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Augmenting Reality to improve learning capabilities for students with Disabilities

Blog by Srikanth Vemula

A blog based on my review of the article “iPads as instructional tools to enhance learning opportunities for students with developmental disabilities: An action research project”, by Cumming, Therese M.; Strnadova, Iva; & Singh, Sylvia. (2014). Action Research, 12(2), 151-176.

I believe the idea of using new emerging technologies in the classroom makes the teaching and learning experience more fun and may increase student engagement. So the title of the article—i.e. the idea of using iPads as instructional tools to enhance learning opportunities for students with developmental disabilities—resonates with me.

Using these tools and technology comes under the category of “Serious Games,” which I believe—as a virtual reality (games and apps) programmer myself—will be the future in how teaching is carried out in the classrooms more interactively with these new emerging technologies.

The pictures in my post illustrate use of “mixed reality,” i.e., augmented reality and virtual reality as instructional tools in the future. They should allow us to visualize new teaching possibilities and learn how to work with the emerging new technologies for fit with students’ ways of learning.  For example, “Peer” is a mixed reality educational experience platform which uses a combination of physical and digital elements to engage students in learning. Peer does this by
• Providing context (which combines the digital & physical to make harder concepts tangible and visible), facilitates
• Prototyping (which reduces feedback loop, allows students to quickly iterate their designs, innovate in rapid pace)
• Open Collaboration (open & safe environment, students are able to work together build from one another’s ideas through collaboration).

Students learning is going to change in the future. I am interested in developing and deploying similar platform for students with developmental disabilities, because I believe technology inventions should benefit people which improves their quality of life and makes their life easier.

In their article Strnadova et al show how technology is used in an action research process to overcome difficulties faced by students with developmental disabilities. Specifically, the article explains how the AR is designed by using a best evidence synthesis (BES) model and Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework which are required for effective integration of technology into teaching. The relative ease of integration of these technologies into classroom settings strengthens my interest of implementing mixed reality and extended reality in to the classroom environment using action research. Using virtual reality and Serious Games as means of teaching for children with autism has inspired me to think about how I can approach conducting an action research project with similar setting.

Srikanth Vemula, moved to San Antonio from Virginia to pursue PhD in UIW to fulfill his mom’s wish and also his passion about Entrepreneurship and Teaching. He has a Masters in Computer Science from VIU, Virginia & Game Programming at University of Hull, U.K. and has worked in Various Game Studios in Singapore, Indonesia, U.K, India. Over the years during his work and personal experiences, he has learned that “Doing things with Love or love what you are doing will get you more happiness and makes you healthy” which is the quote his father used to say to him when he is growing up.
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References:

1. https://medium.com/design-intelligence/peer-a-mixed-reality-educational-experience-1c2426697109 (fig:1)
2. http://peer.momentnyc.com/ (“Peer application Website)
3. https://haptic.al/how-virtual-reality-increase-motivation-and-collaboration-in-the-classroom-141e807e93c7
4.(fig:2) by Billetto Editorial on Unsplash