Augmented Reality - Innovations for the classroom

Our society has already begun implementing Augmented Reality (AR) into our culture in ways we are not even fully aware of. If you have watched a televised sporting event recently, it is likely that you have already experience AR (Hamilton, 2011). The yellow first down marker on the football field, enhanced puck in a hockey game, even the advertising appearing behind the batter in a baseball game are all examples of AR used by sports broadcasters, overlaying the real images with additional "virtual" information.

Another pervasive use of AR by our culture is the increasing presence of QR markers on just about everything. Businesses, churches, and even schools use these markers to link their clients to additional information, upcoming events, and applicable downloads. Retail shoppers can scan QR codes for point-of-purchase information, reducing the need for sales floor representatives in every area of the store. I met one gentleman with an app which scanned the bar codes and QR codes on the products he consumed and tracked his caloric, fat, protein, cholesterol, and carbohydrate intake each day to assist him with maintaining a balanced and healthy diet.

Wii and Xbox Kinect are also examples of AR applications invading our culture. These gaming systems use "gestures" to control game play, allowing users to experience the game as though they were actually participating in the event. The result is kids (and adults) participating in on screen "virtual" experiences while mimicking the actual required motions in reality. Want to learn to ski (without the snow), get fit, play the violin? All possible virtually using one of these games.

Special AR browsers are already available which layer AR information over an image captured by your phone's camera and using your GPS coordinates to provide additional information about your location. The educational uses for this type of application are boundless and incredible.

My research into this subject went far past the assigned readings and videos for the week as I was extremely fascinated both by the subject and the implications for use in the classroom. What I've uncovered only begins to scratch the surface and with the velocity at which technology is changing and improving will be out of date tomorrow.

For example, lets start with the use of webcams and markers to bring virtual 3D experiences into the classroom. I already spoke of the applications for Google Sketch-Up (Google) and its Inglobe Technologies Counterpart (AR-media Plugin for Google SketchUp, 2012) for displaying the models in AR. Our videos this week included one from Thailand's Larngear (Learngears , 2008) showing applications such as 3D modeling of atoms and 3D popup books about robots which seem incredible to me, with far-reaching implications for the classroom. I located a website called ZooBurst (About Zooburst) which allows teachers to create their own 3D popup books which can be viewed on the computer or displayed virtually via a webcam. Another cool application being developed by Qualcomm in association with Sesame Street (minipcpro, 2012) allows physical 3D toys to interact with a virtual environment, so plastic toy Ernie and Bert can "visit" their virtual 3D apartment and come to life, talking and interacting with the environment and each other. Applications such as this can be used in early childhood education to help develop language skills, early motor skills and more.

Take the markers away, and how does AR interact with our environment? The game our reading discussed this week called Environmental Detectives (Peters, June 2007; Klopfer & Squire, April 2007) is just one example of geo-tagged AR gaming which allows students to learn in the context of their own environment. The Handheld Augmented Reality Project (Handheld Augmented Reality Project) provides innovated educators of middle school math, science, and ELA classes the opportunity to test an AR project lasting from 5-10 days in their classroom and provides equipment, assessments, and support. The project, called Alien, "invites students to explore an area outside of your school with handheld computers, requires students to form hypotheses and analyze bits of evidence, and requires students to present persuasive oral and written arguments supporting their hypotheses." This game builds students' problem-solving, collaboration, math, and science literacy skills while providing a fun and engaging simulated game play.

While Xbox Kinect and Wii might seem like pure virtual fun, teachers are using both retail and custom gaming solutions in the classroom to engage students and teach important skills.  The Microsoft News Center includes a press release (Kinect in the Classroom: Scratching the Surface of Potential, 2012) that explains how an innovative high school math teacher is developing a custom Kinect game which will help math students understand abstract math concepts such as acceleration, velocity, and distance. The game allows students to graph these functions using their bodies instead of paper, allowing students to relate the abstract concepts to their physical motions. The article also mentions a first grade teacher who is using the retail game Disney Adventures to take her students on a virtual field trip to Disneyland. The activity teaches math skills (budgeting, finances), geography (students plan the driving route), and collaborative skills (each group of students is allocated 30 minutes in the virtual Disneyland park and must agree how they will spend their time).

