6 Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for Online Teaching
Introduction
In this chapter, we’ll review augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools for online learning that can increase student engagement, build practical knowledge of real world problems, spur creativity in your students, and much more. We’ll first cover basic information about this technology and what it can offer. Once we’re oriented toward the technical terms and capabilities of this technology, we’ll then turn to how you can use it in your course to enhance online learning. Finally, in our last section, we’ll discuss what you will need to integrate AR and VR into your course. Much of this last topic will depend on your time constraints and access to technological resources. However, there are some third-party support services that will do much of the work for you, as well.
AR and VR might be relatively new technologies to the classroom, but they carry so much potential to reorient students toward the learning goals for your class. In addition, both have been utilized to great effect in the corporate world training employees for technical tasks, increasing empathy in a working environment, and facilitating a collaborative working environment in virtual reality. Its beneficial capacity for higher education is well documented, too, especially for remote learning.
This brief chapter on AR and VR for online learning is meant to introduce just the beginning of what is possible for your course! Let’s turn now to explain the nature of augmented reality and virtual reality technology.
AR/VR Technologies
A common question that comes up when AR and VR technology is “what is the difference between the two?” Let’s find out below:
Augmented Reality
- Blends a real-world environment with a virtual world environment
- Does not fully immerse the user
- Superimposes digital content onto a real environment
- Launches on apps for tablets or smartphones
- Relies on the camera and screen to superimpose digital object onto a real space
Virtual Reality
- Produced a fully virtual world for the user
- Completely immersive
- Simulates reality in a virtual world
- Usually requires a VR headset and a computer, smartphone, or tablet to run the simulated environment
As we see here, there are a few differences when it comes to AR and VR technology. AR tech blends the real world with the virtual world. It does this via an algorithm on your device that allows the computer to recognizes an image and, upon registering it, displays a digital object on top of it. In this way, AR sort of functions like the “find and replace” function you might see in a word document or other applications. In the example below, we see the algorithm recognize a picture of a heart, a map, and a Lexus logo and superimpose their respective digital objects on top.
