Emerging Technologies including VR and AR

Emerging Technologies 

Immersive learning spaces are physical environments that facilitate multi-sensory learning experiences using:

• Programmable LED lighting  
• Giant multi-wall projection  
• Surround sound  

These are prevalent in SEND settings, often called ‘white rooms.’ These three elements can be pre-programmed or changed at will to create interactive and immersive experiences that facilitate flexible and experiential educational approaches. Learners can influence, develop and take control of their learning, while the role of the teacher evolves into a facilitator, collaborator, producer, and author.

Reported benefits of immersive learning experiences include improved behaviour and well-being, greater engagement in learning, and deeper understanding.

Immersive learning spaces are also used in healthcare settings, from acute assessment wards for people living with dementia to children’s hospitals to social care settings, where they are said to facilitate an improved quality of life and create a sense of well-being and calm.

4D Immersive – immersive learning at Harwood Meadows Primary School

Virtual Reality VR 

Virtual Reality or VR is a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment that a person can interact with and explore. That person becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment and, while there, can manipulate objects or perform a series of actions.

The aim is to move beyond standard forms of interaction, such as the keyboard and mouse, which most people work with daily. It allows someone to fully immerse themselves in a highly visual world they explore through their senses. This natural interaction within this world often results in new forms of communication and understanding.

The experience of a virtual world mimics that of the real-world but often without many of its constraints. Virtual reality enables allows someone to do the following:

• Walk around a three-dimensional building
• Perform a virtual operation
• Play a multi-user game
• Experience the atmosphere in a theatre of war
• Interact with an artwork, e.g. installation

Doing this in a 3D environment means that they replicate an experience like that in the real world but without many of the dangers.

This is preferable to trying to simulate these experiences in a two-dimensional setting, e.g. a computer desktop.

Uses of VR

VR is already being widely used in many aspects of life including:

• Healthcare/surgery
• Military
• Architecture
• Art
• Entertainment
• Education
• Business
• The media
• Sport
• Rehabilitation/treatment of phobias

For example, in medicine, surgery simulation is often used as a training aid. It enables the surgeon to perform an operation on a ‘virtual patient’ or to see inside the human body. 

 

Augmented Reality AR 
In Augmented Reality or AR, objects in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated information such as images, sounds, haptic feedback, and even smells. 

AR combines three elements:  

• real and virtual worlds,
• real-time interaction,
• accurate 3D registration of virtual and real objects

These are seamlessly woven together so that the virtual objects are perceived as an aspect of the real world.

The combination of natural and virtual objects contrasts with VR, where real-world reality is completely replaced with a simulated reality.

AR can be used to enrich a real-world situation with extra information or enhanced visual stimulation. Some examples of AR are:

• Medical training: superimposing radiographic images on live images of patients
• Interior design: modelling different scenarios of furniture or decorating
• Immersive therapy: helping patients deal with stressful situations in real-time with the help of a trained therapist
• Apprentice training: overlaying descriptions of components or procedures onto real world objects

Complex 3D models of objects can be mapped onto a simple marker such as a QR cube, allowing students to manipulate and examine things in close-up detail. When used with the appropriate management programme, such as Class VR, teachers can control the object being investigated, drawing attention to key areas or swapping out the object for a new one when appropriate, etc.

AR can be used in a wide variety of ways in education. Some applications are shown below:

Click on the link to see Apple AR example:

Apple AR:

Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fast becoming a part of all our lives, yet the number of people who understand AI as a technology is limited.  With AI’s ever-growing incorporation within the home, work, and even education, learning the fundamentals of creating skills will become immersed in everyday life.

As this technology continues to grow, it will become vital that learners understand how the language they speak is translated into something a computer can understand; and how to create an intent for their skill.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT was released late last year by OpenAI.

The technology chats in a conversational way, answering questions from the user. The online chatbot has been trained on lots of information and data from the internet – it can have a human-like conversation answering questions, admitting mistakes, and rejecting inappropriate questions.

It can be used to write essays, stories, poems and even solve computer coding which is beneficial to both teachers and students alike. However, because of the nature of this technology, it does open up issues in relation to plagiarism and authentication, especially for assessed materials e.g. coursework.

ChatGPT:

Beginner guide

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Accessibility

AI can remove or mitigate some of the issues encountered by those with additional needs. One such example is “Seeing AI,” a programme developed by Microsoft that uses a camera-enabled device to interpret the world for visually impaired users. It has capabilities including;

• Describing a scene
• Capturing data from a document
• Monitoring the local environment for hazards
• Recognise frequent contacts and analyse their emotions
• Identifying products from their barcodes

Click on the links below to see more about AI:

Seeing AI video:

Click on the link below to see more information on Seeing AI app from Microsoft:

Seeing AI page

Reading Progress:

Microsoft Reading Progress is a literacy tool designed to help educators support and track students’ reading progress. It is a feature within the Microsoft Teams for Education platform that allows teachers to assess students’ reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension.

Teachers can assign reading passages to students, who can then record themselves reading the passage aloud using their device’s microphone. Reading Progress uses AI to provide real-time feedback on fluency and accuracy, as well as comprehension questions for students to answer.

Teachers can view students’ recordings and track their progress over time, identifying areas where students may need additional support or intervention. Reading Progress also provides insights and analytics to help teachers understand students’ reading performance across different texts and genres.

Overall, Microsoft Reading Progress aims to support educators in promoting literacy skills and improving reading outcomes for all students.

Check out the videos below to see more on how Reading Progress works in Microsoft Teams:

An Introduction to Reading Progress in Microsoft Teams:

Reading Progress in Microsoft Teams: