Augmented Reality with free iPad App

Augmented reality (AR) technology has potential to offer immersive, rich education experiences in the classroom and it doesn’t have to be expensive, in fact with the Sandbox AR iPad app available in the Apple App Store, it’s free.

By superimposing virtual images and data on a user's view of the real world, AR supports visualisation of complex topics, creates digital “hands-on” learning opportunities, and heightens student engagement with digital content, all while improving students’ ability to retain knowledge longer by being a participant in the learning experience.

With Discovery Education’s Sandbox AR users can create virtual worlds and populate them with some of the hundreds of unique objects from history, the built world, science and nature, and more.

A feature in Sandbox AR lets learners take photos or record a video walk through with their own voice over and even offers a mode that allows users to scale up and inhabit their own life size virtual environments.

For those new to AR, Sandbox AR includes many pre-built sandboxes exploring diverse subjects such as ancient Egypt, space exploration, Mayan civilization, road construction, and more, with additional sandboxes coming soon. Discovery Education is also making available several free, pre-built lessons educators can use with the app to familiarize themselves with integrating AR into classroom instruction

Howard Lewis, Discovery Education’s Managing Director, Global Initiatives says, “The Sandbox AR and resources we make available to educators today are just the beginning of what will be a number of powerful new resources Discovery Education plans to provide students and educators in 2022 and beyond.”