How can augmented reality in education be used to provide experiential learning to students for better outcomes? What benefits will it provide to the learners? Read through the following passage to find it all!

A rage in the gaming and entertainment industry lately, augmented reality has embarked on its journey to transform the world of education as well. Augmented reality in education can make the process of learning more interactive than ever, providing students with new ways of acquiring knowledge. Proffering experiential learning for better learning outcomes is one of them. Augmented reality technology makes use of methods that lets students learn through experiences which, in turn, helps them understand things in a better way and remember them for a longer time. Here is how augmented reality in education can be used to provide experiential learning to students.

Using Augmented Reality for Experiential Learning

Augmented Reality technology integrates 3-Dimensional digital elements to the real-world view to provide users with an enhanced experience. Leading examples of augmented reality apps are Snapchat, Pokémon Go, YouCam Makeup, Wikitude, etc. The reason behind the success of augmented reality is the changing preferences of the modern attention span that is addicted to digital stimulation. And when a technology that lets you change your facial features or transport you into a futuristic virtual faraway kingdom, things get even better! This is what exactly augmented reality technology does!

Involve Students in the Learning Process

Experiential learning is all about making students learn through experiences, and augmented reality does exactly the same! Augmented reality in education and training makes use of applications that allow students to scan 2D pictures and convert them into 3D interactive models. Hence, students are involved in the process from the very beginning. Also, the enhanced figures look more enticing to modern learners.

Let them Experiment

Once the students are involved in the process, you can let them experiment with the help of 3D simulations. This is yet another way of keeping students engaged in the process. Whilst it can be difficult to take students to the laboratory every day, you can make them experiment and learn abstract topics of science and math's, such as the human nervous system, quadratic equations, etc. Let them play with simulations until they become fully versed with the topic.

Make them Familiar with Real-World Scenarios 

Student engagement is hard to achieve, especially when students cannot relate to the topics they are being taught. Yes, learners may lose interest if the topics being taught doesn’t seem relatable or appertain to the real world. Experiential learning, on the other hand, makes the textual content ‘real’ by incorporating experiments and hands-on tasks with actual outcomes. By using augmented reality technology, teachers can explain abstract topics such as set theory, logical reasoning, binary operations, etc. to help students relate to the topic.

Spark Creativity 

Since experiential learning is based on the concept of learning by trial and error, students can experiment as many times as they want. Also, a problem can have more than one solution and this is what augmented reality offers. Setting students free to find out answers to a vast array of questions sparks their creativity, which is one of the vital 21st-Century skills. Moreover, in the quest of finding answers, the many results produced will help in making better decisions.

Accelerated Learning 

Modern students respond better when technology is used in classrooms. Hence, by using augmented reality apps for experiential learning, students not only feel more interested but also grasp concepts faster. Moreover, when students practice a skill or a technique, it fortifies the neural connections in our nervous system, which makes us feel ‘smarter’. Not to mention, learning by doing makes us retain things better improving our memory.

Benefits of Providing Experiential Learning with Augmented Reality 

When augmented reality in education is used for providing experiential learning, it brings plenty of outstanding benefits. Read through the following pointers to get acquainted with the same.

Improved Memory Retention

When students learn topics and concepts with the help of virtual 3D simulations and figures, they are actively involved in the process. This is called learning by doing which makes them remember things for a longer time. Hence, when augmented reality is used for providing experiential learning, it boosts long term memory.

Increased Student Engagement 

As mentioned above, using technology in education increases the level of engagement among students. This is because the 21st-Century learners are used to digital stimulation. And when an interactive technology such as augmented reality is used in the process, it results in even better results, i.e. increased student engagement.

Boosts Collaboration 

Whether it is about teacher-student collaboration or collaboration among students, augmented reality in education is proven to do it all. The tasks involved in learning with augmented reality technology require collaboration which promotes teamwork among students. Pokémon Go is one such example. On the other hand, teachers can guide students with instructions to make the process more beneficial and interactive. 

Provides Personalized Learning 

Since experiential learning lets students perform hands-on tasks and experiments, it lets them learn at their own pace. Every student has his own ways of understanding and learning things, and not each one of them can grasp all concepts at once. The power of augmented reality lets them try and perform tasks as many times unless and until they become fully skilled.