elearning – HexaLearn Blog

Beyond The Screen: Exploring Augmented Reality In Education

Satyabrata Das — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 13:03:42 +0000

Have you ever wondered how education is transformed and influenced by Augmented Reality (AR)? Let’s review all the ways our learning experience is evolving.

The Role Of AR Technologies In Education

Technology has fast-forwarded every facet of the education system. In this article, you’ll get an insight into how AR technologies are breaking free of the restriction of screens, seamlessly blending into real-world strategies. AR technology is reshaping the way we engage with our surroundings and the role of AR technology in education is yet to be unveiled to its maximum potential.

Augmented Reality (AR) has been applied to all the industries that are growing or seeking future growth. But particularly, when we talk about AR in learning, we always commend it to be a dynamic educational tool, now and in the future. Offering the flexibility to enjoy learning with interactive textbooks, 3D models, and immersive learning experiences, it provides vast experiences, from virtual tours to anatomy lessons. AR enhances student engagement and understanding of the learning material.

With Augmented Reality in education, learning will not only be informative but also captivate the learners, engage them, and motivate them to learn and sustain the concept more quickly. The adventure of learning is real!

The Benefits Of AR In Education

1. Increased Engagement

AR is the new advancement in educational settings that attracts learners due to its high engagement energy. It allows the students to learn everything through visuals. This increases information retention and decreases the cognitive load.

Due to the nature of its functioning, it supports the modern way of learning for the youth and keeps their interest levels high. This results in the active participation of students. With all the 3D focus and visual appeals, AR turns all the abstract subjects into an immersive learning experience.

2. Improved Understanding Through Enhanced Awareness

Its capacity to enhance the comprehension of complex subjects such as mathematics—often seen as the yearly challenge for many students—makes it an ideal educational method. AR can easily turn mathematical concepts into simplified and interactive visuals where theorems and formulas come alive beyond the “Let’s assume…”—interesting, isn’t it?

AR also plays an invaluable role in science education by providing engaging simulations for virtual experiments, biological systems, complex theories of the universe, and more. The result is a better understanding and a long-lasting impression on the brains of the learners. Augmented Reality (AR) acts as a link between the complex concepts in education and the ease of comprehending them by the human brain.

3. Immersive Quest For Complicated Concepts

The complexities of the concepts always put students’ morale down but, with AR, they can easily understand. Also, reading texts and referring to small, printed images of cells, molecules, or atoms and particulates is always a struggle. AR brings the visual intricacies to help you understand better.

4. Blending Theory And Practice For Better Understanding

Facing the challenge of understanding theories without having a visual or practical implication is difficult. AR with its real-world application technology solves the problem and gives learners a clear view of what they are studying. Like, we study Newton’s Law but watching the theory in a real-life situation gives a clearer idea about the concept. Augmented Reality (AR) addresses this gap and positively fills in the requirement.

5. Personalized Education Journeys

Individualization of education has become a necessary and inevitable part of effective learning. Every learner has a different approach, style, and level of understanding toward learning, and tailoring to their needs is the most important way to set up a successful education system.

Keeping this in mind, AR has been designed to cater to every individual’s need and pattern of learning. Creating interactive simulations to suit the learner’s style and navigating them toward clear understanding allows them to experience the easy adaptation of the learning material.

Real-World Applications Of AR Technologies

1. Exploring World Virtually

Keeping the adventure alive while studying the world, its history, geographical form, civilization, bioscience, and everything—while sitting in one place—AR allows learners to not only read but to experience the gist of it. Now studying is a lifetime experience that you’ll always remember.

2. Discovering Human Anatomy With AR

The human body is a complex organism so it requires a thorough understanding of its composition, functions, and lifecycle. AR gives you a free hand to learn it in a fully three-dimensional way to understand everything from its roots. The study of biology becomes easier and sounds more conceptual with all the visual simulations.

