Curation Project

AR & VR in Education

Resource Link

Shawna Stushnoff
University of Colorado Denver
November 2019

Need

The benefits of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in education have been a highly debated topic of conversation in recent years, however research shows these tools work as effective, efficient training platforms.  We learn faster and more effectively in immersive environments, a fact long recognized in language learning.  Transfer to long-term memory increases significantly in AR/VR environments and they are also powerful avenues for teaching the twenty-first century skills employers are looking for.  Traditionally development cost has been high and the return on investment questionable however based on historical trends we anticipate that access to new technology will increase and cost will decline.  If we consider the evolution of computers as they made their way into our homes and back pockets we see an example of increased access and declining cost in recent history. Yet AR and VR remain an example of technology many doubt that they will ever be able to implement in their classrooms.  We have, however, begun to see the pendulum swing yet many instructors are not aware of the impact or tools currently available.

My research led me to the surprising fact that in addition to value in preparing our students for their futures VR, along with 3D movies, often points to a potential challenge with reading amongst even the youngest learners.  Catching this early is vital to introducing solutions that can drastically change a student’s reading and learning experiences throughout their lifetime.

Purpose & Audience

Employers are expecting student’s to acquire what is commonly referred to as twenty-first century skills during their education.  These skills include digital-age literacy, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and problem solving.  Recognizing the power that AR and VR have with acquisition of those skills, as well as it’s increased power for transfer to long-term memory, it is important that we, as instructors, have our eyes on current AR/VR technology as well as what’s coming next.  I was introduced to AR, VR, and some of the tools available today through CU Denver’s Digital Stories class.  Although a bit overwhelmed at first I dug in with the intent to understand and conquer learning this new technology at least at an elementary level.  As I participated in discussions in the Teaching Strategies for Blended and Online Learning class I am taking concurrent with this research course, I realized that I am not the only one with little exposure to this type of technology.  If we consider Snapchat as an example of AR it is easy to see that many students are ahead of instructors when it comes to the use of some of these new technologies.

I chose this project with the hope that I can highlight the benefits, spur the curiosity, and spark a desire for other instructors to take a deeper look at the technology that has the potential to engage and educate students in ways we have previously not been able to do.  As interactions with AR/VR rise we do our students a disservice on many levels by not introducing them to this technology.  As AR/VR becomes commonplace it is imperative that as educators we have at least a basic understanding of it as we prepare our students to take their places in society.

Yes, there are still very high end, high tech AR/VR interfaces that require a serious investment that is realistically available to only larger entities and corporations, however there are also low cost and no cost tools that can be adopted at a great benefit to our students.  Drag and drop interfaces that introduce the use of triggers make AR easy to learn and create experiences for use in the classroom.  The engaging aspect of immersive learning and serious games brings with it a power currently untapped in many ways.  Introducing and encouraging students to use these tools as well reinforces many of the twenty-first century skills employers are looking for.

Search Method

I began my search for information on the history, benefits, difficulties, and progress of Augmented and Virtual Reality by taking a look at the tools I had been introduced to last semester. I also returned to notes I had taken at the COLTT conference at CU Boulder in August 2019.  I then moved researching the Auraria Library for studies and research on the benefits of the use of AR/VR in the classroom and turned to YouTube for some media options.  Finally I decided to request an interview with Len Scrogen, an instructor at CU Denver, who has extensive experience in this area.

Resources

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