The Layar Reality Browser is one of several new AR supported browsers which overlay the real world as seen through your mobile phone’s camera with virtual information geo-tagged to the location found by the GPS on your phone. This type of browser overlays multiple types of information on the screen image from your phone’s camera. Point the camera at the sky to retrieve up-to-the-minute weather forecasts and see the image of the sky change based on the prediction. Point it at a business to search for job openings, and access an online application. Point it at a restaurant to make a reservation, preview their menu, even place a take-out order. Point it at a movie theatre to see what’s playing, watch trailers, and buy tickets.

This type of layering has many implications for education. Imagine visiting a local historical site such as famous battlefield or the location of a large discovery of gold. Students with AR enabled browsers could look up geo-tagged information on the history of that site. What did it look like when the battle took place? With this type of layering the student could experience that. Science applications could include pointing the camera at a certain tree or plant to identify it and learn more about it, or seeing the simulated effect of global warming over period of time on their environment. Genuine applications for geometry could be explored by having students overlay a photo of a room with formulas to calculate the amount of flooring needed to cover it.

The 2010 Horizon report (Johnson, Smith, Levine, & Haywood, 2010) estimated that Augmented Reality was four to five years from implementation in the classroom. These cases are evidence that some classrooms are already experimenting with AR, and many more will be soon to follow. The potential is mind-boggling, and I am excited to see how this plays out in the future.

References

About Zooburst. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2012, from ZooBurst: http://www.zooburst.com/zb_about.php

AR-media Plugin for Google SketchUp. (2012). Retrieved March 30, 2012, from InGlobe Technologies: http://www.inglobetechnologies.com/en/new_products/arplugin_su/info.php

Google. (n.d.). Google SketchUp. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from Google SketchUp: http://sketchup.google.com/download/

Hamilton, K. E. (2011). Augmented Reality in Education. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from WikEd: http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Augmented_Reality_in_Education

Handheld Augmented Reality Project. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2012, from Harvard College: http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=harp&pageid=icb.page69587

Johnson, L., Smith, R., Levine, A., & Haywood, K. (2010). The 2010 Horizon Report: The K12 Edition. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from New Media Consortium: http://wp.nmc.org/horizon-k12-2010/chapters/augmented-reality/

Kinect in the Classroom: Scratching the Surface of Potential. (2012, March 6). Retrieved March 30, 2012, from Microsoft News Center: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2012/mar12/03-06KinectEducation.mspx

Klopfer, E., & Squire, K. (April 2007). Environmental Detectives—the development of an augmented reality platform for environmental simulations. Education Tech Research Dev .

Layar Browser. (2012). Retrieved May 30, 2012, from Layar Browser: http://www.layar.com/browser/

Learngears . (2008, November 5). Augmented Reality Learning Media, Learngears in classroom education. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT2ek8N0VlY

minipcpro. (2012, February 27). Sesame Street Augmented Reality Dolls Take AR to the Next Level . Retrieved March 30, 2012, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2jSzmvm_WA&feature=share

Peters, K. (June 2007). m-Learning: Positioning educators for a mobile, connected future. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning .

Blended Learning for Grade Schools

 Blended Learning for Grade Schools

As a teacher-in-training I tend to look at the topics I am learning about through a filter – one which lets through only those applications and procedures which could be applied to grade school education. Unfortunately, despite increases in the availability and even the acceptance of technology in the classroom, schools tend to be slow innovators (Cuban, 1993). I had hoped to find examples of a blended learning approach in public schools in my search of the literature, but true blended learning as defined by Graham (2004) appear rarely in a search of the literature.

In the K12 classroom, blended learning tends to take one of two forms. One form is that of computer-enhanced learning, where a traditional classroom approach is supplemented through the use of computer technology. A quick visit to Edutopia.org unveils dozens of blogs, articles, and videos demonstrating the use of computers in K12 education. These examples range from adaptive technology for students with physical or learning disabilities to the use of the computer for extended learning activities, drill and practice, presentations or projects, scenario- or problem-based learning, webquests, or other extensions of the traditional classroom.