3. Potential For Creating Comprehensive Learning Environments With AR

Appreciating diversity in education
Multimodal learning experiences
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Collaborative language learning

4. Aiding Diverse Learning Needs

Interactive remedial tools
Assistance with technology integration
Increased engagement and interest through gamified learning

Takeaway

Learning innovations have touched new heights with AR in our hands, promising adventurous and super-efficient learning to the education world. The transformative role of AR ensures a brighter future in education for all backgrounds, with diverse interests in learning. Classroom education has changed drastically after the discovery of Augmented Reality (AR) in education. AR is an interactive source of education that will keep all the learners engaged and focused till the end. AR is the new future, the better one!

Bespoke eLearning: When Your Brain Speaks To Your Heart

Satyabrata Das — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 11:03:16 +0000

Learning is not merely a function of the brain but of the heart too. What it means is that learning involves both cognitive and emotional aspects of our lives.

Bespoke eLearning

It is evident from the fact that the same concept when taught interestingly shows much more learning impact than plain or boring content. Interest and user engagement play a major role in learning. One of the many ways for user engagement is customization and personalization of content. Here comes the concept of off-the-shelf and bespoke eLearning. To understand the concept, let’s take the example of two companies X and Y, and an eLearning service provider .

Suppose X is a retail bank and Y is a non-banking financial institute that deals in car and home loan financing. Both of them need to train their employees on KYC and AML guidelines as per the government norms. They approach P for an eLearning program on KYC/AML. P offers them two options: an off-the-shelf KYC/AML module and a bespoke module.

The off-the-shelf module is ready to be deployed and costs less. The content is a standard training module on KYC and AML guidelines. There will not be any industry-specific examples or scenarios. So if X and Y choose the off-the-shelf module, then they will get the same module with the same look and feel and the same content. However, if they choose the bespoke mode, the content will be personalized, as per the client’s industry and examples, scenarios, and other company-specific details can be added as deemed necessary.

Thus, company X’s module will include examples and scenarios pertaining to retail banking customers and how the rules apply to them. On the other hand, that of company Y will include examples and scenarios pertaining to car and home loan customers and how the rules apply to them. So, the module for company X will look and feel
different than the module for company Y though both will essentially leverage the same technical knowledge.

In a nutshell, bespoke or custom eLearning modules are tailored to cater to a particular audience while off-the-shelf is generic. There is a huge demand for off-the-shelf modules. However, most of the industries prefer bespoke eLearning as there are many advantages.

Key Features Of Bespoke eLearning

Before we discuss the benefits of bespoke eLearning, let’s have a look at some of the key features of bespoke eLearning that distinguish it from off-the-shelf modules:

Branding
Bespoke modules have the organization’s branding, thus making it more familiar and relatable.
Familiarity
Bespoke modules have an organization-specific design and User Interface, which is not possible in off-the-shelf modules. This makes the navigation and User Interface familiar for the audience.
Voice over accent
Bespoke modules can have a preferred voice over accent, as per the audience.
Content and instructional strategy
A bespoke module can have a tailored content and instructional strategy.

The key features of bespoke modules are customization and personalization. Let’s now look at what benefits can be reaped from this feature:

Maximum learning impact
The learning outcome is not only dependent on technical content, but also on how the content is presented and how well the user engages with the content. Bespoke eLearning ticks all the boxes here as it allows maximum tailoring of the content and instructional strategy as per the user profile. Thus, it maximizes the learning impact.
The only option for organization-specific content
Bespoke eLearning is the only viable option when it comes to imparting learning on organization-specific content.
User-centric design
Bespoke modules can be designed in a user-centric way rather than a content-centric way. This makes a huge difference in user engagement and maximizing learning outcomes.
Control on cost
Off-the-shelf modules come with a fixed cost. Bespoke modules can be created as per budget.
Content updates
If the content gets updated, off-the-shelf models become useless but bespoke modules can be modified as required, either in-house or by employing a learning partner.

