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Ateneo Science Educators and Researchers in Virtual
Engagement (SERVE) 2020 Ateneo de Manila University
School of Science and Engineering
MS Science Education Program of Biology Department

A New Remote Reality: AR as a Support to Education in Crisis Situation

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Lyka D. Lamoste , John Oliver P. Distor , and Catherine Genevieve B. Lagunzad

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Rizal Technological University Department of Biology, School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University
*Corresponding Author: ldlamoste@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Being connected now mostly means being connected through technology. With what appeared unusual
months ago has transformed into a daily necessity. As all physical classrooms were closed due to the
pandemic, teachers and students have entered the world of digital education. One of the technologies that
raised the level of connectivity in most areas of work, entertainment, as well as in education is Augmented
Reality (AR), a powerful form of contextual mobile learning. As a technology, AR has been around quite a
while now. It offers opportunities to expand the borders of the classroom to create new dimensions in
mobile learning and to increase the students’ connection to the real world and to the concepts being
learned. In the same study which we conducted to determine the level of students’ academic performance
and attitude towards the use of AR and complemented the conventional mode of learning; results showed a
significant improvement in both academic achievement and attitude of students in science. With the
pandemic crisis yet unresolved, schools may not be able to conduct important co- curricular activities such
as attending exhibitions, visiting museums or going on educational tours for a long period of time. Instead of
visiting places personally, the use of an AR application on laptops or smartphones can open a world of
mixed reality, a new environment where physical and digital objects can co-exist and interact in real time.
To keep students engaged and motivated, AR can be used by students to learn about chemical elements, to
assemble molecules, to explore biodiversity, or to understand the content of a book better because of the
additional information it can provide. These fun activities for students to enjoy are available for free; some
of the AR applications are Animal 4D+ by Octagon Studio, workbooks by Zappar (i.e. Solar System Expedition
and Water Cycle Engineer) and Chemistry AR+ by Power Ten Development LLC. Integrating the advantages
of this technology for remote learning when used effectively by educators and students can make learning
more meaningful and engaging. Especially as a response to the realities of the times - class suspensions, in
crisis situations such as typhoons, floods, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes, AR can bring a semblance of
a distant real world into every student’s home to create a more conducive learning environment.

Keywords: Augmented Reality, AR, science education, remote learning, technology, crisis situation

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