Augmented reality, or AR, opens the door for various possibilities in a Physical Education/physical activity setting. Augmented reality works similar to a QR code, but instead of a QR code you have a target. A target can be a picture or even a real-life object. Once the target is activated it can overlay an object onto your screen, take you to an URL and much more. A great example of how the overlay works is Anatomy 4D. To see how the URL feature works, watch the following video, which briefly demonstrates one way AR can be used to increase physical activity outside of school. Request an invite for a AR account through DAQRI here.

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As I dive deeper into the world of augmented reality I am recognizing more opportunities for creating engaging activities in physical education as well as making targets that classroom teachers can use for physical activity within their class. I am continuing to use the program DAQRI, which allows you to create and share your own targets, to integrate augmented reality into physical education. As a review, a target is an item that is scanned to make visible an overlay which appears on top of the target object. DAQRI gives you the ability to create multiple overlays using the same target by utilizing the chapter function.You can place a separate overlay in each chapter and a button on the overlay allows users to move between chapters. 

This opens up a realm of possibilities for student learning. For example, a teacher could make a choose your own adventure story or, in our case as physical educators, a choose your own fitness adventure by placing multiple buttons on the same overlay. Although the fitness tasks would be different they all would lead to the same learning outcomes. This would allow students to be more independent and take a higher level of ownership of their own physical education. Another possibility is creating physical activity resources for classroom teachers. One of these resources could be brain breaks that classroom teachers would have readily available and could easily use within the classroom. I recently created a brain break target that lists each day of the week with buttons associated with each day. I plan to change these brain breaks monthly to give students a variety of physical activities they can do within the classroom or even at home. Below you’ll see a screen cast demonstrating how to make a target to bring up an overlay as well as how I created my brain break target. Download the DAQRI app here to scan the brain break target I have included in this blog.

Augmented reality is a great tool for education, and it is so simple to use. All that is needed is a mobile device and a target for students to scan. For more on the basics of augmented reality see Creating Augmented Reality Fitness Task Cards, Using Augmented Reality to Increase Physical Activity Outside of School, and Augmented Reality: Building Resources and Student Independence in Physical Education. The latest way I’m using augmented reality within my class is as a tool to assess students’ cognitive understanding of learning outcomes.

How it Works

While students are participating in specific portions of class they can be tagged by a pool noodle. Students will know that being tagged by this pool noodle means it’s time for them to take the cognitive assessment. The tagged student will then walk over to the poster/target that I created using the program DAQRI (seen below) and read the question on the poster. After reading the questions students will scan the poster using an iPad and a multiple-choice overlay with four different answers will appear on the screen. Students will then touch the answer they think is correct on the iPad. The display on the screen will automatically change, giving them feedback on whether they answered correctly or incorrectly. If the student gets the answer wrong, they will simply restart the application and try again.

Below is a video I created with a visual demonstration of how this works.

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Lately I have received a lot of inquiries about how to use the DAQRI 4D studio. Below is a tutorial covering some of the functions of the 4D studio which will help you get started. I will soon be posting a blog that discusses various ways you can use the 4D studio as a physical educator. Sign up for a free DAQRI educators account here. Let me know if you have any questions.

Connect with me on twitter: @collinbrooksie

With a new school year underway its always exciting to think of new and engaging ways to incorporate meaningful technology into your classroom. As discussed in earlier blogs, augmented reality is an incredible resource for physical educators. There are so many different ways it can be used to enhance student learning and comprehension as well as to streamline an educators workload. Below is a list I have created of 17 ways to use augmented reality within a physical education setting.

1) Interactive Slide Shows

One of the cool options in the DAQRI 4D studio is creating a slideshow. Each slide will appear for up to 10 seconds before it rotates to the next slide. You also have the option of using your finger to move to the next slide on demand. See the video below.

2) Send Reminders to Parents

Augmented reality can  be used to send reminders to parents at home. For example, if a student forgets to bring his or her shoes you can have a target for the student to scan with a picture of shoes. This picture can then be linked to a Google form for students to easily fill out to send an email to their parents to remind them to bring their shoes the next day of class.

3) Create PA Opportunities for Classroom Teachers

Using augmented reality allows classroom teachers as well as students quick access to physical activity opportunities. A classroom teacher can simply set up a target you give them in their classroom and they can scan it at anytime to engage students in physical activities you design for them right away. Please refer the video below for a demonstration.

4) Choose your Own Fitness Adventures

Just like the choose your own adventure books, you can create a choose your own fitness adventure. You have the ability to create multiple fitness task chapters within a target with DAQRI. Students can work in groups or by themselves depending on how many mobile devices you have. Students start the adventure by choosing a fitness task from a list you create and each of the fitness tasks on the list leads to a different fitness task once chosen. This help students develop ownership of their own learning.

5) Peer Assessment

Working in groups or with a partner, students can use augmented reality for peer assessment. Augmented reality can be used to set up easy to understand peer assessments with directions for students. The students simply scan the target and open up the assessment, which can also be linked to Google forms allowing you to easily track student work.

6) Replace an Existing QR Code

Augmented reality can do everything a QR code can and more without giving up any  landscape. If you are currently using QR codes in class, consider switching to augmented reality targets.

