Marin teaching trainees get tutorial in ‘augmented reality’

The workshop at Dominican University of California in San Rafael offered a look at advanced teaching tools.

Prospective teachers learned how to put technology to work in the classroom during a recent “extended reality” demonstration at Dominican University of California in San Rafael.

Dane Lancaster of XRMarin and John MacLeod of XRLibraries presented examples of virtual, augmented and immersive technology at the event on March 22.

Students who are studying to be teachers tried apps that could be used in K-12 classrooms. The class, titled “Immersive Learning/AR,” is led by Dominican professor Rebecca Birch.

According to MacLeod, augmented reality can enhance learning by offering such aids as interactive textbooks, virtual field trips and science experiments. It can help students learn new languages in the context of real-world objects.

AR can also help in math and geometry by displaying geometric shapes, graphs and equations in a tangible way. Similar help is available for art and design classes. History classes can add simulated events and English classes can include augmented storytelling.

“AR enhances student motivation and retention by making learning more interactive, immersive and relevant to their everyday lives,” MacLeod said.

XRMarin is an immersive learning lab in Novato that works with Marin K-12 schools. XRLibraries is a group that works to integrate XR technology into state and local libraries in California and Nevada.

More information is at xrmarin.net and xrlibraries.com.