Are You Ready for AR?? - Blog Post #9

Are You Ready For AR??

Walking into today's school library does not always appear to fall into the traditional notion of the library of the past.  No longer are students expected to be seen and not heard or to sit quietly to read.  The library is now the technology nook for the 21st century student, which doesn't require students to be chained to a computer, work independently, or to be quiet.  Students can still check out a book, but they can and are encouraged to tinker, "play", and create.  One of the newest technology devices introduced into the library is the use of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality systems.  Some students are fortunate enough to have access to VR devices at home with their gaming systems, but how exciting to introduce and provide access to this device within the educational realm.  What students once thought of as a "toy" can also be used to educate. For educational usage, VR still has a very hefty price tag, as many of my fellow bloggers have noted, so let's look into what the AR realm has to offer.  This knowledge of AR will allow teacher librarians to be able to collaborate with classroom teachers to develop lessons in a more effective manner. Are you ready for AR???

So what is the difference between AR and VR?  Massis' (2015) article tries to distinguish between VR and AR, which long and short has to do with the "setting". VR is completely virtual, where AR uses the real-world. Here is a site that broke this down into terms that seem easier for the novice to understand (5 Augmented and Virtual Reality Creation Tools for Students). This understanding of the definition tends to lead to AR being more adaptable to school usage, especially when looking into cost effectiveness and accessibility.  In Young's article, we are introduced to Katie McNamara, and her idea of assessing technology by how it can be used to allow students to create and share (Young, 2020). Becton Loveless' article from Education Corner stated that AR's benefits are vast and "can promote interactive experiences with coursework, encourage collaboration between students, improve motivation, and increasing learning gains" (Loveless, 2022).  He also points out how this technology can be used for our students with different abilities.  AR can be used to create interactive lessons with sign language, so ALL students can engage in the lesson fully. 

Here is another way that AR can be used in the classroom for hearing impaired students to actively participate and access lessons in real time. Accessible Classroom in VR/AR for Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Here's how we can use AR for students with Autism: ISTE presentation:   Augmented Reality for Autistic Students.

Metaverse Studio is a free application that can help you begin your AR experiences for your students.  It also allows you to curate experiences and provides a library to assist in building your AR adventures.  This video gives a great step by step explanation of how to create and publish your AR lesson.  Once created and publish, it will provide you with a unique QR code for students to be able to access using their device.  Recently, the Metaverse has added the "collections" option for teachers and students to be able to collect the student creation submissions.  You can also find more ideas on how to incorporate AR into your classroom using Metaverse on Richard Byrne's blog: Free Technology for Teachers: Metaverse Studio - Create Your Own Augmented Reality Learning Experiences.

AR does require a device, but it does not have to be an iPhone or an Oculus, and does not require "headgear".  So many schools already have access to iPads and Google devices that costs can be minimal.  Katie McNamara's costs were $39 for Merge viewers, as opposed to spending $399 (Oculus Rift) to $9,000 (VRHero 5K Plus).  Many of the applications online are free, but of course there are apps that you can purchase, like Merge Cube, that can cost upwards of $995 per year for a single use or $2495 for a school.  Here is a great resource of recommended AR tools provided by a technology integration specialist with the costs: 7 Augmented Reality Tools for the Classroom.

There are so many ways that AR can be added to lessons, as noted here: Augmented Reality in Education Lesson Ideas. This takes the traditional PowerPoint projects and lessons and moves them to the next level.  AR is not meant to replace the traditional lessons, but to enhance by bringing instruction to life and engaging ALL students in learning.  Here you can see an 8th grade  student sharing how they are using AR in their classroom.  

Here are some quick videos on how to use AR in our libraries:

                          

AR can be used to direct students to the books and information they need, which would be very helpful to students with hearing and visual different-abilities.  As a teacher librarian, you can develop interactive lessons with collaboration with classroom teachers, but also scavenger hunts to discover topics or locate a new book to the library.  There are just so many uses.

No one can argue the value that VR has to offer, but to allow greater access to technology to enhance traditional learning AR has the upper hand.  Hopefully, with these resources, you ARE ready for AR!!!

RESOURCES

Byrne, R. (2019, March 22). Metaverse studio – Create your own augmented reality learning experiences. Free Technology for Teachers. https://www.freetech4teachers.com/search/label/metaverse

Loveless, B. (2022). Using augmented reality in the classroom. Education Corner: Education That Matters. https://www.educationcorner.com/augmented-reality-classroom-education.html

Massis, B. (2015). Using virtual and augmented reality in the library. New Library World. 116,11/12. pp. 796 - 799.

Young, L.J. (2020, April 7). Get the most from AR/VR technology without breaking the budget. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/get-the-most-from-ar-vr-technology-without-breaking-budget-library.