Until very recently, I had never even heard of augmented reality. I had to write a paper about one of the more recently developed tech tools and determine how to use it effectively in the classroom. Some of the choices we had were 3-D printers (very cool), coding tools (which I am currently using and LOVE!), drones, robotics, and wearable technology. All of these things I have heard of, and many of them I have either seen or used in some capacity, but the last thing on the list was this tech tool called augmented technology. I mean, I knew what QR codes were and had used them to redeem coupons or to get information from a product or advertisement, but I had no idea that was a type of augmented technology. After I learned that little tidbit, I was not horribly impressed. I mean, there was educational value there, of course, but I had no idea how to make those thingys and it sounded hard and time-consuming. I figured I might do a post about coding, instead.
What is Augmented Reality
Exactly. What IS it? After a couple of hours of reading about augmented reality and looking it up, I could only determine that it was either QR codes on coupons or something like the scene in Star Wars where R2-D2 projects a 3-D hologram of Princess Leia asking Obi Wan Kanobe for help…
QR codes were only mildly intriguing, but holograms…? That was pretty cool! I was instantly more curious. Can I actually project a 3-D image into the room? Could I be like Tony Stark in Iron Man II…? Is that what augmented reality is?
Well…probably pretty soon, but not quite yet. It is REALLY close, though! Let me explain. As I was researching, I found that the most common sources of augmented technology are, as I mentioned before, the use of QR codes. If you are unfamiliar with that term, let me show you an example of one…
Best Website Ever!
It is kind of like a bar code, but for technology devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. If you have a QR scanner on another device that you own, feel free to scan the QR code above. Pretty cool, huh? This is just one example of how augmented technology works. You have a trigger object, such as the code above, and something will happen, such as a website will pop up, an image or video will appear, or the illusion of a 3-D hologram-like model will appear through your device. As a teacher or instructional designer, it is not only possible, but great fun to create your own trigger object that can be scanned by the student’s phones and brought to life.
Augmented Technology Apps
If you would like to use augmented technology through the use of QR codes, you will need to get a QR code generating app for your device. Here are a few I found that you might like, but there are tons of them out there. Just got to the App Store on your iOS device, Google Play, or the Web Store if you have a Chromebook. Type in QR generator, and several will appear. Here are a couple that I have used:
The QR Generator: This is the first one I ever used. It was quick and easy to do, and you can create either a static or a dynamic code.
Kaywa QR Code Generator: This is the one I used to create the code above. It was also quick and easy. This one is geared more towards business, but could be used to promote class projects, clubs, sports teams, or anything else you can think of!
You can use QR codes as a way to get your contact information to parents, or to refer students to websites about a topic you want them to learn about. You can send them on a scavenger hunt with the codes as the clues. There are lots of fun ideas you can use QR codes for, but augmented technology is so much more than QR codes!!!
As I was researching augmented technology, I wanted to find an app that I could use so I could get some hands-on experience to figure it all out. In doing so, I found the Aurasma App (both for Android and iOS) and Aurasma Studio online. This was a FREE tool I had so much fun playing with! Once you get logged in, you can begin to create your “auras.” How it works, is that you can pick an image, any image at all, and attach a video or anything you want to overlay the image after it has been scanned.
The first one I did was to take a picture of my coffee cup, and for my second one, I downloaded an image of a wolf dog. If you download the Aurasma App, you can scan the images and you will go from just a picture of a coffee cup or a wolf dog to…well, just click on the videos below or scan the images and see for yourself:
Coffee Cup Surprise
Wolf Dogs
Another app that was amazing and cool to work with was the Augmenter App. This one has a free download, but you really do not get much. To get the full effect of the app, you will have to purchase it, but it is worth every penny! With this app, you can view a 3D version of any of the many models in the gallery. You can label the parts, take it apart and view each part individually, you can make parts disappear, and several other options as well. That part of the app alone is worth paying for, and is incredibly useful for education. But the AR View…that is the very best part by far! You will need to download and print out a marker in order for this option to work. A marker is an image that is attached to the model, allowing the viewer to see the model as a 3D hologram-like image through the phone or tablet. It is amazing! You can “hold” it in your hand, view it as if it were right in your classroom or at your desk, and so much more! Click on the video below to check out just one example of how this app works. (I apologize in advance for the video quality…I needed both hands. I had my phone in one hand and my tablet in another and tried to video what was going on inside my phone…not so easy, trust me!)
Take a moment and get your bearings…I don’t doubt you are feeling a bit dizzy after viewing that video…I will try to get a better one in the future, but for now, that one will have to suffice. Isn’t that cool???!! I had so much fun playing around with that app, and then I showed it to my kids. They were fascinated and wanted to download it onto their school iPads to show their teachers. It is not the cheapest app around, so I put it on one iPad, and told the other kids they had to show their teachers using their brother’s iPad. They were so excited to play with it, they didn’t care. They played with it for hours! And that should give you some insight as to the kind of engagement you will find in your classroom if you choose to use this app.
With both Aurasma and Augmenter, you can make an activity with stations around the room, for example. At each station, you can have auras that you created for Aurasma that the kids can scan, and then directions on which image to use in Augmenter to go along with it. You can have them videotape themselves or each other as they go through the stations and create a bigger project, or just have them answer questions about what they learned. You can have them create their own auras in Aurasma Studio and then share them with each other. Can you imagine how much fun they will have making their own auras? And then the fun and learning that will happen when they try each other’s auras out…wow! If you are an instructional designer, you can add several auras that you made to your LMS, and have the students scan them for additional information. Then have the students upload their own auras to you as a separate project. You can have them view models and label the parts and view them in 3D with Augmenter. They will have a blast making them into augment reality models! Even adults can have fun with these apps…trust me. I had as much fun as my kids!
As you can see, I am really excited about augmented reality. It took way more time than I had to gather all the information and to figure it all out to even get to where I am now, and I am still a rookie when it comes to this topic, but it was worth every single second. This is definitely something I would recommend to use in the classroom, live or online. I will definitely be using it for sure! There are many other apps that utilize augmented reality as well, so look them up, check them out, and have a blast!
More Information: Augment Reality
Check out these other published articles that list apps and websites and more for ideas on how to use augmented reality in your classroom or in your online classes:
How to Transform Your Classroom with Augmented Reality (Here)
The guys at Two Guys and Some iPads have incredible information! (Here)
20 Ways to Use Augmented Reality in Education (Here)
Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything really does have everything!! (Here)
How to Use Augmented Reality in the Classroom (Here)
There are many others, but these were the best in my opinion. Let me know what you think! Have you tried this in your classroom? Let us know what you did and how it went in the comments section!
Kelly
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