The evolution of digital technologies like augmented reality (AR) has been nothing short of spectacular. What is truly amazing about this technology is that it literally opens up limitless possibilities. Imagination becomes creation in the world of AR. You want to see a tiger in your living room, Google has already made it possible through its AR integration. Similarly, you could literally look at snow falling on coniferous forests, wolves prowling in a pack, see a shark swim in your pool or sit next to your favourite cartoon character.
AR is the magic wand that is changing the way we engage with our environment, play games, and learn things. Social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat allow users to use AR filters such as puppy or bear faces on their selfies. In sports broadcasts, we often see the AR tools to display boundary and other on-field lines and logos. A number of businesses use AR tools to imagine how their products would look inside your home or how the clothes, jewellery or accessories will look on you.
With such widespread integration of AR into multiple use-cases, it is natural for educational platforms to unlock this incredible power of visible creativity for learning of young students. The true democratisation of AR for education has been enabled by the recent growth of experiential learning in Augmented Reality tools. There are learning apps that can use the device camera to capture the real-world environment and overlay the visuals with image, animation or text information that the users can see.
Almost all modern educators believe that interactive learning is far more impactful and engaging for young students than merely reading about topics in text books. This is where experiential learning in Augmented Reality can transform the experience by gamifying the learner’s journey. For instance, a treasure hunt to discover facts about a historical place or reward points for learning about animal world, would be a lot more enticing for a kid then looking at printed images and text. AR integration through smartphone apps can improve learning experience in a diversity of subjects. Students can acquire, understand, and remember the information delivered to them through this gamification route.
Since in the early stage of education, kids are more receptive to learning provided through visual aids, This is where by enabling experiential learning in Augmented Reality, education be made more engaging and fun for kids in the K-8 category. Let’s take a look at some of the major benefits of using AR in education:
Benefits of Experiential Learning in Augmented Reality (AR)
Anytime, anywhere access – AR learning eliminates the need for physical textbooks, models, posters, or any other printed materials. Thus, all that a learner has to do is to log in to the smartphone app and resume learning at whichever point and time one desires.
No need for dedicated equipment – As long as you have a functional smartphone and internet connection, you are good to go. This makes AR-based education a lot affordable compared to VR that requires special and expensive headsets. With there being a smartphone in almost every home, AR-powered educational tools are now accessible for all
Greater student engagement – Popularized by early AR games such as Pikachu, the interactive gamification of learning through AR apps can keep students engaged throughout a lesson and make the whole experience completely interactive. No more dozing off in the classrooms!
Fosters teamwork – In the remote learning era of the day, AR apps offer ample opportunities for interactive learning where all the students are equally involved in the activities at the same time. To quote an example, in an AR-powered treasure hunt, every child with a smartphone can participate simultaneously. This improves teamwork and competitive spirit.
Greater learning outcomes – Instead of memorizing things by reading about them from paper books, when kids see the visualization in real-time, they find it a lot easier to remember the experience without much effort. Thus, learning is faster and long-term.
Gamification of Learning through Augmented Reality
These advantages and the incredible potential of diversified learning offered by AR tools is being increasingly identified and explored by modern Edu-Tech startups and learning platforms. Among the fastest growing and most impactful AR-driven learning platforms, Wizar Learning has rapidly established a great rapport with its young users. The platform is managed by a core team of educators who have used advanced AR tools to create a guided path with game objective, story and game plot elements for the learning of K-8 students.
In accordance with the age and learning stage of the children, these activities have been divided into two segments.
Experiential Learning in Augmented Reality for Kids in Grades 3-8
We have built a Metaverse of learning for the kids in this segment. There are several highly engaging games which leverage the interactive scope to enhance STEM learning among the young learners. This not only enables them to grasp the concepts with greater ease, but also builds a learning acumen and interest that is sustained throughout one’s academic and professional life in the years ahead. The most popular Wizar Games in this category are ‘Coming Home’, ‘Brave New World’, and ‘The Trooper.’
Experiential Learning in Augmented Reality for Kids in Grades K-2. These include the following activities:
AR Learning Cards – It is neither feasible nor safe to go deep into the jungles or possible to time travel to watch animals from the wild or the pre-historic beings like Dinosaurs. Wizar Learning’s AR Cards are resolving this challenge by creating 3D virtual visuals of the habitats of animals, birds and even aquatic creatures. The AR Learning Cards from Wizar Learning come in a pack of 30 wild animal learning cards for kids which includes a range of land, winged and marine creatures. Children can observe how these creatures roam the earth and interact with their habitat. These cards can be downloaded on the free Android and iOS mobile apps of Wizar Learning.
Art in AR Coloring Sheets – Wizar’s Art in AR allows kids to color their character and make it come alive. These are 2D colored characters that can be seen in action in a 3-D form. The app allows the kids to control their movements. They can let their creativity flow free by depicting the inner artist through these coloring sheets!
Story in AR Coloring Storybooks – Wizar has transformed the story books and they are not just pages of text anymore. The Wizar Kids storybooks make the stories come alive in AR and make them fun and engaging. Instead of letting the kids read the stories, these AR storybooks encourage them to watch the stories in an interactive and immersive manner.
Wizar has spent a great deal of effort and planning in creating the gamification of learning, and these AR learning tools are ideal for the digitally native generation of today. You can learn more about these and other STEM learning offerings by visiting the following links:
Website: https://www.wizarlearning.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wizarkids/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wizarlearning
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