Did you ever struggle to understand a theoretical concept in class? Whether it be learning how ions interact with one another or how the human body looks from within, it would have indeed been great if we could visualize it all in front of us.
Well, it turns out that the children of today can! Augmented reality has allowed education to become much more interactive than before. Ranging from virtual examples of complex concepts to learning via a gaming experience, one can say that augmented reality is undoubtedly revolutionizing the education system.
This might also explain why technology is gaining popularity among students and schools worldwide.
According to research conducted by Emerging Ed Tech, 72 percent of students would eagerly participate in an AR-based class. In comparison, 70 percent of students feel that applied AR technologies in their classes have helped them improve their learning experience.
Read: Top 10 Augmented Reality Apps
If you are an instructor who aims to boost engagement and learning in your class, now is a great time to hop onto the AR bandwagon. Here are 10 AR apps you can utilize in your classroom.
Top 10 AR Apps for the Classroom
1. Blippar
First, let’s find ways of supplementing traditional education and making it more interesting. Blippar is one app that can come in handy for this. The app allows you to explore the educational material around you in an interactive manner.
The AR tool can be integrated into various texts and items to provide more information about a given topic. For starters, you can scan the Brainspace magazine with it. All the 2D aspects of the magazine will come to life, thereby transforming how you read and understand things.
The good thing about Blippar is that it does not require any coding. Teachers can build their own AR experience once they learn the basic tricks via a simple tutorial.
Here are ways you can use Blippar in your classroom:
- Convert hard-to-grasp images within a textbook into easy-to-understand 3D images.
- Label a diagram to ensure that labels can only be accessed with the app and hence not seen during a test.
- Translate texts into different native languages to an equal understanding of all.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/blippar-the-ar-browser/id410604563
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blippar.ar.android&hl=en&gl=US
2. Curiscope
Science can be quite fun and exciting if you can visualize the various concepts. This is the motto of Curiscope, which offers an app that allows students to explore the human body system in an unconventional and fun way.
You will have to make an investment here, though. You will have to purchase the virtual T-shirt. This shirt has been embedded with a code and the curiscope app. Here is how you can use it:
- Get one of your students to wear it (or you can sport it too).
- Ask other students to view the person with the T-shirt through the curiscope app.
- Via their phones, they will see an in-depth view of the body and its systems.
This app is ideal for teaching human anatomy during a biology class. The fact that it is visual ensures that most students are able to retain the theories.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/virtuali-tee-by-curiscope/id1135840956
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiscope.virtualitee&hl=en&gl=US
3. FarmAR
When you think of class and education, you automatically think of ways to make textbooks and lectures interesting. But, AR allows you to do much more. Nothing engages children better than games.
And farming games like FarmAR are excellent for teaching children about vegetables, animals, and the process of farming through immersing them in the experience. Consider FarmAR to be something like Big Barn World of AirG app – but in 3D.
The app lets you scan any given environment through a smartphone’s camera and place animals in them and visualize how they interact with the world. The features include:
- Choosing from a range of farm animals and placing them in a real-world setting.
- Moving them around via the phone and examining how they interact with different objects.
- Throw machinery into the mix to understand how huge such items are.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/farmar/id1367153110
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thinkdigital.farmar&hl=en&gl=US
4. Experience Real History
Even though history is very intriguing and exciting, seldom is it taught in a way that students enjoy it. And teachers cannot be blamed for it – previously, there was no way to bring history to life.
Now, with the help of ‘Experience Real History,’ things have changed (at least when it comes to learning about Alamo). The app allows users to visualize various individuals from history and watch as they interact with one another, thereby recreating history.
The features of the app include:
- Stepping back into 1836 to lost world Alamo.
- Listen and watch the 17 battles play out.
- Wander into each battlefield and learn more about the different heroes of the Texas battle.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/experience-real-history-alamo/id1362009968
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alamoreality.arprod&hl=en
5. 3DBear
Whether you are a teacher or a student, you can benefit from 3DBear that helps users in creating 3D models and placing them in real-life settings. The only thing you are limited by here is your creative thinking!
