The Curiscope virtuali-tee is an augmented reality (AR) t-shirt that allows users to explore the human body. The program requires students to physically wear a t-shirt and use an iPad, tablet or phone to scan the QR code and be immersed in the technology.
Creativity
The Virtuali-tee is an authentic learning experience that may spark curiosity in students and grasp their attention to traditionally uninteresting and content-heavy topics, such as body functions. The 3-dimensional visualization of the human body encourages students to interact with the activity and therefore spark curiosity, successfully engaging in the subject. The augmented reality creates a 3-dimensional experience where students can visualise internal organs and their functions, creatively investigating body systems. Virtuali-tee combines immersive learning with technology to successfully teach content.
NSW K-10 Syllabus Links
The virtuali-tee promotes learning and aligns with the NSW K-10 syllabus across multiple learning areas. In science, students use AR technology to investigate the structure and function of the human body and identify organs and their roles and their relationships to each other (NESA, 2017). Students can use the Virtuali-tee as a stimulus in English to develop reading, writing and speaking skills surrounding the human body. In Personal development, health and physical education, students learn about making informed decisions about their well-being and how maintaining a healthy lifestyle positively affects the human body (NESA, 2018).
Constructivist Pedagogy
Experimental learning is explored through the virtuali-tee as students engage in a meaningful and authentic experience. Teachers are encouraged to link content to students’ prior knowledge or to personal experiences. This shirt allows students to physically see where organs and body parts are located on their classmates that engage with the technology. Through this, students can grasp difficult concepts and successfully learn (Jonassen, 1999). This promotes deep and contextualized learning. The nature of the technology requires group work as one student wears the shirt and the other student scans the code and explores it on a personal device. Here students collaborate in the classroom to learn successfully.
Limitations
Although Virtuali-tee offers an immersive experience, it does not replicate real-life bodily functions with 100% accuracy and therefore only becomes useful to younger years as students in high school must learn about such content with more accuracy. Students’ prior knowledge also reflects how well they adapt to the technology as they must have a decent understanding of the concepts to utilize the technology. This technology is also not accessible to all students as it must be purchased and downloaded by the school. This technology also does not provide any assistance to students with visual impairments.
References
Jonassen, D. H. (1999). Designing constructivist learning environments. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory (Vol. 2)
NSW Education Standards Authority. (2018). Personal Development, Health and Physical Education K-10 Syllabus. NSW Education Standards. https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au /wps/wcm/connect/2f657694-dc52-48ba-a440-9256e92c00e3/ pdhpe-k-10-syllabus-2018-pdf.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=
NSW Education Standards Authority. (2017). Science and Technology K–60 Syllabus. NSW Education Standards. https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/ science/science-and-technology-k-6-new-syllabus
Hi Amanda,
You have clearly identified the AR T-Shirt as your chosen piece of technology for this post. However, it would have been nice to see a comparison made to another form of VR for context. Good use of personal footage, just remember to label your work as personal footage e.g. “CC By Amanda Lynch”, just good to give yourself credit. Where you stated “creativity”, I personally would’ve written “fostering creativity”, here you spoke about visualising internal organ function. Perhaps you could go into more detail about the features of the Ar T-Shirt and how they promote and foster creativity in the classroom. Whilst you did briefly look at the NESA Syllabus, you did not explicitly link a syllabus outcome…