By Aiswarya Saseendran
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) provide science education with interactive opportunities. Students can have an interaction with complex topics, experience lab actions, or manipulate 3-D models of objects. These interactive experiences can lead to increased engagement and retention, which can result in improved learning outcomes and as an added bonus can be fun, too. The often-referred virtual experiences of AR and VR are new ways of enhancing the real world with AR and creating virtual spaces to experience with VR.
AR and VR experiences provide science education with visualization, hands-on experiences, safe simulations, and accessibility. Students may access, manipulate, and interpret complex structures, institutionalize practicing lab activities and practice science in remote and/or cost prohibitive locations... all through AR and VR. Finally, while AR and VR provide very similar experiences, the most obvious differences involve environment, immersion and interactivity. AR provides an interactive experience based on real-world situations, while VR relies on a model or concept denoting a completely
virtual space, the AR is overlaying digital onto reality, while VR is completely creating a simulated experience.
AR and VR experiences provide science education with visualization, hands-on experiences, safe simulations, and accessibility. Students may access, manipulate, and interpret complex structures, institutionalize practicing lab activities and practice science in remote and/or cost prohibitive locations... all through AR and VR. Finally, while AR and VR provide very similar experiences, the most obvious differences involve environment, immersion and interactivity. AR provides an interactive experience based on real-world situations, while VR relies on a model or concept denoting a completely
virtual space, the AR is overlaying digital onto reality, while VR is completely creating a simulated experience.
EXAMPLES IN SCIENCE TEACHING
• Biology AR: Interactive 3D anatomy model of human organs can be labelled to allow fo students to explore the complex anatomy of human organs and take the time needed to make sense of these complex structures. VR: Virtual space will allow for virtual field trips to deep sea aquatic ecosystems - students can see intimately marine life and the ecosystem it represents, in the habitat it conceptualizes!
• Physics AR: circuit visualizations with feedback circuit current and volt overlays, support student understanding of concepts involved in electrical systems. VR: Simulated travel to the planets and the solar system, while students explore the solar system.
• Chemistry AR: 3D molecular models layered over textbook illustrations so students can visualize and interact with their molecular models.
VR: Virtual chemistry laboratories that will allow experiments to be done safely so students can practice and learn providing never having to think about their safety. Both AR and VR technologies provide exciting outcomes for science learning because they ignite student interest, address hands-on learning, assist with different learning styles, and take away the abstract and make it physically real. AR and VR helps students manipulate virtual objects and interact with virtual spaces so that curiosity brings deeper understanding.
However, AR and VR has some limitations such as costs of devices and software, teachers need to be trained on their usage, and the potential for student motion sickness. These limitations will create a significant hurdle, especially for schools without adequate funding, however addressing these limitations is critical in facilitating the use of AR and VR to support learning in the science classroom.
Looking to the future teachers will have to take advantage of these AR and VR technologies to provide immersive, interactive, and ultimately effective learning experiences.
Submitted by,
Aiswarya Saseendran
B241458ED
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