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Remember the headlines for Pokemon GO? Maybe you, too, got hooked. If so, you were one of about 21 million users who were playing every day! This is the compelling aspect of AR\u2013it\u2019s fun, engaging, innovative and for some, nearly addictive. The astonishingly realistic and detailed displays of many AR apps, such as those for physiology, add an exciting and engaging dimension to learning. And with AR instantly available in the palm of your student\u2019s hand, there\u2019s no reason not to explore this creative and exciting technology.<\/p>\n
(Image by Paintimpact pokemon go<\/a>)<\/p>\n But AR isn\u2019t just for fun or entertainment. It got serious and life-saving applications as well. AR, and related technologies like virtual reality (VR), are being used in medicine with extraordinary outcomes. In 2015, a baby in Florida was born with only half a heart. Surgeons used a cell phone, 3D imaging software, and a $20 Google Cardboard VR viewer to \u201cpeer into the baby\u2019s heart.\u201d The surgeon, Dr. Redmond Burke, said, \u201cI could see the whole heart. I could see the chest wall. I could see all the things I was worried about in creating an operation,\u201d as recounted in How Virtual Reality Could Change the Way Students Experience Education<\/a>.<\/p>\n Though many AR apps are geared towards a K-12 audience, there are still plenty of ways to effectively include AR in the college classroom. Nearly every discipline has AR apps, including anatomy and physiology, physics, geography, American history, language translation, astronomy, science, geometry, chemistry, marketing and advertising, mechanics and engineering, interior design, architecture, and more! Check out the 32 Augmented Reality Apps for the Classroom from edshelf<\/a>, or simply do your own internet search for \u201caugmented reality education\u201d and explore.<\/p>\n You might be wondering how to employ AR technology in the online classroom. For apps that make AR targets available online (many do), just provide the URL and have students download and print. Some apps use the natural world as a target; for example, Star Chart<\/em> uses GPS to calculate the current location of every star, planet, and moon visible from Earth \u2013 day or night \u2013 and will tell the viewer what they are looking at.<\/p>\n The possibilities are endless! Give it a try yourself. I am willing to bet that you will exclaim, \u201cWow, that\u2019s so cool!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Want to add an engaging \u201cwow!!\u201d factor to your teaching, on-campus or online? Try using augmented reality (AR). It\u2019s simple, easy, and there is a wide range of educational apps for iOS and Android devices, many for free. Best of all, AR taps into the eager desire many young people express to use technology in… Continue reading