Writer: Mahima Rizwan, Content Writer, Supernova Academy
Editor: Bill Meyer, Sr. Director, PR & Communications, Supernova Academy
ARTICLE
The integration of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) has given rise to a new era of interactive and immersive experiences that enhance students learning outcomes. This innovative technology is a game-changer for implementing ground-breaking learning experiences, blurring the lines between virtual and real-world interactions.
Let’s explore how this cutting-edge technology is revolutionizing education, fostering immersive learning experiences, and clearing the way for a new era in student engagement and understanding.
E-learning offers unique affordances and benefits through animation and 3D perspectives. Augmented reality (AR) brings this into clear focus with an interactive and immersive learning experience compared to that of traditional methods. With online courses, students have control over their own learning and are able to work at their own pace. The aid of cameras, sensors, projection, and reflection has enabled students to practice hands-on skills in a safe and controlled setting.
Technologists, educators, and trainers are working collaboratively to implement augmented reality into an e-learning strategy to develop content that can be an effective, if not necessary, supplement to textbooks and in-person class lectures, providing learners with additional information and interactive experiences at their fingertips. Adding to its appeal, this technology is intended to be easily accessible with smartphones, tablets, or laptops.
Transformation of Education with Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented reality (AR) incorporates digital information into real-world surroundings by including videos, sounds, and graphics, with the aid of sensors, cameras, processing, reflection, and projection. AR is becoming an increasingly popular tool for grabbing students’ attention. Its ability to create three-dimensional models is helping educators create engaging and creative new teaching content, dramatically advancing students’ learning experiences.
The integration of the internet, multimedia, mobile devices, the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, and AR into the education system has transformed the learning environment into a more interactive, engaging, authentic, interactive, and joyful environment.
Research has shown that technology-embedded education has positive and constructive impacts on students. It promotes innovative and interactive teaching and learning forms and processes, increasing students; motivation and, additionally, increasing students; efficacy of learning experiences in the actual world.
Revolutionizing Teaching and Learning Experiences with AR
Advances in augmented reality transform the way individuals interact with mobile applications and enhance the learning experience with their visual graphics. AR not only gives access to intensive educational experiences, but also provides hazard-free experimentation. For instance, the medical sector is one of the areas where immersive learning is most needed. With the implementation of augmented technology, surgeons can learn the dynamics of new surgical techniques on a three-dimensional model — in a virtual environment — without performing on real individuals, reducing the chances of mistakes and, hence, ensuring greater precision.
Fundamentally, humans are visual learners, so incorporating AR-based e-learning can improve retention rates, especially for science-based and engineering training. This is because humans are visual learners. According to research by 3M Corporation, humans can grasp immersive scenarios 6,000 times faster than text. It helps train those in various fields of engineering better understand the complex systems and structures they work with.
The immersive scenarios of AR-based learning could be limitless, allowing learners in a vast number of industries and occupations to grasp information faster than with traditional learning and the classroom setting alone.
Ways of Introducing Augmented Reality into the Overall eLearning Strategy
To integrate augmented reality into the overall eLearning strategy, it is important that these technologies complement other learning materials and methods.
An augmented reality app could be used as a substitute for a textbook. This app can provide users with interactive experiences and additional information.
However, it is important to have skilled trainers and educators who have knowledge of augmented reality and can apply their knowledge for the betterment of the learning experience.
Currently, companies like Supernova specialize in creating custom solutions by collaborating with experts from the relevant fields of career education and development. Supernova works closely with experts from a variety of fields in the development of its expanding series of educational courses on the human body, including medical doctors, educators and health science professionals.
Additionally, the involvement of learners is crucial to achieving the course’s success. It is important for the learners to experience using the app and give critical feedback to better understand and improve the role of this technology in learning outcomes.
E-learning Reducing Barriers to Achieving Higher Education
The growing appeal of AR-based learning centers on a few key aspects: they can provide a level of safety and convenience to the student/learner, they are remote, efficient, cost-effective, and can be highly comprehensive.
As a result, there are a number of ways that AR-based learning can improve the effectiveness of e-learning programs for schools and the business world alike.
1. Memory Mastery: With the AR app, there is no need for extensive reading and memorizing processes and procedures. You can simply grab your smartphones, point in the direction of the object you want to work with, and follow the instructions that the gadget adds to their surroundings.
2. Comprehensive and Engaging: Visualizing complex concepts is easier to grasp and more engaging compared to listening and/or reading.
Imagine visualizing the complex mechanisms of blood circulation, surgery, the orientation of a heavy machine, or a molecule. One can easily zoom in and rotate the 3D structure or model, providing the learner with greater insights. With the help of AR, it is more likely for someone to absorb and retain this information faster – and for a lifetime.
Consequently, it boosts the learner’s curiosity and makes them highly motivated and engaged with the learning process. They focus more on the learning content and show improvement in problem-solving skills.
3. Virtual: Imagine doing efficient chemical reactions without having to actually interact with harmful chemicals.
Sounds amazing, right? That’s how augmented and virtual reality can complement the learning process — making learning easier, and from a convenient, comfortable setting for the learner.
AR or virtual labs are the greatest example of a cutting-edge form of e-learning, allowing individuals to facilitate the curriculum’s application at any time and place without potential harmful results.
Students and instructors can use the internet at any time and place to carry out their specific tasks.
4. Safety and Cost: As seen in the example above, AR can allow individuals to conduct real-time procedures and achieve new skills without the risks of doing so in real life.
Augmented reality can streamline the learning process, remove obstacles faced by instructors and students, save time and effort, and conduct various experiments in an immersive environment without wasting real resources.
The Future of AR in Education
Augmented reality is helping students with evidence-based and fast-paced learning. AR approaches can lead to huge, real-time developments with their optimized techniques in education and eLearning. AR holds the future of promoting a highly immersive learning environment to the next stage, by means of augmented objects on screens and 3D visuals. It brings new opportunities for students and educators in teaching and learning to attain in depth understanding of a topic, procedure or industry.
The digital era has not only reformed the education system, but it has helped shape its future, by implementing the latest leading trends in technology, and providing a user-friendly learning environment.
AR delivers a critical breakthrough to the learning experience. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the educational landscape for educators and students alike. However, implementing an augmented reality strategy for eLearning requires in-depth and careful planning and execution. Trainers
and educators must have a clear understanding of the learning outcomes and how to implement these technologies into the overall learning experience.
Discover More
Supernova Academy’s technology combines comprehensive education with immersive, interactive learning to deliver innovative solutions and programs to the world of education. The company offers a full spectrum of courses geared towards a variety of topics, including human anatomy and physiology.
Explore our courses on augmented reality today and embark on an immersive journey of educational discovery. Experience the future of learning firsthand. Click here to get started.
About Supernova Academy Inc.
Supernova Academy Inc. is revolutionizing the healthcare industry by integrating surgery, imaging, computer science and engineering to develop state-of-the-art AR (augmented reality) technologies in medical education to improve surgical capabilities. With the belief that visual and immersive learning lays the foundation for aspiring physicians and healthcare work force, Supernova Academy offers a full spectrum of courses geared towards human anatomy and physiology. Our team of leading professionals, comprised of physicians, clinicians, developers and engineers, collectively have more than 50 years of experience training professionals in a multitude of industries, including healthcare, project management, manufacturing, and construction. The company is devoted to developing cutting edge, innovative and disruptive methodologies, delivering the best educational content that can be seamlessly integrated into training and educational programs. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.