7) Opportunities for PA Outside of School

Using augmented reality you can set up targets in recreational areas in you city or town. When students come to those recreational areas they can scan the target and send you a  physical activity log using a Google form. This helps you keep track of their physical activity outside of school. Refer to the video below for a demonstration of this idea.

8) Program Advocacy

Using augmented reality you can create a poster to display in a high-traffic area within your building. This poster can contain information about your physical education program including your website, class expectations, information regarding the importance of physical education in schools and any other important information about your program.

9) Use 4D Technology to Enhance Learning

One of the most amazing things about augmented reality is the 4D objects that can be created to enhance student learning. Anatomy 4D is a great example of this and a wonderful resource for the physical education classroom. For a demonstration on Anatomy 4D watch the video below. Here is a link to the application.

10) Link Classroom Information to a Target

At the beginning of the year students can go through different targets and learn about classroom objectives, etc. in a new and engaging way.

11) Put Targets in Monthly School Newsletters

Placing augmented reality targets within your newsletter will make reading it a more interactive and engaging experience for students and parents.

12) Cognitive Assessment

Using augmented reality allows you to create overlays that can be used for student assessments. DAQRI allows you to have up to seven different chapters in each project and each chapter can have a different overlay. This allows you to create multiple choice assessments for students. Please refer to the video below for a demonstration.

13) Redirect Students

If a student needs redirection within your class you can send she or he over to a target with an iPad. This target can then take them through a series of questions for them to reflect on.

14) Scavenger Hunt

Use augmented reality to set up a physical education scavenger hunt around your classroom or around the building. Each target can lead students through a variety of fitness challenges or to different location where they can find another target.

16) Build a Student Portfolio

Augmented reality can be used as a student portfolio. Setting up a portfolio target for every student may take up too much time; however, using augmented reality to create a portfolio for students during an IEP meeting can be very useful. You can hand out a target to the parents and other members of the IEP committee for them to scan that would open up various things about the student such as a video analysis of the student, student work, and any other useful assessments that you’ve done with the student. Parents can take this target home and you can update it throughout the year, giving them easy access to their child’s progression.

17) Flip Your Classroom

Augmented reality can be used to flip your classroom. Simply give every student the same target at the beginning of the year. The students can hang their target on the fridge or the wall at home. To see what’s going on in physical education class that week students can scan the target linking them to information, videos, etc. about their week ahead in class. Using DAQRI you can edit your targets and change the information that is received by students.

As you can see there are many ways to use augmented reality and a physical education setting. In future blogs I plan to talk in more detail about the various ways to use augmented reality. If you have additional ways to use augmented reality in a physical education setting please add them to the comments below.

Here is a short video that describes the latest cognitive assessment I created for my students using the DAQRI 4D augmented reality studio. As you will see in the video, students quickly scan the target which will then show them a brief video of the push-up. They are asked what component of physical fitness the push up displays and are automatically redirected to a Google Form where they record their answer. This allows me to collect data as students independently assess themselves. Let me know if you have any questions about this specific assessment.
Note: this is simply a demo version of one of the assessments I have created for my students. Click the target to the left using the DAQRI App to go through the assessment yourself.

@collinbrooksie

I wanted to take moment to show you my latest augmented reality target which is an interactive game board called “What’s Your Zone?” After seeing a really cool picture tweeted by Andy Vasliy where he and his students identified various ways different rates zones positively impact the body I was inspired to create this fitness game.

How to play

Scanned Target

Students can play in pairs or larger groups. One student will start by rolling the dice and then scanning the game board target. Once the target is scanned, a 3D brain will appear (left) in the middle of the board and the board game will come to life. The student can then push the game square they land on, which leads them to a specific fitness task. The game squares are split into green, blue and red squares, with each color representing a different heart rate zone.  The fitness task for each square is related to the colored heart rate zone of the square.  Along with the fitness task is a fact on how the body is impacted by that heart rate zone. Once the student has completed the fitness task, it is the next student’s turn. Students can keep track of where they are on the game board by remembering the number they landed on during their last turn or with game pieces provided by the teacher.

Fitness Task

Below are directions on how to use the Daqri App to access the game board. I realize technology is not accessed at every school so I have also made a hard copy of the game that can be found here and doesn’t require a mobile device. You will also find the AR Board Game in the same link.

Learning outcomes

I created “What’s Your Zone?” to help students meet the following learning outcomes:

• Identify which exercises/physical activities are green zone, blue zone and red zone activities. I use Polar H7 heart rate monitors to accomplish this but students could also take their heart rate manually.
• Determine and understand the physiological benefits of each heart rate zone. For example, the red zone gives you confidence.
• Determine and understand the physiological benefits of every heart rate zone. For example, when a student is in the red zone they are growing neural pathways.
• Increase physical activity outside of school. I will encourage my students to take this game home and play it with their families and friends.

Furthermore, teaching how exercise impacts the brain and body, as well as the mental well-being of human beings, is a huge advocacy point for our profession. I hope this can be a tool to help educate the families of my students.

Below is a quick video demonstration of what it looks like when you scan the board game target. You are able to zoom in on different areas of the target making it easier to touch the individual squares. I decided not to include any audio or video in my target to ensure that it would scan quickly. This is the first version of this game board and I plan to make revisions to this target as I see how it works for my students.

References:

Spark, by Dr. John Ratey

Polar.com