EdTech Tutorial: A really simple way to use augmented reality in a maths lesson.

Aurasma is an augmented reality App.  This  basically means it can detect an object and place an image or video on top of it.  Aurasma is available on both the App Store and Google Play.

I played around with Aurasma for a while and then thought of using it in a maths lesson on shape. I asked my students to make Aurasma’s for different 3D solids.  Have a look at an example a student of mine created:

How do you create an Aurasma?

First open up the App and explore some of the examples on the home page:

Now it is time to make your own.  Click the plus sign in the bottom left corner and you will get to this screen:

Use a ready made overlay by clicking on ‘Library’ or make your own by selecting ‘Device’.  If you are making your own overlay, opt for ‘Camera’ to take a live picture / video of something or choose from the ‘Library’ on your device (you can download pictures from the internet beforehand).

I asked my students to create their own overlays in their mathematics books and then take a photo of them:

Once this is done, you must let Aurasma recognise the object (in this case 3D solids) by pointing your camera at it. If an image is too plain then it will not work (look at the scale at the bottom and it will be red – this happened with our 3D shapes at school so we coloured them in different patterns so the App could identify them). If the object is OK then go to the next step (the scale will be green).

Finally preview the overlay and move it to where you want it to appear. Then just save it and name it.

And you’re done! Use the Aurasma viewer and point it at the object and your overlay will pop-up!

Please have a look at my video tutorial to see the App in action:

How else could Aurasma be used in lessons?

* How about a character description popping up when you move over different pictures of people?
* Could questions have a little logo next to them and the answer pops up when the logo is in the Aurasma viewer?
* How about hiding puzzles or questions around your classroom? The students have to find the objects that trigger the Aurasma’s and then solve them!

What do you think?  Any more ideas?  I will definitely be using this fantastic App again.