The tool is excellent for developing problem-solving skills in students, encouraging STEAM learning, and keeping students engaged during remote classes. You can take inspiration from the models already available on the app. As an educator, you can use the app to:
- Create complex 3D models to teach STEM concepts.
- Explain the scale of a given object by showing an AR life-sized version of it.
- Teach geometry and other mathematical concepts.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/3dbear/id1234975406
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fi.ThreeDBear.ThreeDBearAR&hl=en&gl=US
6. Adobe Aero
Another laudable creator AR-app is Adobe Aero. This immersive app can be ideal for creating interactive classes, whether the educator or the student uses it. The possibilities are virtually endless with such AR apps.
You can use it to:
- Create a walk-through virtual tour to explain a complex structure
- Augment a 2D book into one with 3D models.
- Expand on art to depict the various layers and the distances between them.
- Such an AR app can be used to enrich a given classroom experience and boost out-of-school learning.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-aero/id1401748913
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adobe.aero.android&hl=en&gl=US
7. PhotoMath
Often when asked what the most challenging subject is, many students refer to Mathematics. The subject is quite polarizing – either you love solving all the tricky equations or despise it to the core.
Regardless of which of the two you belong to, the chances are that you will get stuck when solving a problem now and then. And you wouldn’t hate it as much as you if you could walk through the solution and understand it.
PhotoMath allows you to do so virtually. Scan a given problem from your textbook and see a step-by-step animated solution for it. Key features of the app include:
- Comprehensive explanations of word problems.
- How to animation and step-wise solutions.
- Depicting various solving strategies for each question.
- Use of interactive graphs to explain a given problem.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/photomath/id919087726
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microblink.photomath&hl=en&gl=US
8. Chem 101: Active Learning
Beware! This app is not meant for everyone, so proceed only if you are either an instructor or a college-level chemistry student.
Chem 101 is an AR app that transforms static verbose content into dynamic 3D models and problems. AR is best used when being implemented for such abstract subjects. Use the app to engage students by asking them to draw 3D chemical structures or solve the 250 plus built-in questions.
Features offered in the app include:
- A drawing tool to create 3D models.
- Assigning dynamic homework in the form of 250 questions in topics ranging from molecular polarity to Lewis Structure.
- Real-time results are provided for effective assessment.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chem101-active-learning/id1128486439
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bonds.one_o_one.bonds_android&hl=en_US&gl=US
9. Merge Explorer
What if you could hold an entire galaxy within the palm of your hands? AR apps have made this a possibility! One such app is a Merge Explorer, which you have to use in tandem with a Merge Cube.
View the merge cube through the Merge Explorer and explore over 100 science simulations, whether it be dissecting a frog or learning about the Earth’s core. The app can be used to attain the following advantages:
- Multisensory learning uses visual, tactile, and auditory senses to learn new concepts, thereby creating an impactful learning experience.
- Developing Spatial Abilities regarding STEM topics for better comprehension and problem-solving skills.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/merge-explorer/id1453098606
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.MergeCube.EDUExplorer&hl=en&gl=US
10. AR Pianist
Are you struggling with teaching piano to students who do not have the instrument at home for further practice? AR Pianist offers the best solution for this. The interactive app allows students to play piano on a virtual instrument and observe famous pianists.
The best feature of this AR app is the ability to slow a given performance down to learn from the virtual pianists’ different hand motions and techniques. Also, the app features a Mido keyboard that offers feedback about the user’s attempt and provides assistance about better movements and techniques.
The benefits of using AR Pianist include:
- Compatibility with a plethora of smartphones and tablets.
- A free version is accessible to all, while a premium version with unlimited access to songs.
- Realistic avatars for learning techniques.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ar-pianist-3d-piano-concerts/id1478118473
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mt.arpianist&hl=en&gl=US
Ending Remarks
Each of the ten AR apps is quite revolutionary in its own way. The education system has undoubtedly come very far in terms of the availability of resources. Only time will tell just how much AR will disrupt the education system.
For now, download and use any relevant apps to boost engagement in your class. Do let us know how it fares for you!
