by Laura Dobos
Recently I was introduced to virtual reality and augmented reality by our VR/AR expert within the lab Melanie Maas. Augmented reality takes a real world image and applies a computer-generated augmentation, bringing the image to life. The well-known app Snapchat utilizes augmented reality. I was amazed at all the capabilities that these technologies allowed within the classroom. After some exploration and inquiry-based learning, I had a grasp on how I might incorporate these technologies into the classroom. Melanie introduced me to Aurasma, which is an augmented reality app. Aurasma allows you to create your own augmented reality images in a few easy steps. In the app, you will be prompted to create an account the first time you use – all your creations will then be kept in one place. Once you have an account, to create an augmentation, tap the ‘+’ and you will then be prompted to take your ‘trigger picture’. Once you have your photo, you can either choose one of Aurasma’s preset augmentations, or you can create your own video to layer over the photo. I’m still playing around with the green screen and the capabilities of creating augmentations without a background – stay tuned to hear how that goes. Overall, I love Aurasma and the connections that can be made between curriculum and applications of the app. If you’re looking to create engaging lessons for students, definitely look into Aurasma!
