Augmented Reality (AR) 🔦🤖 + UniteAR

Hello there!

Today, I would like to talk about Augmented Reality! Let's try to understand what AR really is and then I will introduce some AR apps that we can use in our classrooms.

Augmented Reality (AR) is a digital medium that allows you to overlay virtual content into the physical world in a way that makes it seem like the content is physically there. AR basically allows us to merge the digital and physical worlds. Your camera detects a target image and can figure out how close or far, and at what angle the target image is from the camera using sensors, then projects digital information onto that target image, finally, AR happens! I think we are actually familiar with the usage of AR through some social media apps like Snapchat or Instagram. So, these apps started adding augmented reality to their features with lenses and filters a few years ago. 

     

AR has been used in different areas for years like business, design, medical training, tourism, and more! I think all of them sound really exciting but I want to more focus on education and classroom usage.

AR is being used in education in a variety of ways at all grade levels. AR has the advantage of providing hands-on experience and visual learning supplements that allow for a more interactive experience for the students. Students are able to visit historic sites, see animals jump off of flashcards, and immerse themselves in pop-up books where they can be the main character. 

There are many apps you can download right now that utilize augmented reality. Some of the examples are HP Reveal, Augment 3D AR, UniteAR, LayAR, Blippar. Also, there are some other AR applications that are designed for specific areas of education. For example, the app Mondly is designed for learning different languages in augmented reality. 

Today, I'm going to introduce you to the app "UniteAR". I chose this app because I think it is very simple and everyone can use it. So, UniteAR is an Augmented Reality platform where you can build your own augmented reality experience in an easy way. (no need to know coding or anything). 

So, through UniteAR, you can scan a target image or easily choose 3D contents (avatars, animals, fruits, places, etc.) from their AR gallery. Also, there is an option to use the app's editor on your browser. You can create your own AR project by uploading the 3D objects from your computer or choosing from the gallery. Then, you can scan your final product by using the UniteAR mobile app. Here is the link for a simple tutorial.

                  

I think different activities can be created by using this AR app. I want to try a very simple activity for beginner level students who want to learn some basic English words in a fun way! I think providing AR experiences for EFL students can be helpful for them to feel more engaged and excited in their language learning process.