RSA #3 Resource-Based Learning and Augmented Reality

RSA #3 Resource-Based Learning and Augmented Reality

Online Resources

http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Resource-Based_Learning

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/augmented-reality-in-education-here-are-20-examples/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LelXa3U_I

   When Sir Ken Robinson said, “What we need is not evolution but a revolution in education,” during his TED talk, he was talking about the changes needed in the educational system that would allow students to compete in the world outside of the school environment (2010).  Students need to be innovative and creative.  One way educators can begin allowing students to become more innovative and creative, is through resource-based learning (RBL) and augmented reality (AR).  In RBL students are actively engaged in their learning and use multiple resources to gain knowledge about a topic.  Classroom teachers and the library media teacher collaborate to identify goals, create timelines, and select resources, according to Campbell, Flageolle, Griffith, Wojcik (2014).  In RBL “instruction is teacher-planned, but student-directed” (Campbell, et al, 2014).   Students become more motivated to learn when they are in control and are engaged in their learning.  They learn problem-solving skills, and gain knowledge about a topic when they chose the proper resources.  Some of the resources chosen for RBL could be an augmented reality (AR) experience.

   What is Augmented Reality? Augmented reality (AR) is where the “world fuses with current technology to create a uniquely blended interactive experience” (Teachthought Staff, 2012).  Through AR teachers can create engaging and interactive experiences for their students. The infographic from Augmented Reality in Education?, figure 1, shows some of the AR experiences students can participate in (Teachthought Staff, 2012).  The article also lists 20 different resources and examples of interactive experiences that can be created or enjoyed by students.  Some resources are available through the use of technology, like using the virtual world of Second Life to engage students and participating and interacting with media through a WebQuest or AR museum.

Figure 1.  Augmented Reality Resources

   AR can also include virtual reality (VR) experiences. According to the article, What Teachers Need to Know about Augmented Reality Enhanced Learning Environments, students take the place of avatars in a real world experience rather than control and avatar in a VR experience (Wasko, 2013). Using an AR experience in school can help students to feel like they have become part of the experiences.  An AR learning experience requires students to use the same skills used in RBL. “Critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration are key characteristics of all of the recent AR enhanced learning environments” (Wasko, 2013).  Just like in RBL, in an AR experience “students must work together to identify the problem, access digital content, and use the information to solve a problem while instructors provide necessary support and monitor student learning” (Wasko, 2013).

   After reading about RBL and AR learning I can see the benefits of both in the classroom. I can also see using AR learning experiences in a RBL experience. I think including AR would add to an authentic real world learning experience. An example would be while studying the solar system students can use an app called Star Walk to explore space in real time. Students can hold their device up to the sky and view celestial images as if they were looking at them up close. This would add to RBL by providing students with an experience they couldn’t get from a book or a website, yet give students information they may need. RBL and AR learning experiences both require students to use critical thinking and problem solving skills. Teachers and library media teachers can also collaborate to provide AR experiences along with all the other resources they provide for students. I am looking forward to using both of them in my classroom.

References

Campbell, L., Flageolle, P., Griffith, S., Wojcik, C. (2014). Resource-based learning. Retireved from http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Resource-Based_Learning

Robinson, K.,(2010). Bring on the learning revolution! Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LelXa3U_I

Teachthought Staff (2012). Augmented Reality In Education? Here Are 20 Examples. Teach Thought. Retrieved from http://www.teachthought.com/technology/augmented-reality-in-education-here-are-20-examples/

Thornton, T., Ernst, J. V., & Clark, A. C. (2012). Augmented Reality as a Visual and Spatial Learning Tool in Technology Education. Technology And Engineering Teacher, 71(8), 18-21.

Wasko, C. (2013). What Teachers Need to Know about Augmented Reality Enhanced Learning Environments. Techtrends: Linking Research And Practice To Improve Learning, 57(4), 17-21.