This reliance on our personal devices is increasing and invading schools as well as the workplace. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center study, Millenials became the largest generation in the U.S. workforce in 2016 (Fry, 2018). And by 2025, they will make up 75% of the global workforce (Firstup Blog, 2021). As of 2022, Generation Y and Gen Z are already making their mark on the workforce, as well. And what is becoming more and more associated with these generations? Technology and their increasing use of it. As Jason Dorsey, a Millenial speaker and researcher, claims in his blog post, Gen Z and tech dependency: How the youngest generation interacts differently with the digital world,

"Recognizing this new mode of interacting with technology as a paradigm shift—and not merely the latest fad or PokemonGo—will help leaders better connect generations in the workplace and beyond" (Dorsey, 2022).

So it only makes sense to use technology in learning environments and that is where augmented reality (AR) fits in.

A 2021 article from Imaginovation Insider lists 8 ways that we are already using AR in learning environments. Let's take a closer look.

1. Classroom Education

This article claims that you can build AR apps for almost every subject but names specifically "physics, chemistry, geometry, grammar, zoology, and even programming" (Peranzo, 2021). This article also claims that AR will reduce distractions and promises more engaged learners. (Though they did not site any sources for this information.)

And in the interest of equity and inclusivity, this article in EdTechMagazine.com from 2017, states that AR can allow for flashcards with options for ASL videos, to assist students who are deaf or hard of hearing (Bogardus Cortez, 2017). Though, researching videos of this technology render few solid results.

Check out this infographic from as far back as 2017 addressing how AR can be used in the classroom:

**It is interesting to note that many of the articles available online about AR in education are from 2017. It seems the industry was very excited at that time. And a little more quiet about using AR by 2022. Perhaps things haven't developed as quickly as the industry hoped. Or perhaps, the education industry is full laggards when thinking about Everett M. Rogers’ (2003) diffusion of innovation model. As this article espouses, "Cultural change requires early adopters" (RRR, 2021).

2. Space Industry

NASA has long used a simulated space environment to train its astronauts. But now they are using AR to train on complex technical skills and precision. This article from Nasa.gov shows nine ways in which NASA uses AR on the International Space Station (Gaskill, 2021). Some of these include helping astronauts get acclimated to the ways their brains perceive time in space, performing maintenance, and helping them perform experiments while in orbit.

NASA also recently debuted a new AR feature on the NASA app. In June of 2022, NASA announced that their app users could now view the Space Launch System (SLS) in their own environment. This allows the users to "learn more about the different parts of the mega Moon rocket [Artemis], how it is built, the SLS team, and more" (Beckinger, 2022).

3. Medical and Healthcare Industry

The medical industry has been one of the early adopters of AR in training. This allows learners to work in simulated environments like practicing surgery, learning the human body in more detail, and keeping medical personnel updated on the latest advances in medicine. And according to this more recent blog post in Imaginovation Insider from 2022, AR can even help patients communicate with their doctors by helping them describe their symptoms more accurately. There's even an AR app to help nurses find veins easily! (This is exciting if you've ever been jabbed by a needle multiple times because your veins are hard to see.)

4. Military

Of course we want highly trained and skilled soldiers, but how do we get them to that point without putting their lives in danger. By using AR! The Imaginovation Insider blog states that the military benefits from AR training by being able to provide safer and less expensive combat training, allowing soldiers to learn the environment of their battle ground, and they can rehearse missions to ensure higher levels of accuracy.

In April 2022, Army-Technology.com released an article called "Defence is the first sector to realise benefits of Augmented Reality (AR)". Here the detail ways that the military is using AR and also why it's beneficial.

"...AR-simulated training scenarios allow complex training scenarios to be run more cheaply than deploying troops in training locations. Costs are also driven down by negating the need to allocate each soldier a combat vehicle for training, saving the equipment from wear and tear. As well as this, AR not only decreases average training times, but also error rates" (GlobalData Thematic Research, 2022).