Disadvantages Of Bespoke Modules

Despite all the benefits, bespoke modules have some drawbacks. Let’s look at some of these:

High initial cost
Bespoke modules are much more costly, as the entire cost of production is borne by the organization. Off-the-shelf modules have a very minimal cost.
Deployment time
Bespoke modules take a long time for deployment, as the entire module is built from scratch.
Project management
Creating bespoke modules involves a lot of activities even if outsourced. This may consume the production time of subject experts and other staff.
Lack of universality
Off-the-shelf modules use industry experts who come from different backgrounds and thus contribute to the versatility of the content. Bespoke modules are usually
created by a single expert and thus may contain bias.

Conclusion

Doubtless, bespoke eLearning is going to be the way even if the content is generic in nature, whereas off-the-shelf modules offer a cost-benefit. The benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The possibilities with bespoke eLearning are limitless.

Embrace Mobile Learning: Smart Learning On-The-Go

Satyabrata Das — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 08:51:44 +0000

Mobile learning, popularly called as m-learning, has gained immense popularity over the recent years. The advancement of mobile devices and web technologies has enabled users to access a lot, variety of content in the mobile itself.

8 Best Features Of Mobile Learning

Mobile learning is a game-changer in the learning industry. Mobile learning is nothing but learning content delivered via mobile devices. With the advancement in mobile technology, a lot of variety of content and content format is now accessible via mobile devices. What’s more, modern Learning Management Systems are also fully mobile-compatible, enabling user tracking making content delivery smoothe and hassle-free.

Mobile learning can be as simple as reading eBooks on mobile eReader apps or it can be as immersive as playing artificial reality games, virtual reality shows or augmented reality.

Imagine you travel a lot… what can be better if you can utilize your travel time in upgrading your knowledge or getting a certification? Imagine a workforce that is always on the move, like Sales or field technicians… What can be better than being able to train them on the go? So, what are the features of mobile learning that make it so exciting?

1. Microlearning

Microlearning is the latest trend of ineffective knowledge absorption. It reduces the cognitive load on the learner to make retention easier. Mobile learning is the best method of delivery for microlearning in the form of small videos, nuggets, bit-sized push information and so on. Mobile learning makes it easy to digest and easy to access, anywhere at any time.

2. Spaced Repetition

It is a new trend in learning utilizing the process of repeating learning over increasing intervals. It’s critical not to repeat it too soon or too late to make learning effective. Mobile learning comes handy in such schemes due to easy accessibility and always-on nature.

3. Peer Learning

Usually, it is hard for online learners to engage with peers. Mobile devices provide great collaboration methodologies to boost peer learning, which is hailed as a better way of learning than solo learning.

4. Just-In-Time Training

JIT training is most effective when it happens when the user needs it the most. This is the concept of just in time training. Mobile learning is the best way for just in time training because it can be performed anywhere anytime. For example, a sales rep Learners can go through a learning material minutes before going into an important meeting or a field technician can quickly scan through key specifications just before doing a maintenance job in his/her mobile itself.

5. Gamification

Gamification is hailed as a game-changer in the learning industry. What can be a better medium than mobile devices to play learning games?

6. Push Notifications

It is very critical for the L&D team to remind people to perform their training or telling them about a new course. Push Notifications comes to the rescue which will appear on learners’ own devices’ notification screens where they are most likely to see them and react to them. It’s one of the most useful mobile learning features to have.

7. Social Learning

The power of social media needs no introduction. Why not utilize it for learning? People access social media on their mobile devices all the time. This makes it easier to add the option for learners to engage with teachers and respond to/comment on lessons to improve them and make them more effective. It makes learning fun, effective and more engaging. Mobile learning allows tapping the huge potential of social learning.

8. Learn Anywhere

People carry their mobile devices all the time. This makes it easy to deliver learning on mobile devices to the audience wherever they are, whenever they want. They don’t need to be physically present at the office or training room. They can learn at their pace, time, and location. This gives immense flexibility and motivation for the learners.

Conclusion

The use of mobile learning in an educational environment has a very positive effect on the overall learning experience and effectiveness. Current generations are extremely receptive to utilizing new technology and as a matter of fact, they appear to embrace it. Education should embrace this and mobile learning is one of the best ways to embrace technology in learning. Mobile learning, if utilized to its full potential, can drastically increase the mass participation and quality of education and training.

