At the Augmented Reality Development Lab (ARDL), from virtual reality developer Digital Tech Frontier, lets users display relevant information at the appropriate time and location during an AR experience, which results in virtual 3-D objects appearing in the real world.
Students and teachers look through a viewing device or at a monitor to see virtual objects such as planets, volcanoes, the human heart, or dinosaurs embedded within their real-world environment—and they can interact with and manipulate those objects to receive associated information.
Five apps to help educators incorporate augmented reality:
1. GeoGuesser: Using a phone, tablet or computer, a player is placed in a spot anywhere in the world using Google Maps. Exploring and looking for clues such as geographic signs, landmarks, and climate, the player has to guess where they are.
2. Elements 4D: Elements 4D uses augmented reality to help students explore elements and chemical reactions. To use the app, first print special element blocks on standard letter-size paper in your classroom. Cut the shapes out, follow the instructions to fold them into cubes, and glue them together to hold them in place. Once the blocks are ready, you can hold them in front of your device camera so the elements they represent can be viewed in augmented reality.
3. Quiver Apps: Students color on printed pages, then view their drawing through a phone via the app. Drawings will come to life and can be paired with creative writing assignments or other approaches to engage students.
4. Fetch! Lunch Rush: In this Augmented Reality, multi-player game, you need to keep up with lunch orders from Ruff’s movie crew. The challenge is keeping track of how many pieces of sushi everyone wants.
5. ZooBurst: ZooBurst is a digital storytelling tool that lets anyone create an augmented reality 3D pop-up book.
[Editor’s note: We have not reviewed the above tools.]
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