Students Test New Augmented Reality Technology from Google

Imagine a lesson on volcanoes, enhanced by the ability to walk around an active volcano in the middle of the classroom to view its many features from endless angles.

 

Google is working on such a technology, and St. Margaret’s invited the tech giant to campus on Wednesday so faculty and students could preview the application in the Lower School ICE Lab.

 

A Google representative brought about 40 mobile devices equipped with Google Expeditions AR, a program in development that brings a mobile augmented reality experience into classrooms. The mobile devices are connected to a selfie stick and uses Google’s AR technology to map the classroom and place 3D models within it for student interaction.

 

Classes in St. Margaret’s Lower, Middle, and Upper schools explored each of Google’s approximately 12 expeditions already developed. They included content related to the circulatory system, World War II, Renaissance art, ancient Roman life, Leonardo da Vinci, the solar system, the rock cycle and the ecosystem of a coral reef.

 

“It was great for the students to experience a new technology, and for us to see if it’s something we want to bring to St. Margaret’s in the future,” said ICE Lab Manager Angela Mackenzie. “It was a very interactive, hands-on experience and the content aligned nicely with what’s already being taught here.”

 

Mrs. Mackenzie reached out to Google to inquire about students and faculty testing the new technology as part of the company’s Expeditions Pioneer Program. Google responded immediately, expressing interest in visiting St. Margaret’s.

 

Faculty who brought their class to the ICE Lab were briefly trained on the program and then led a classroom discussion with the AR content there to enhance it. In all, 18 sessions about 30 minutes each were organized and about 400 students grades 4-12 participated. The visit provided students an opportunity to see a product in the prototype phase, an important step in the design cycle. 

 

Through its Strategic Plan, St. Margaret’s has prioritized introducing new technological advances to the classroom to deepen learning experiences, and has explored virtual reality and augmented reality options for use in classrooms across campus.

 

You can view a brief video on the Google Expeditions AR technology by clicking here.