I discovered LightUp this year while exploring augmented reality in our browser. The company has a diverse set of tools that deliver augmented reality through the web and in apps on mobile devices or tablets.
I’m thankful to see many educational technology companies step up and provide access to their product during this challenging season. The LightUp company has joined that effort and granted free access to their learning experiences for students and educators affected by school closures due to COVID19. Learn about some of those resources below.
I’ve explored many of these applications, and I’m especially excited about the web apps because I believe that is the future of immersive technology, especially in education. Instead of downloading apps, students can go to specific websites, and the augmented reality will load on the mobile device. A few of these experiences are listed below.
My favorite web-based apps with LightUp are Globe and Solar System 3D. The Globe uses past and live data to explore the world in augmented reality. There are dozens of views of the Earth to explore patterns and real-time information about the Earth. Solar System 3D gives each planet and the sun it’s own 3D view on your device to rotate and explore or opens the experience in augmented reality on compatible devices.
Some of the best LightUp apps include Hololab AR, Magnet Labs AR, and Bridge Builder AR. These apps are unique because students can experiment in the augmented reality experience while learning the needed content through trial and error. Each of the apps has specific objectives for the students to learn, but the playful environment makes learning engaging and fun.
The one app that I found to be the most versatile for the classroom is LightUp Studio. The library of experiences provides a variety of 3D objects and animations, but it also presents many of the models in life-size. The animals are especially interesting to view as you compare the size of the animals to real objects in your area.
We may not be able to go to the zoo, but we can now bring the zoo to us. The animals are beautifully animated, and multiple items can be displayed together. Capture a video of your creation and download them or share them out on social media using #MadewithLightUp. The videos can record student knowledge of the topic, demonstrate a connection to real-life objects, present a visual representation of classroom content and more.
In this video, I added the Blue Whale on the roof of my house. I was amazed at how large the marine mammal is when placed in my real world. Ask your students to place items into specific categories, add objects on a graph and label, list and describe the life span of the animals. There are numerous ways to use these animated 3D objects in your classroom lessons. Get more inspiring ideas by viewing the Learn category.
Amid the online learning crisis, share the LightUp resources with your students to allow them to deepen their understanding. Let your students showcase their creativity and knowledge on the topic.
This blog is part of the #31DaysofARVRinEDU event. Expect a new augmented or virtual reality resource for the classroom to post every day in March. All subscribers will receive daily notifications.
Share what you create with LightUp and you can be the winner for the week! Don't forget to include #31DaysofARVRinEDU.
