institutions were designed to serve an entirely different purpose post-industrialization. He exemplifies the new role of the teacher as the “guide on the side," insisting that teachers are co-designers in learning (Reigeluth, 2012). In an effort to give teachers the confidence and ability to re-frame their instructional design to a more learner-centered approach (Bossavit, B., & Parsons, S., 2018), we created a short presentation about the various learning and instructional theories associated with Augmented Reality. Take some time to read through our Pedagogical Framework presentation. 

Some Advantages to Using AR in Your Classroom

Serving as a cornerstone to learning environments as a whole, are the interactions that can occur within them. Anderson (2008) highlights the different types of interactions that lead to an effective learning environment. Here are a few examples of why AR is advantageous to use in your classroom. 

Create a More Engaging Classroom

The most represented advantages of AR in current research are student motivation and learning gains (Chiang et al., 2014; DiSerio et al., 2013; Bacca et al., 2014). Collaboration and facilitating interaction are also found to be highly represented. Atta et al. (2021) discuss how AR improved the learning processes for students taking science classes, thus raising their academic performances. AR had a positive effect on enhancing the understanding of particular academic materials and scientific topics, improving visualization, and fostering interaction with other students. As educators, we know that learning processes should be about motivation and interaction. 

AR catches the attention of students in a new and exciting way. Chiang et al. (2014) completed an experiment with two fourth grade classes being taught natural science by the same teacher. One set of students was taught with an inquiry-based approach using AR mobile learning and the second set of students were taught using a conventional inquiry-based approach. The study found that students who learned with the AR reality-based mobile learning approach, demonstrated “significantly higher motivations in the attention, confidence, and relevance dimensions” than the students who learned from the inquiry-based mobile learning approach (Chiang et al., 2014). The results of this experiment determine that the mobile AR approach, linking real-world contexts with the digital learning resources, improved students’ learning performance in inquiry-based activities. Additionally, Chiang et al. (2014) indicated that the experimental group gained significant learning motivation for attention, relevance, confidence, and a high-level of satisfaction in using AR to learn.

Unleash the Power of Storytelling

Learning through storytelling is a compelling way to use AR in the classroom. Students can become creative communicators by creating their own characters, using new vocabulary words, and incorporating historical figures or eras. They will learn to collaborate by sharing their digital stories with their classmates or family members. 

Make Abstract Concepts Easier to Understand

The sciences are challenging subjects to teach, primarily due to the abstract concepts that are too complex for students to visualize and break apart. AR facilitates learning by creating multidimensional perspectives for students to visualize and understand through spatial reasoning.

Visit our AR Classroom Lessons page to explore more ways to use AR in your classroom!