5. Manufacturing Training

"With AR, employees can practice without spending too much time on theory" (Peranzo, 2021). The manufacturing sector was quick to adopt AR into their trainings, thus opening up the pool of possible job candidates. Previously, because operating complex machinery involves long learning curves and an understanding of the theory behind the how and why the machine works, companies needed only hire experiences workers. But now, because of AR training, these same companies are able to hire workers with basic skills and train them faster. Because instructions can be provided to the trainee using AR, they can practice in real time. This has led to faster and more accurate work and less maintenance of the machines. And, perhaps most importantly, according to the World Economic Forum, "AR technology can democratize knowledge." The main takeaway from their article "Empowering the next-generation manufacturing workforce through AR innovation" is that the manufacturing industry is "suffering from a growing labor shortage" and "AR technology can help to tackle this issue while building a workforce fit for the future" (Daniels & Dustin, 2022).

6. Museums

The Imaginovation Insider article claims that "audiences everywhere crave interactivity". In a blog post on Ubimo.com, writer, Greer Bingham, uses data that was collected by this site to determine the demographics of who actually visit museums. Their findings show that museums are not having much luck with attracting young audiences between 18 and 24 years old. "Attracting the young Gen Z audience, ages 18-24, is critical for museums, since they are the next generation of visitors and donors. Perhaps Gen Z is seeking more interactive and experiential options, like Instagrammable pop-ups, which are wildly popular with the age group" (Bingham, 2019). According to an article on MuseumNext.com, many museums around the world are already using AR to attract a wider audience to their exhibits. One such museum is The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. In 2017, they brought AR to one of their oldest and most popular exhibits. The "Bone Hall" has been open since 1881, but with the help of an AR app called Skin and Bone patrons can now see what the animal whose bones they are observing would have looked like and how it would have moved.

You can see an example in this video:

7. Retail

The Imaginovation Insider blog details how AR is being used to help retailers train their employees. Author, Pete Peranzo, lists three areas where AR can help with retail training: onboarding, customer service, and product knowledge.

But, it's important to note that AR can help the retail consumer just as much. An April 2022, article on XR Today's website reveals how "AR retail experiences leave a lasting impression on the customer" (XR Today Team, 2022). The article describes several ways in which AR can "transform" the retail sector including helping online customers "try-and-buy", reducing the number of returns, and personalizing the shopper's experience.

A blog post from January 2022 on Eon Visual Media's website also describes various AR tools and experiences that are helping the retail industry and customers alike. Citing helpful tools like:

• In-store Navigation- How many times have you wandered aimlessly in a store? Now you don't have to!

• Preview Placement- "So far, brands such as IKEA, Apple, DFS and Amazon have begun to embrace AR preview placement on mobile websites and apps. Using this approach can allow customers to envision how different products would look within their homes, without ever having to leave their house" (English, 2022).

• Enhanced Product Information- Have you ever gotten a new purchase home just to realize you don't actually know how to use it? AR can help with that!

• User Generated Content- This Eon Media blog quoted a company named Stackla (although they have been acquired by Nosto, so you can find them here), which is a social content marketing platform based out of San Francisco who "puts user-generated content at the heart of brand marketing."
  
  “According to Stackla, 88% of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding which brands, they like and support” and that “83% of consumers believe retailers need to provide more authentic shopping experiences to customers like them. With this, some brands have begun creating engaging augmented reality experiences which are designed to offer a fun, interactive and sharable customer experience” (English, 2022).

Author Peter English cites one example of this as Ray-Ban offering an AR filter on Instagram that allows a person to try on a 3D model of their glasses and add a visual effect in the background.

Another brand that has created an authentic and unique experience with their product is the wine company 19 Crimes. They created a feature called Living Labels. Here each label features a picture of a criminal on it. And with their Living Wine Labels app, the consumer can see the criminal tell their own crime story. This feature alone is why many people get interested in the wine in the first place!

8. Health & Safety Training

In a blog post by WE/AR Studio in 2021, they describe AR in safety training like this:

"Augmented reality or AR overlays computer-generated items or digital information on real-world elements. It keeps the details of the real world but enhances them digitally. For example, on a jobsite, it can create an object or a hazard that doesn’t actually exist" (Petrenko, 2021).

Blogger, Veronika Petrenko, lists the benefits of using both AR and VR such as lowering risk in dangerous jobs, reducing trainings costs, makes it easy to promote on-going training, and AR even allows workers to see real-time safety alerts if they do something wrong, which can limit emergencies, including injuries or even death.