Another way we see blended learning in the classroom is through the use of “virtual” programs; courses taught entirely online but used as supplements to offer additional options or makeup classes for missed, or failed courses. “Often, the virtual programs fill curriculum gaps, providing Advanced Placement and other courses that are not available, or courses that help students make up credits for missed or failed classes” (Tucker, 2007). 

Research indicates that a blended approach to education improves student performance both in the classroom and on standardized tests (Center for Technology in Learning, 2009;  Umbach, 1998). Successful implementation of virtual programs into traditional schools can “serve students ‘at both ends of the bell curve – not just AP students but also those needing remediation’ ” (Tucker, 2007).

Blended learning may provide answers to today’s educational challenges. Hopefully as schools become aware of the benefits of this approach we will see an increase toward a more truly blended learning environment.

References 

Center for Technology in Learning. (2009, May). Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. Retrieved March 26, 2012, from U.S. Department of Education: http://repository.alt.ac.uk/629/1/US_DepEdu_Final_report_2009.pdf

Cuban, L. (1993). Computers Meet Classroom: Classroom Wins. Retrieved March 26, 2012, from  http://www.tcrecord.org: http://sdexter.net/xyz/CompMeets%20Classroom.pdf

Graham, C. R. (2004). BLENDED LEARNING SYSTEMS: DEFINITION, CURRENT TRENDS, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. In C. J. Bonk, Handbook of blended learning: Global Perspectives, local designs. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The George Lucas Educational Foundation. (2012). K-12 Education & Learning Innovations with Proven Strategies that Work - Edutopia. Retrieved March 26, 2012, from Edutopia.org: http://www.edutopia.org/

Tucker, B. (2007, June). Laboratories of Reform: Virtual High Schools and Innovation in Public Education. Retrieved March 26, 2012, from www.educationsector.org: https://jasonhuett.wiki.westga.edu/file/view/Virtual_schools.pdf/173365961/Virtual_schools.pdf

Umbach, K. W. (1998, July). LEARNING-RELATED OUTCOMES OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY IN K-12 EDUCATION. Retrieved March 26, 2012, from California Research Bureau: http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/98/10/98010.pdf

Innovative Online Tools for Educators

Now more than ever, teachers are looking for ways to make learning more authentic. We need to differentiate learning for students of all learning styles, and we need to appeal to our students’ interests. These tasks sound daunting, but the web has many tools available to help us accomplish these goals.

Students can become published authors with the website www.Lulu.com. Budding writers will find new reasons to write when their work is available for download via Lulu’s free eBook maker, or publish a printed copy of their works for just pennies a page. Imagine the delight of your students when you present them with a paperback copy of the story they wrote and illustrated? How about creating a classroom or school anthology that students have to compete to get into? How hard would reluctant writers work for the “honor” of being included in a hardcover anthology?

Whether you are a teacher of history, literature, or CAD, you’ll have to appreciate the free tool from Google called Google Sketchup. Download it free from http://sketchup.google.com/download. There are hundreds of free 3D models available for students to download and explore, or they can create their own models using this tool with little or no experience drawing. Imagine taking your students on a virtual tour of the Parthenon, or giving them the experience of walking the grounds of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Allow your students to design and build the setting of the novel you are reading as a class project, or let your art students go wild designing their own fantastic structures or machines. Want to take it to the next level? A plugin available from InGlobe Technologies http://www.inglobetechnologies.com/en/new_products/arplugin_su/info.php allows students to experience what is known as Augmented Reality. With the help of this plug-in and a web camera, students can virtually hold their 3D models for presentation or further exploration. Be sure to check out the demo on InGlobe’s website.

Students love multimedia. Why not let them create their own presentations? What a great way for students to showcase what they are learning or reading! Some easy-to-use websites where students can create free multimedia presentations include www.Animoto.com and www.Stupeflix.com.

What about animations? There are many free tools out there to help students design and create their own animated “movies”. My favorite is www.Xtranormal.com, but students can also make animated movies at www.GoAnimate.com. Teachers can use this as an engaging replacement for a traditional lecture. Instead, consider dividing your students into teams and having them animate a lesson for the class.

Need more tools? Kevin Honeycutt lists hundreds in his teacher toolbox. Find them at http://web.me.com/khoneycuttessdack/kevinhoneycutt.org/Central.html.