Discussion: Augmented Reality (AR) is about layering virtual media over real world experiences to provide additional context, narrative & interaction potential. With AI, such layering can be generated on the fly, as well as be personal and seamlessly synced with all of the active contexts of your surrounding experience.
523 Inspiration: AR enables any environment to be interwoven with innumerable rich learning opportunities designed for specific audiences. The magic is in the ability to engage responsively with aspects of a learner’s objective and personal contexts to stage authentic, meaningful, and participatory learning experiences.
N.B. – AR, together with VR (Virtual Reality) and MR (Mixed Reality), are the somewhat overlapping realms of media-enhanced experience now generally referred to collectively as “Immersive Reality”. For the purpose of this course, the focus on AR is simply that it can be considered more obviously as a mobile technology (as opposed to VR, for example, which doesn’t usually involve any engagement with the real world). However, within this course you are welcome to pursue your interest in any of these technologies so long as you make it very clear, in a critical sense, what the connection with mobile and/or open learning is.
This frontier is very important because smart glasses have the potential to make learning truly seamless by connecting digital and physical spaces across multiple platforms. Imagine students moving from a classroom discussion to a field trip, or even to a VR lab, while their personalized content and feedback follow them through lightweight wearables. This constant, hands-free access to interactive resources would make learning more engaging, immersive, and context-aware. Smart glasses also encourage collaboration, as learners can see shared annotations or simulations layered directly onto their environment, whether they are in the same room or connecting remotely. Importantly, the multi-platform integration ensures that these experiences are not isolated—students could transition smoothly between phones, tablets, headsets, and glasses. By integrating smart glasses into future classrooms, I see an opportunity to create fluid, personalized learning pathways that motivate students and prepare them for a technology-rich world.
This frontier is very important because AR can transform learning by layering interactive digital content over the real world, making lessons more engaging and memorable for my fourth graders. It supports multi-sensory learning and helps students better understand complex concepts through hands-on, immersive experiences. AR also encourages collaboration and creativity, allowing students to explore and interact with learning materials in a meaningful way. Importantly, it makes learning more accessible by providing virtual resources that can replace expensive physical models. By integrating AR into my classroom, I can create authentic, personalised learning experiences that motivate my students and deepen their understanding.
Augmented Reality is a medium that has the potential to redefine all of our experiences. From watching a sporting event, to learning how to play an instrument, to guiding us through almost any physical experience. It is built upon the ever improving capabilities of technologies and emerges at a time when hardware capabilities make it possible to build something that fits almost seamlessly in our physical context. As a design educator this feels like the internet felt for me 30 years ago. A new frontier we might not fully understand but likely one full of opportunity.
Augmented reality has the potential to redefine how we interact with both content and reality. Instead of treating knowledge as something to memorize, AR can make information accessible in real time and connected to our environments. That shift means education and work will rely less on content recall and more on the skills needed to interpret, apply, and create.
For me, the most exciting aspect is how AR connects seamlessly to the IoT and our daily routines without requiring physical manipulation of technology. In education, this raises an important question: if AR can deliver information so effectively, what skills remain essential for educators to emphasize? I believe the focus will need to be on critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and ethical judgment. AR can provide answers and information, but it cannot replace the human ability to question, imagine, and connect with others… yet.
Augmented Reality (AR) is compelling because it bridges the gap between abstract concepts and lived experience. As an educator, I often see students struggle to imagine or contextualize what they are learning — whether it’s the structure of a cell, a historical event, or a complex system. AR offers the chance to make these concepts tangible by layering interactive media onto the real world. This participatory, immersive quality is far more powerful than passive modes of instruction, as it enables learners to explore, test, and connect with knowledge in ways that are memorable and meaningful. AR also has the potential to support equity by creating new entry points for students with diverse learning needs and preferences. While challenges around access, device costs, and content development remain, I believe AR is inevitable in educational contexts. Its ability to turn any environment into a rich learning space makes it transformative for classrooms, training facilities, and lifelong learning. For me, AR is not just a tool — it represents a paradigm shift in how we design learning experiences.
When reading through this frontier of Augmented Reality (AR), I was immediately reminded of several of my own students who have difficulty placing themselves in contexts that we discuss in class. For instance, when exploring a historical period, a war, or other social context, they often struggle to visualize what life may have looked like, felt like, how people dressed or acted, and to imagine the world being described. Therefore, I believe AR can be a vital tool for enhancing accessibility for these learners, as it provides avenues for immersive exploration that can help make distant concepts tangible and easier to understand. As a result, the learning process can become more engaging, leading to higher comprehension and overall achievement.
What stood out to me the most is the idea of creating authentic, participatory learning experiences in which learners actively engage with content, rather than passively receiving information and struggling to interpret it. By immersing learners in interactive simulations or augmented scenarios, AR can encourage deeper understanding, opportunities for personal connection, and overall retention of the worlds being explored. Therefore, I believe this frontier is essential for the future of education, as it presents a way to bridge gaps in understanding, make distant concepts tangible, and create meaningful experiences for all learners.