---
title: "Augmented learning"
chunk: 3/6
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_learning"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T15:12:19.860274+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

== Understanding Science ==
AR technology greatly improves the way we teach STEM. They have started using webcams, making them read a certain marker label, then an object where the label would be comes up on the screen. Developers are continuing to gather information on how AR (augmented reality) could take its part in the learning environment. Over the past few years there have been technologies added to the classroom such as computers, laptops, projectors, white boards and much more. It is allowing students to be more engaged in what is happening.
The significance of customized learning experiences has been brought to light by recent advancements in augmented reality educational applications. According to Lampropoulos et al.'s (2022) comprehensive evaluation of 670 studies, gamification components added to AR technology significantly boost student enthusiasm and engagement. Their study shows that "personalized AR experiences create more engaging learning environments, leading to improved knowledge academic performance." By accommodating different learning styles and speeds, these individualized experiences enable students to advance at their own speed while retaining a high level of motivation and interest in the material.
Students are also now able to take notes without having to listening to what the teacher is saying, but instead writing what they typed on the projector. The notes can be more thorough and to the point, rather than an entire explanation. With the help of AR we can also see pictures on the board showing students the space in between certain objects such as planets or atoms.
In modern times, augmented learning can help students understand complex topics with more success than the traditional model. One such example of a complex scientific topic benefiting from a virtual environment is continuous distillation. This topic is usually challenging for students to grasp as a diagram can only show states rather than a continuous change. Practical experiments are also less effective as the distillation process cannot be seen through the vessel it occurs in.
A study on augmented learning with the topic of continuous distillation states, "Overall, the authors garnered that the use of virtual tools helps enhance and enrich the students' learning by increasing their understanding of key concepts and promotes interest in the subject matter." This conclusion was made because the test scores of students with the augmented learning method performed significantly better than the students who did not experience the augmented learning method. This is caused by the augmented learning application's ability to look inside the vessel the process takes place in throughout each step of the process. When given a complex topic that is hard to visualize, augmented learning can provide a view to a student that aids in their learning. It was also found to be beneficial when the students could engage with this medium in their own time rather than it being accessible only within the classroom, as the application was always available to the students through their phone. As the level of basic technology rises, it becomes more feasible for teachers to shift their focus away from creating the learning environment and instead supplementing the learning tools.
Outside of the classroom, augmented learning is important for informal STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education. This form of education can be seen within museums, science centers, and anywhere outside the classroom. With widespread use of smart devices, augmented reality is feasible to incorporate into every person's education. Pokémon GO, the 2016 hit mobile game, actively pushed their augmented reality features. This was the first example of widespread use of augmented reality that opened over 750 million people to the idea of the virtual world interacting with our own. The STEM field began to take notice and implemented this innovative technology into museum exhibits and other informal learning environments.
An investigation of seventeen published papers about augmented learning in informal settings found that sixteen of these papers were based on scientific fields. This is understandable when the common informal learning environment is museums that are commonly focused around STEM. Augmented learning exhibits found that they could engage a younger demographic easier than the practically demonstrated exhibits. Augmented learning for scientific purposes outside the classroom is widespread and accessible in the modern day.
Furthermore, augmented learning research is mostly centered around how it affects the scientific field. Papers published between 2013 and 2018, the most common topics examined were mobile and e-learning environments. The most common subject discussed within these papers is science education. This makes sense as the field of science is directly correlated with augmented learning methods, such as easy access to technology and virtual environments.
Scientific education is an especially easy to implement field for augmented learning. Many scientific topics are challenging to visualize with still images or in person demonstrations, but with modern tools the experience is improved. The study on continuous distillation proves the efficacy of a virtual environment that can provide additional context, even over a practical demonstration. The adoption of higher technology from the public, especially when the students are the main users of this technology outside the classroom, leads to the methods using it to be more impactful to their learning experience.