LMS – Making Learning Management Smarter

Satyabrata Das — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 07:05:58 +0000

Traditionally, all learning related activities were managed in a discrete manner; for example, teachers used to manage the content part, office/admin staff used to manage the enrollment etc. With the advancement in information technology, an integrated system was developed, called as Learning Management System or LMS, which can take care of all the aspects of learning management. So, what exactly is an LMS?

An LMS is a software that helps in administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, and delivery of educational courses and training programs. An LMS is hosted on a server and employs a database to store, deliver and manage all types of content, including video, courses, and documents. An LMS also manages student enrollment, course completion status, grading and assessment, communication, etc.

An LMS lets you create eLearning content (lessons), organize it into courses, deliver the content (either internally to your business or to a wider internet audience), enrol students to said courses, and, finally, monitor and assess their performance (attendance, grades, etc.).

What are the common LMS available?

There are many free as well as paid LMS available. The most popular free LMS is Moodle, widely popular among educational institutions. Other popular LMS include SAP Litmos, SumTotal, Adobe Captivate Prime, Docebo, LearnUpon LMS, and many more. There are many LMS service providers who offer various service option ranging from customisation to maintenance and administration.

How to implement and access an LMS?

To implement an LMS for your organisation, all you need is an Web server space enabled with a database system. LMS experts opine that maintaining an LMS is easier than maintaining an website. If you want, you can utilise services of professional LMS providers, and can even go for cloud-based LMS to get a robust, scalable system without investing in IT infrastructure.

Accessing an LMS is just like accessing any website. Each LMS enables users to log in. Users are tagged as per role, such as, student, teacher, administrator, etc. Users get access as per defined role. For example, a user with student log in credentials will not be able to modify course content, however, a user with teacher log in credentials can modify course content.

Features of an LMS:

All modern LMS are loaded with many features. Some of the common features are:

Course content authoring and upload: An LMS lets you author course content and upload course content in a wide variety of formats including audio, video, multimedia, documents, etc.
User and course management: An LMS offers user management and course management. User enrolment, tagging, course administration, order management, pre-registration and assigning courses can be done semi-automatically.
Communication management: An LMS can handle all course communications and notifications to concerned users. For example, LMS can automatically send notification to all enrolled users when a new assignment is uploaded by the teacher. There is no need to copy and paste contact data or switch between two digital services.
Report management: An LMS can generate a wide variety of reports, including student progress, score, student engagement, etc. The data can be utilised to gain valuable insight about effectiveness of the course content.
Assessment creation and management: Assessments are a key part of any course. An LMS makes it easy to create and manage these assessments, both system evaluated and tutor evaluated. You can get result in a single click for all students.

Benefits of LMS:

Saving time and money: Once set up, LMS can store content which can be reused many times, thereby saving time and money. It frees up teacher’s time in repetitive tasks and evaluations, thus giving more value to teachers’ time.
Efficient management: an LMS allows effective complete overall control of administration, automisation, communication with users, teachers and trainers, and of course content management. .
Easy access to information: An LMS hosts all of the information in a structured and organised way in the same place, making it accessible to all users. It can integrate digital libraries. All courses, learning calendars, multimedia content, forums and evaluations are accessible in just one click.
Personalisation: An LMS allows great level of personalisation in terms of look and feel, content, communication as per the need of the organisation and learners.
Advanced reporting: An LMS allow the creation, personalisation and download of detailed reports outlining the progress of the learners, groups, completion of work, time taken etc. This allows easy evaluation of their progress either as a group or individually.
Improved communication and collaboration: An LMS with integrated communication and collaboration tools facilitates enhanced communication and collaboration between people, it be students and teachers or administrators and employees. It fosters social learning and improved course effectiveness.

Conclusion:

Any education institute or any organisation wishing to impart effective education in its employees must consider having an LMS to maximise the effectiveness of the training programs. Today, an LMS has become a basic necessity for efficient and effective management of learning.