Augmented reality is the new normal today. It has engulfed almost every part of our life. Even the education sector has witnessed a gigantic wave of augmented reality. With the help of AR, teachers and educators can make learning more fun and ensure increased engagement and interactivity among students. AR has numerous benefits and advantages when it comes to learning & education. Before we delve into this, let us understand what Augmented reality means.
Augmented reality refers to an enhanced rendition of the real-world environment using advanced visual components, sound, and other upgrades conveyed through innovation. It is a developing pattern among organizations engaged with portable registering and business applications specifically.
Today, using traditional methods for teaching has gone out of trend. Globalization and digitization have driven technology innovations. With the growth of the edtech sector, the education technology industry is expected to reach $680.1 billion by 2027, growing at an annual rate of 17.9%. In fact, AR in edtech is prophesied to surpass $5.3 billion by 2023, opening many opportunities for educational institutions and businesses.
The Benefits of Augmented Reality in Education
Most AR tools are designed to add the seamlessness of digital objects within the “real world” and boost user experience. AR allows students to understand and comprehend study topics much faster and eliminates any complexities in learning. Moreover, it brings new opportunities for students to learn how to communicate and collaborate with one another. The best part is that when you employ AR in education, you don't need to overhaul the complete curriculum; instead, it tends to supplement current pedagogical materials by the pinch of contextual experiences that stimulate interest and discussion in-class activities.
Here is a rundown of the top benefits of Augmented Reality in Education -
- Learning Anytime and Anywhere
One of the key benefits is that students can avail learning anywhere and anytime at their disposal. Even Augmented reality can replace paper textbooks, physical models, and printed study material. AR offers learning materials that are easily accessible using mobile. It adds new methodologies and scope to the existing learning model.
- No Specific Skill Needed
AR also promotes a hybrid learning facility. But many feel that AR is a complex phenomenon that requires extensive skills and knowledge to excel at. However, it is a myth. You don't need any skill or hardware for AR. 73% of all teens currently own a smartphone, and AR technologies are available on their smartphones without any hassle. It is so simple to use and fun to learn. All you need is a smartphone or laptop, which is common nowadays.
- Higher student engagement and Productivity
AR follows the philosophy of edutainment. The aim is to make education more fun for students. In other words, it allows for higher retention through simulations because all senses get engaged. Gamified AR learning makes a positive impact on students. With the help of this advanced technology, students learn new concepts effortlessly and quickly as it creates such an engaging atmosphere. All these factors boost engagement and productivity because students comprehend better.
- Boost collaboration and team skills
When students learn through augmented reality, they don't just learn but also improve teamwork skills. When all students are involved in the learning process, they eventually learn the art of team collaboration. Moreover, with AR, you can create group assignments for students to develop skills while learning. It helps to visualize processes that integrate virtual objects into the real world by displaying these objects. In fact, current AR applications promote demonstrative purposes through which one person can interact with others.
- Imparts Practical learning
One of the main loopholes in the education system is that it is traditional and bookish in nature. Most of the subjects taught in school emphasize more on theory and less on practical application. As a result, students lack practical skills. When schools and colleges adopt AR as a means of teaching methodology, they can teach practical skills along with theoretical knowledge by using gamified elements and virtual examples. In this way, one can ensure overall personality development. It is only possible through Augmented reality.
- Super Affordable and Cost-Effective
Augmented Reality is not expensive, and schools & colleges can easily afford it at a low cost, and institutions can equip them with minimum effort. This also helps to reduce educational expenses and is much more effective than traditional learning. Every student can afford it at their disposal.
- Content knowledge
We all will agree that Content is King. But today, most of the education institutions follow the same old monotonous content that teaches students, which are the least effective and super tedious. But with AR, teachers can create immersive educational experiences on their own to help ensure their students understand curriculum content well. In this way, students will enjoy learning new concepts. AR ensures that students remain engaged with the content. We can only reform the education system to make learning exciting and fun rather than a compulsory dull drill.
Conclusion
Believe it or not, AR is thriving in the hoop of humanity. By 2023, there is an estimated increase of approximately 2.4 billion Augmented Reality mobile users globally, from a mere 200 million user jump since 2015. The interest looming around the usage of Augmented Reality in education and eLearning applications is awe-inspiring. We have been well aware of the use of AR in games and social media platforms, but now AR is a new space that is getting built up and has the potential to transform the education sector to its core.
AR creates an atmosphere that enables students to follow their own pursuits and learn from their own follies. They learn to take ownership of projects, enjoy responsibility, and learn to engage with their peers harmoniously. With AR, educators can ensure fruitful and insightful learning experiences for students. Time to embrace AR!
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