While we often hear about Augmented Reality in the classroom, not many understand that it is a mutually beneficial process between the students and teachers. It means that teachers receive specific tools to inspire and engage students as they deal with multi-sensory learning experiences and approach challenges differently.
It is not only helping students learn but also allows teachers to develop their social skills and teach beyond the textbook curriculum. When Augmented Reality is used in practice, teachers embrace the technology and explore all sides of the digital content by learning how to explain various complex concepts easily, thus expressing their competence and passion about the subject.
Potential of Augmented Reality for Teacher Training and Professional Development
Creation of Virtual Outlines.
Augmented Reality depends on hardware, yet it helps outline the list of academic objectives that must be achieved. Instead of writing lengthy instructions for the lesson, AR makes it easier to break down the complex parts of a lesson into smaller chunks. This way, teachers can brainstorm more ideas and edit things right away before talking to the students. If some challenges occur, one may read custom essay writing service reviews and discuss ideas with a trained expert who can help you make things more accessible. At the same time, do not forget about proper editing and proofreading to make the use of AR efficient!
A Different Approach to Group Projects.
Augmented Reality helps to cover complex projects where a teacher must talk to more than one person and remain heard. If we take an example of a medical project where more than five people have to work, Augmented Reality becomes a safe place to experiment and model. Of course, a teacher needs to use it as a guide while taking notes and specifying mistakes. If one models a neuro-surgery process or deals with automotive engineering, the role of a teacher becomes more biased and balanced when AR modeling is used.
Case Study Models and Classroom Lab Assignments.
Most teachers these days have to work with case study assignments. It means that students will always ask questions as they cannot understand the writing prompt and see how to start. A good teacher will always try to explain things in his or her way, which will be time-consuming and may make things even more confusing for a student. Augmented Reality will help teachers explain things differently and show practical examples by creating a quick model or referring students to interactive lab templates with helpful notes. Such an approach helps teachers to feel more confident and save precious time.
Learning to Explain Visual Concepts.
One of the most challenging aspects of teaching is to explain things visually by using smart boards or sending instructions to tablets. When a teacher knows how to implement Augmented Reality, all the multimedia, and visuals are approached differently. There is a complete immersion in the learning process as one saves time and unites the learners by using interactive visuals. As one strives to learn using technology, explaining complex concepts immediately is not always easy. Augmented Reality tools assist teachers as they push themselves beyond the existing communication limits and grow.
Learning to Approach Every Learner’s Age.
Augmented Reality is especially helpful for teachers working in the field of special education. For example, when dealing with autistic or dyslexic students, Augmented Reality is expanding the teaching methods. Suppose a teacher knows the technology well and can use various options. In that case, it becomes easier to show the children how to use existing tools and adjust them based on the learner’s skills, psychological and physical limitations, objectives, and age.
Keeping Both Old and New
Dealing with Augmented Reality should not limit teachers to the use of technology since professional development must make things easier instead of leaving the classic teaching methods out of the equation. The trick is to combine the physical presence of a teacher in the classroom with all the analytical and strategic thinking skills while allowing students to use technology as well. For example, when one explains various Engineering or Biology concepts with the help of screen projects or 3D models, the use of AR tools must have an introduction.
It’s precisely where a trained teacher will use both old and new techniques. The practical use of AR should come with a basic explanation where the teacher knows how to explain things, thus assisting students in using and perceiving the technology. It is the precise purpose of teacher training and professional growth.
About Author
Elaine Bailey never misses exploring innovative education methods to help teachers gain confidence and succeed. As an educator passionate about engineering and technology, Elaine seeks the most efficient solutions that help overcome challenges. Follow Elaine to make the learning process inspiring.