I have not seen A.R. in my school, so this presentation provided many exciting examples, and A.R. has potential. However, until this technology becomes more ubiquitous, I feel any talk about student achievement is a bit premature. The technology is only becoming a bit more affordable for classroom settings. BYOD principles that embrace student use of their smartphones likely provide some opportunity here to begin bringing this technology into the classroom. Most smartphone manufacturers are adopting these A.R. features. As one example, I am aware that Apple has a developer toolkit called ARKit and that their latest smartphone models are pushing A.R. as a significant selling point. I could find a few applications that seemed interesting, such as some of the astronomy applications, but regarding improving student academic achievement, I’m not sure that any one technology, including A.R., is going to do this. I see some potential for student engagement as the technology is fascinating to work with, but I suspect there is an element of novelty here and once that novelty wears off, a technology by itself is not going to improve academic achievement. I am also wary of any technology that is used as a toy or distraction tool that is purported to 'engage' students without evidence of improved learning. I have witnessed many teachers use mobile tech as a babysitting tool, and I worry that AR in the wrong hands could lead to more of this trend. AR’s success in the classroom will come down to how the teacher integrates the technology with other activities. Once the technology is widely used, and teachers find meaningful ways of using it beyond novelty, then we can begin looking at how student achievement is affected.
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Hi Neil, Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The title of your comments "Toy or Tool" had me reflecting on gaming and learning. Is AR one of the things that is blurring the lines between entertainment and learning? Will "learning" the way we know it eventually become a thing of the past?
Good point, Faeyza. I haven't used the SkyGuide before, but it looks like a really neat application. It's funny, my thinking always reverts to formal education spaces when I chat on these forums, but one of the core concepts of this course is that learning can--and should--happen anytime, anywhere. So it's really important that we broaden the definition of education and think beyond the classroom. I suppose mediation can be found in many different ways nowadays, and we have to think about how technologies can better adapt to learners who are looking for tools to serve different functions. Thanks, Paige
Has anyone used Apple's SkyGuide AR? I think apps such as this one demonstrate the power of AR for education and learning. And when we say, education, it does not always mean inside the schools and classrooms. We had encyclopedia and books like Tell Me Why and other scientific and non-scientific journals and magazines that are there for self-motivated learners who want to pursue their own interests and want to find out answers to their questions.
Hi Neil, you've made a great point in general about any use of technology for advancing student's achievement. I personally think the claim should only go as far as that technology is able to facilitate better/quicker understanding of the knowledge. In AR's case it allows better understanding of difficult topics such as the internal organs in biology class through an immersive experience. Whether this will lead to better student's achievement is a multifaceted question which includes teaching pedagogy, assessment and other learning criteria.
Great points, Neil. History has shown us that we tend to cast one technology in the light of transforming education, but none ever lived up to the promise, including the computer. Having access to a technology doesn't equate to higher student achievement. I suppose what's exciting about AR is that it can revolutionize the way we interact with information, but that requires mediation and, in the school setting, support from teachers. It also requires that the technology become more accessible, intuitive, and less restrictive. (In cases where putting on a clunky headset without being "hands free" is required, it can be a serious barrier. Also, it seems as though AR is still mostly restricted to public spaces, requiring possible field trips.) I think time will tell what this technology brings to education, and I can't help but agree that this requires patience on our end and informed practice for how to implement the technology meaningfully when the time does come. - Paige