Finding a Path Forward for Integrating Augmented Reality Into K-12 Classrooms

The potential of augmented reality (AR) as a transformational tool has long been touted in academic circles. However, in order for AR to attain this goal, we must seriously examine previous research to determine if we are on the right path. This study examined 87 AR research studies situated in K-12 environments to determine what grade levels were involved, where the research being done was what content areas were involved, what kinds of triggers were used, and what learning environments were created through the use of AR. This research found that the majority of studies were situated in elementary contexts in science and math. Diverse learning environments were found including inquiry, problem-based learning, visualization, and gamification. Based on these findings, suggestions were made for future research including more research on students creating AR experiences, broadening the grade levels and content areas that are involved, and aiming future AR projects at the transformational level of the SAMR model.

What's So Special About Spatial?

Virtual reality (VR) technology has been steadily used for research purposes over the past few decades and is now gaining attraction in educational settings. Spatial understanding of learners is one of these research topics. Although there are plenty of studies focusing on VR and spatial abilities separately, there has not been a comprehensive review of papers that focus specifically on both VR and spatial ability. To address this question, an electronic search of articles from 2015 to 2019 was conducted that found 923 articles, 26 of which met the criteria of specifically discussing 'spatial abilities' and 'VR environments'. Eleven out of 26 articles reported the reason for using VR as a spatial assessment tool. The most frequently-mentioned spatial ability that was studied was mental rotation ability. This review revealed a special link between spatial ability and VR. VR can be both diagnostic and therapeutic for spatial skills; VR is an excellent tool for examining spatial ability in individuals and also individuals can enhance their spatial abilities through using virtual reality.

Implementing Augmented Reality Into Immersive Virtual Learning Environments

Technology is ever-changing and ever-growing. One of the newest developing technologies is augmented reality (AR), which can be applied to many different existing technologies, such as computers, tablets, and smartphones. This chapter discusses the immersive learning process and the usage of AR into a simulated or in an artificial environment. Discussed is the background information on how the AR use in educational industries and the design process of AR immersive learning environment. The chapter also evaluates the benefits if immersive learning and AR.

A Safe Space

What if teacher candidates had the opportunity to practice research-based instructional strategies and the application of critical skills without fear of failure or harm to students? Would you be interested? One of the biggest challenges that teacher preparation programs face is a struggle to provide meaningful and realistic practice for pre-service teacher candidates. How do we provide practice in “real” settings with “real” students who demonstrate a depth and breadth of learning and behavioral challenges? How do we make practice sessions safe environments for both our teacher candidates and the students they serve? How do we provide needed experiences for candidates in a world where in-person learning may be curtailed by unforeseen circumstances? The purpose of this chapter is to examine the use of virtual reality simulations in education that provide scaffolded learning experiences for pre-service teachers in an online learning environment.

Unified Approach to Augmented Reality

The authors present a new and holistic conceptualization on the feeling of presence. This consists of several components. The first two propose a new definition of presence and the identification of a fourth component of presence called presence of action. The third component consists of a unified approach to presence taking into account technological, psychological, and ecological considerations. They have developed a model that identifies the processes leading to the feeling of presence. According to the model, two unconscious phases of judgment condition the emergence of presence. The first judgment concerns the credibility of the environment, which depends on the satisfaction of the user's intellectual and perceptual expectations.

Application of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in Education

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) play an important role in today's world. Due to COVID-19, we all are doing many things by online mode. In this virtual place, the importance of AR and VR increases tremendously. With AR and VR tools, students have an inimitable chance to explore historic destinations while remaining in the classroom. Moreover, AR and VR tools provide students the ability to gain deeper understandings of abstract or complex subjects and phenomena that are relatively difficult to understand only by two-dimensional text, pictures, and video. This chapter discusses the similarities and differences of AR and VR and the evaluation of the application of AR and VR into educational programs.

Introduction to Augmented Reality Training in the Industrial Environment

Faced with technological development and that of new information and communication technologies (NICTs), organizations' service structures and their processes have become increasingly flexible, interactive, and virtual. Industrial maintenance is one of the features that can take advantage of this change based on NICTs. The objective is to improve the reliability and availability of industrial equipment and installations, as well as to maintain a knowledge base allowing the capitalization of human skills. This makes it possible to keep production equipment at a distance and quickly by relying on remote maintenance and e-maintenance platforms. This allows real-time management between operators around industrial problems related to maintenance. In this chapter, the authors describe the change in the maintenance function between the classic strategy and the modern strategy, explaining the contribution of augmented reality to help solve problems in a remote maintenance or industrial e-maintenance task.

Advancing Emergency Nurse Practitioner Training Using Virtual Nursing Centers

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the design of a live emergency room simulation for nurse practitioners using augmented reality and virtual reality. The authors describe the specific design and development procedures including (1) the design of a learning analytic system for formative and summative assessment, (2) the design of the virtual space for the live event, (3) the development of a timed script for the emergency room event, and (4) the development of the virtual world in Second Life. The authors also define all the design decisions based on research on the cognitive theories that support the development of advanced problem-based learning curriculum, research of virtual immersive learning environments, and research on virtual simulations used to develop advanced skills and knowledge.

Immersive Virtual Reality in Sports

This chapter aims to show how immersive virtual reality headsets can impact sports by providing an immersive virtual learning environment that implements immersive learning, learning by doing, and immediate feedback to ensure the development of coaches and players in sports. This chapter will describe how immersive virtual reality simulations are used on virtual reality headsets and discuss the learning theories that lead to transferring skills from a virtual world to the real world. Immersive learning simulations require coaches and player to recreate live sporting events to make split decisions. This chapter will examine how creating virtual coaching and playing environments that mirror real in-game emotions, real in-game immediacy, and the pressures to make the correct split-second decisions. Additionally, the chapter reviews research of the cognitive sciences to understand how AR simulations can accelerate new skills acquisition.

Teaching and Learning Mandarin Chinese

The advancement of new technologies in K-12 educational settings has the potential for new learner experiences and outcomes. The integration of gamification and simulation into second language learning classrooms has the potential to support language learning for young learners. This chapter explores effective ways to introduce instructional models and technological tools for immersing early childhood learners in the second language learning process. In this chapter, the author describes the need for gamified and simulated virtual technologies to facilitate the learning of Mandarin Chinese in an early childhood setting.