Augmented Reality (AR) is using a direct or indirect live view of a physically real-world experience enhanced by technology. This means that students will be using real tools to do the work, but these said tools will also have visual effects that aren't normally there. The visual effects enhance learning skills dramatically. For example, a pre-med student would be able to preform a visual operation on a body without actually cutting into the skin, but the visual effect will allow the student to see and react to the situation as if it were real. 

Augmented reality and enhanced vision is developing everywhere in today's society! It's becoming more and more common in the classroom. Books are being created with this technology and the outcome is amazing! Students are literally able to watch stories come to life as they read. Examples drawn in the margins can now perform the task they represent, thus allowing the student to further understand the lesson. Visual learners no longer have to work excessively hard to understand a topic, the book can show them what they need to know. This is amazing!

This video is an excellent example of how children can learn using this technology in the classroom. Students can watch a story come to life while reading (making the experience more memorable). This technique would be extremely beneficial in any history class (including music) because the student can literally watch history happen while he/she turns the pages! History will no longer feel like a "forgotten memory" because students can see the history happen as if it were happening today. 

Augmented Reality Video

Music and Augmented Reality

In a music classroom one might ask, "How will I use augmented reality for my students?" There are several ways this technology can be beneficial to a music educator. One example of augmented reality lies in the beginning music theory classes. Even at a young age students can become a part of the music written on the page. Notes once lifeless can move around and form different chords for the students to analyze. When once before a teacher would have to create separate examples on paper, now he/she can simply create a "motion" of chords that progress as the students recognizes them correctly. This preserves paper and students time as they learn new forms of music and chord progressions. 

Here is another video showing an example of the endless possibilities of augmented reality in the music classroom. Piano Video 

Piano teachers can use this method to help students memorize music, learn scales, and even intervals! Visual learners can watch the augmented reality version of the piano and follow along as they memorize their music. 

Another example of augmented reality for the music classroom would be a virtual choir. For directing classes, the student would be using a real baton and hearing real-life music, but as they are directing the student would see a full orchestra and choir. This augmented reality would react to the student's gestures and enter at the correct spots according to the student's progress. This allows students to fully know what it would feel like to direct a choir/orchestra without the stress. Since a real choir/orchestra isn't depending on them to continue with their rehearsal, the student will be able to relax and focus on their personal task at hand. 

Augmented Reality Games!

Augmented reality games are becoming more and more popular today. These can be used for more than just fun; they can use educational value while learning as well! Students can put on an augmented reality "mask" an virtually walk around the room and see things that aren't normally there. For educational gaming purposes, a student could be taking a biology class and instead of literally dissecting a frog he/she could be playing a virtual game of "Operation". This common children's game is a fun way to learn the real organs of the human body, and by adding a virtual effect, students can actually see what these organs should look like. This is only one example of the various games augmented reality can bring to a classroom!

Art is a huge part of developing creativity in students. With augmented reality, student's artwork can move as the creator wishes and transform into something greater. A picture of a flag can wave in the wind, mice can crawl across the page, a replica of the "Mona Lisa" can change her smile--the possibilities are endless. 

Enhanced Visualization

This technology takes a different approach to visual effects. Instead of using objects in the real world like augmented reality does, this creates a completely new world created from data. The widest use of this is in the military and training our soldiers. Enhanced visualization will allow students to fly through space in an aircraft and see planets life size. Field studies using this technology can better understand how to undergo different procedures, like digging up fossils.

Science classes may have a 3D Virtual Lab (Like the one at McHenry County College). These labs allow students to analyze a projected image in three dimensions. Human organs, the skeleton, and muscle system can be viewed in a completely new way, allowing students to better understand their appearance and functions.  

Here is a video example of Enhanced Visualization and the posibilites it has with astronomy.  Astronomy video

Virtual Field Trips

With enhanced visualization, the classroom experience may expand to drastic levels for learning abilities. An elementary class can take a field trip to the zoo or outerspace without even leaving the classroom. Students can experience a whole other learning environment just with enhanced visualization.

For a music class, students can take a virtual field trip to an opera or orchestral concert. Students will feel like they are actually at the theatre and they will understand the full performance experience.

The FUTURE!

How will augmented reality and enhance vision affect our classes in the future? This is a great question. With technology advancing quickly every day, the possibilities are endless with augmented reality in the future. With what we know now, classes in the future could possibly have an augmented reality machine for each student in separate classes. Science classes will have virtual organs, art will move on the walls, history will come to life, and music students will play on virtual pianos. The educational world is changing, I hope you enjoy the ride! 

Resources:

Horizon Report 2007

http://www.wikepedia.com 

http://www.youtube.com