Augmented Reality vs. Virtual Reality: What are the differences and similarities?

Technology is improving at a rapid pace, as many things are possible today that were not possible 10 years ago even if we tried our best to make it happen. Today, some of the impossible things are rising to the occasion in the form of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. But what are they exactly? Let's find out.

Back in the 1990s, virtual reality was on the lips of everyone as multiple companies tried and failed to make it happen. The most notable device back then was the Nintendo Virtual Boy, though it failed miserably, and was discontinued a year after going on sale. Since then, Nintendo has never attempted improve on the technology, which could set the company behind its competition as virtual reality is slowly creeping back into our lives.

When it comes to augmented reality, we're looking at something that has found more success in the consumer space when compared to virtual reality. We've seen several applications with AR, along with video game and hardware devices such as the Google Glass. It is clear that the way things are right now, AR has the upper hand against VR, and that might not be changing anytime soon.

What is Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is the blending of virtual reality and real life, as developers can create images within applications that blend in with contents in the real world. With AR, users are able to interact with virtual contents in the real world, and are able to distinguish between the two.

What is Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is all about the creation of a virtual world that users can interact with. This virtual world should be designed in such a way that users would find it difficult to tell the difference from what is real and what is not. Furthermore, VR is usually achieved by the wearing of a VR helmet or goggles similar to the Oculus Rift.

Difference and similarities

Both virtual reality and augmented reality are similar in the goal of immersing the user, though both systems to this in different ways. With AR, users continue to be in touch with the real world while interacting with virtual objects around them. With VR, the user is isolated from the real world while immersed in a world that is completely fabricated. As it stands, VR might work better for video games and social networking in a virtual environment, such as Second Life, or even PlayStation Home.

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/5078/20140406/augmented-reality-vs-virtual-reality-what-are-the-differences-and-similarities.htm

Virtual Fieldtrip in Education

How to use Virtual Fieldtrip in Education

Field trips can be amazing learning experiences.   They provide students with the opportunity to actively participate in education, offering learning possibilities that aren’t readily available in the classroom.  Unfortunately, it isn’t always practical or possible to take students on field trips.  Tight budgets, location, transportation, time, and resource restrictions can keep your students school-bound.  Virtual field trips can fill this void.  Virtual field trips have come a long way from the page of links they used to be.  Now students can explore the world with simulations that are so realistic, they will believe they have left the classroom.

http://teaching.monster.com/education/articles/8847-5-best-virtual-field-trips

Expeditions: Take your students to places a school bus can't /VİRTUAL FİELDTRİP

How to Use Aurasma in Classroom

HOW TO USE AURASMA IN CLASSROOM

Aurasma is an augmented reality application that allows you to overlay any video or image on top of anything that your tablet, cell phone, or any other mobile device can scan with its camera. Using Aurasma is very much like using a QR code reader. In order to activate the overlayed image or video, the object will be scanned using the Aurasma app.  Joseph covered using Aurasma in our iPad Appy Hour Webinar. Many of the demos you will see on the Aurasma site are for advertising but you can use these skills in a number of fun and exciting ways.

1. Interactive Word Walls

As your students are learning new vocabulary, you may try a number of different techniques for teaching these new words from comparing synonyms, analogies, etc. If you wanted to use visuals or have students “act out” the definition of words you can display the words and create an “aura” which will make Aurasma react and play the photo or video that you created.

2. Labeling of diagrams

Do you have that key poster or picture that you have on the wall, but when you give your students a test, they always check it for the answers to certain questions? Using Aurasma, you can have students use the app to identify key information when they study the picture but keep the answers away when it comes to testing.

3. An interactive journal or newspaper article

Have you ever seen the “Daily Prophet” from the Harry Potter movies or photos in an article of written text that play a video as you read it? Students can record anything using their mobile device’s camera, take a screenshot to place in a writing piece and then Aurasma can make that section come alive.

4. Classroom Rules

From younger to older grades, every classroom has established rules. Aurasma can allow you to have students create skits or display ways in which the rules are followed in the classroom. Other ideas are to show proper lab procedure, the way your classroom should be left at the end of the day, or how to properly care for classroom pets.

5. Parent Involvement

Since most of us carry a mobile device of some sort, have parents create words of encouragement to help students as they are having difficulty with certain subject matter use a video as a “pick-me-up

http://www.teq.com/blog/2014/02/5-ways-use-aurasma-classroom/#.VW9wcc_tlBc

Aurasma Demo

Marco Tempest: A magical tale (with augmented reality)

Teaching with Aurasma

Matt Mills: Image recognition that triggers augmented reality

Augmented Reality

How to Use Augmented Reality in the ClassroomEmail

So wouldn’t it be wonderful if our mobile phone see and recognize the world as we do. Like walking and seeing the object and able to recognize information about the object in the same way our brain does. Such things may seem like you as science fiction but now this can actually possible with Augmented Reality. Isn’t it interesting? This is can be only possible with the augmented reality technology.

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented Reality is a kind of computer-generated reality that intent to duplicate the world's atmosphere in a computer system. An augmented reality technology creates a combined view for the user. This composite view consists of real scene viewed and a computer-generated scene with additional information about the object or a place.

How Does Augmented Reality Work?

Generally augmented reality (AR) works on two methodologies:

·        Marker-based

·        Location-based

Marker-Based: Markers based AR works on software recognize in a specific pattern, like a symbol or barcode. In this, when a camera points on an object, it creates a digital image on the screen.

Location-Based: Location-based app utilized the capability of a specific device to record the object’s position in the globe. It is then provide data about the object that is appropriate to the location. You can use location-based AR to find your way around in an unknown city, recalling where you have parked your car, finding the name of stores, places, mountains, stars in the sky or anything anywhere.

Augmented Reality in Education

It may seems to be little surprising but in present scenario around 71 percent of people aged between 16 to 24 years old possess smartphone. So why aren't teachers using AR technology for engaging their students; I think they should. Augmented reality helps teachers to add digital contents with lot of information as well as geographic locations about a place or object. Digital information appears on the screen when you scan any object or place using your tablet, phone or smart devices with AR technology. This digital information is gathered from 3D models, various website, video, etc.

How to Use Augmented Reality in the Classroom

Augmented reality can be best used in the classroom for creating interactive assignments that includes moving through the campus as well as nearby place. Here are some of the possible uses of augmented reality in the classroom.

Homework: When scan the student homework page; they can see the video of their teachers assisting them in solving a problem.

Photo Wall: Display the photographs of the faculty or teacher at the display board. Students can scan the image and get all the information related to their teacher. It helps them to know about their teachers well.

Book Review: By scanning the cover image of a particular book, students can get the overview of that particular book.

Deaf Students: Using AR technology flashcard of vocabulary, students can see the video of that demonstrates how to sign a phrase or word.

Here is the list of some augmented reality apps that can be used in the classroom.

NASA Spacecraft 3D: Using this app student can gain information about several robotic explorers as well as spacecraft. With the use of mobile devices or tablets, they can learn about the design and function of aircraft.

PBS’ Fetch! Lunch Rush: This is a wonderful AR app that can be used by the students to solve Maths problems. The app can be best used by the elementary-aged students. Group of students can practice and review maths facts using this app.

Aurasma: This app provides open-ended application to the user. Therefore, it offers huge opportunity in education sector. Using this app student can create short video, documents with pictures.

AR Media Player: Using this app student can explore 3D models from various angles. They can pinch, rotate and zoom models from any side. This app also works with Google sketchup models.      

http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/1210-how-to-use-augmented-reality-in-the-classroom    

Augmented Reality and Virtual Fieldtrip