AR/VR and 3D Printing

Why teach using AR?

“Augmented Reality, or AR. It’s just like it sounds: a bit “techy”. It can scare you a little bit as times changes rapidly. As a teacher, you have to learn how to handle new things and tools every year, and it’s not going to stop. Who knows what “next big thing” is going to take over education next year?

Let’s just say that augmented reality in education is becoming more and more present, whether you like it or not. You better learn about it and realize the change AR may bring to your classroom or lessons” (Renard, 2018).

What is AR?

“Augmented reality or AR is a visual and sometimes interactive experience in a real-world environment where the objects in the real-world are “augmented” by computer-generated perceptual information. These virtual enhancements in the real world can appear as something visual and auditory”. (Renard, 2018).

Why teach using 3D Printing?

In the article How to use 3D printers in the classroom, the author outlines the benefits of using 3D printing in the classroom including:

make learning active
encourage real-world understanding
augemnt the educational process
fire imaginations
instil spacial intelligence
boost digital engagement
help students prepare for the future
boost computational thinking
create new learning materials

(“How to use 3D printers in the classroom | Promethean Blog”, n.d.)

The Periodic Table of iOS Apps for AR and VR

The Periodic Table of IOS Apps for AR and VR includes a compilation of 82 apps that reflect some of the best that AR and VR have to offer on iOS in 8 separate categories:

STEM
Creativity
Geography
Story Telling
Art
Teaching
Science
History

(Anderson, 2018)

10 Fun AR Apps for the Classroom

BookWidgets Teacher Blog also put out a list of 10 Fun augmented reality apps for teachers to use in the classroom with descriptions including:

HPReveal (iOS & Android)
CoSpaces Edu (iOS & Android)
Wonderscope (iOS)
Shapes 3D (iOS)
Google Expeditions (iOs & Android)
Metaverse

The author also includes lesson plan ideas to use with AR.

TinkerCad

Tinkercad “is a free, easy-to-use app for 3D design, electronics, and coding. It’s used by teachers, kids, hobbyists, and designers to imagine, design, and make anything!” (“Tinkercad | From mind to design in minutes”, n.d.)

The following video describes some of the key features of Tinkercad.

video from Tinkercad

CoSpaces Education

“Adaptable to any subject and grade, CoSpaces Edu lets students build their own 3D creations, animate them with code and explore them in Virtual or Augmented Reality. Designed for schools that want to empower their students to become creators and prepare them for their future, CoSpaces Edu develops 21st Century learning skills and digital literacy, enhances creativity and fosters collaboration in the classroom” (“CoSpaces Edu: Make AR & VR in the classroom”, n.d.).

This basic product is offered for free with Pro pricing available for individuals groups, classes, and schools. Key features include a creation toolbox, coding, physics engine, AR & VR Modes, MERGE Cube Mode, and Classroom management.

The following is a video outlining the features of CoSpaces Edu.

video from CoSpaces Edu

Merge

Merge develops “award-winning augmented and virtual reality products that enable experiential learning and content creation at home, in the classroom and in the workplace. Our products transform learning in schools, libraries, museums, universities, healthcare, environmental science, and other industries around the world”(“MERGE | AR/VR Learning & Creation”, n.d.).

The Merge website includes resources for all including resources for educators to use in the classroom (including lesson plan), with the Merge Cube being a key tool. “MERGE enables active learning by enabling students to learn and create in entirely new ways while giving teachers simple AR/VR tools that increase student engagement, intellectual curiosity and classroom achievement. At the core is the MERGE Cube – a mixed reality school supply that extends learning beyond the limitations of device screens by giving students the ability to interact with virtual objects” (“MERGE | AR/VR Learning & Creation”, n.d.).

AR Makr

AR Makr is a creative toolbox for augmented reality. Sketch, scan, and snap the world around you. Transform your creations from 2D to 3D virtual objects. Place your creations anywhere in your environment. Record, save, and share your scenes with friends. (“AR Makr”, n.d.).

The following video from Children’s Technology Review shows the basics of this app.

video from The Children’s Technology Review

Tinkerine U

Tinkerine U “is a creation system driven by 3D printing. Our mission is to provide a foundational understanding about Applied Creativity. At its core, Applied Creativity enables the curious to convert ideas into the tangible and the unimaginable”(“Tinkerine | 3D Printers for Education”, n.d.). Tinkerine offer online courses, experiments, design challenges, and stories of how 3D printing is changing the world.

How to Use 3D Printers in the Classroom

The article, How to Use 3D Printers in the Classroom, outlines the benefits of using 3D printing in the classroom as well as ideas for creative application.