Teaching is one of the most sensitive professional domains. It needs to evolve permanently and find new ways to make abstract information easy to grasp by children and teenagers. From written words to video presentations there was a big leap, but there is always room for improvement. New technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality are truly game changers both for teachers, and for students.
Technology giant Google joined in this game by making available the technology teachers need to make their lessons more attractive for children. Launched this January, Google Expeditions AR is an augmented reality platform that brings geography, history, natural phenomena and many other topics to life.
Augmented Reality Volcanoes and Historical Sites–Lessons Come to Life
Reading about how volcanoes erupt, or even watching spectacular eruptions on TV is not really helpful for children. However, being able to see the volcano, with its magma chamber, interact with its holographic image and create the right conditions for an eruption will indelibly fix the information in their memory.
Google Expeditions AR gives teachers a valuable tool. They can bring the past to life with augmented reality, and encourage their students to use their curiosity and intelligence to learn how the city of Troy fell, or what ancient Egyptian temples looked like.
An Innovation By Google: Schools Can Create Their Own Augmented Reality Content
However exciting, Google Expeditions AR would not really be innovative if it simply allowed students and teachers to view lessons in augmented reality. AR educational apps are already being created by several companies for some time now. With Expeditions AR, each school can create its own teaching and educational materials.
The innovative part of Google’s new program is how it offers teachers and students the tools they need to create augmented reality experiences that showcase their classrooms, schools, local communities, historical and natural landmarks in the area.
This not only encourages children to explore their own local history and geography, but it helps them become familiar with modern technologies from a young age. We will soon have a generation of children who are just as familiar with creating virtual and augmented reality experiences and using them, as millennials were with mobile phones at a similar age.
Teachers who are interested in joining the Google Expeditions AR program can apply here.
