Augmented Reality: Possibilities and Resources for Teaching and Learning

Will augmented reality (AR) soon be coming to Fordham University?

I've followed the use of augmented reality in education since I first came across the intriguing mention of AR being used on smartphones in Sophia Li's Chronicle of Higher Education article, Augmented Reality' on Smartphones Brings Teaching Down to Earth. In 2010, AR was a technology that looked to be full of promise, but in practice still remained in the future. 

Recently, however, I've seen some exciting examples of AR being used in engaging ways for teaching and learning. To that end, in the wiki I created to curate content on the various tech trends discussed in the 2013 New Media Consortium Horizon Report, I added examples of AR in use both in the classroom and on campus.

For example, teachers use AR to create opportunities for differentiated instruction by linking content in a text to more detailed instruction via video by creating a customized trigger using the Aurasma app. Other instructors use AR apps to create overlays of historical data on top of existing geological features, as seem in the very intriguing Civil War Battle app.

During the LearnIT on AR I gave recently, I was excited to hear faculty and staff brainstorm ideas on possible uses at Fordham. Some imagined using it as a way to deliver on-demand training. Others envisioned it as an interactive guide to the layout of buildings on campus.

With news of Microsoft unveiling HoloLens, I think we're only just beginning to think of the possibilities this form of computing offers. Stay tuned!

Resources:

Kristen's bookmarks on Augemented Reality 

AR page on the Tech Trends in Education wiki 

Kristen's LearnIT:  Augmented Reality

Kristen Treglia is a Senior Instructional Technologist at Fordham University

Image: Creative Commons licensed | flickr photo by turkletom