Virtual Reality

We live in an increasingly globalised world in which our pupils are digital natives and digitalisation has become part of everyday life. Therefore, the way we educate must adapt to this context rather than remain anchored in the past.

One of the new possibilities offered by technological development is the use of Augmented Reality (AR) in the classroom. AR essentially involves integrating virtual objects into the physical world through the use of mobile devices.

Augmented Reality can be implemented at several levels:

Level 0. Connecting the physical and virtual worlds: QR codes

At this level, QR codes are used to connect physical resources with digital content.

Level 1. Marker-based Augmented Reality

This level uses printed symbols or markers linked to digital content such as videos, images or sounds. The content is activated when the marker is recognised by the appropriate software.

Level 2. Markerless or location-based Augmented Reality

Unlike the previous level, this type of AR does not require printed markers. Instead, real images, objects or locations act as triggers. When they are captured by the camera of a smartphone or tablet, the device recognises the environment and displays the corresponding virtual content.

An example of a markerless AR application is Aurasma.

Level 3. Augmented vision

One of the clearest examples of this level is Google Glass. Although these devices are commercially available, their high cost means that they are not yet a widely accessible or realistic resource for classroom use.

The following example focuses on Level 1 marker-based Augmented Reality through the use of a Merge Cube.

In Physical Education, Merge Cube can be used to teach content related to anatomy, including bones, muscles and other parts of the human body.

An original Merge Cube can be purchased online, or a homemade version can be created using the free printable template available on the official Merge Cube website, which is linked below.

Once the cube has been assembled, teachers and pupils simply need to download compatible applications from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store, including those recommended on the Merge Cube website.