MOOC Certificate

    Massive Open Online Courses are useful platforms to supplement learning in free time. Since I study Japanese when I can afford the time, I supported my learning through a course in Udemy. Here is the certificate. 

 

Enhancing Perspectives with AR

    Ar, short for Augmented Reality, is the technology of incorporating apps and useful tools into our daily lives, to our vision, to be specific. It is still a raw technology potential of which is waiting to be discovered in the future. Google Glass was one of the first and perhaps one of the most important AR inventions, but to be blunt, it has failed and still yet to be refined to be a catch in the market. Currently, the way ARs are used is usually through QR codes. Here is an example from Arize

    Simply open a QR reader from a smartphone and it will give you a link in which you will be able to see the chair in 3D and rotate. QR codes such as these can be put in books or in real life places to save students from monotone lessons. Creating QR codes are as easy as they get, there are numerous amounts of websites in which you can generate the codes for free. My personal favourite is QRCode Monkey for its simplistic layout, ease of use and wide variety of options to customize QR codes to your likings.

    Pokémon GO is by far the most successful product in the market that utilizes augmented reality. Another video game soon to be released that makes use of this technology is named Witcher: Monster slayer. What makes these games so attractive is that they make the players feel excited by letting them interact with technology, but through real life. The same way these games arouse excitement can be implemented to lessons. By creating QR codes and letting students venture for the knowledge on their own is a very stimulating experience, which will only evolve as the time goes on.

Shifting Realities with VR

     VR, short for Virtual Reality, is a rather new technology with its most noticeable advancement began thanks to the making of Sensorama in 1962 by Morton Heilig. 

    Considering its date, it was a revolutionary invention that had excited many and caused them to chase after  perfection, which is still ongoing. The aim with VRs, as the name suggests, is to create virtual realities with the power of technology. Like the most gadgets, success of an invention is evaluated by its accessibility to the masses. In similar fashion to the computers, the first samples of VRs were simply not affordable for practically anyone, not mentioning the space they had required. 

    In this day, there are a variety of VR products that tries to satisfy consumers with different price options. From a simple cardboard which works with inserting a phone into it, to the complex setups that can track your body movements, VRs have found their ways to many homes. Considering advancements will continue and has the potential to be as common as telephones, computers and televisions, teachers need to learn how to use the VR technology and think of ways into adapting them into their lessons. In last post we discussed about integrating Second Life into lessons and now it is time to mention VRChat. 

    Since their premises are quite identical, the discussion of the Second Life applies to the VRChat as well, in short, though they have limitations and some interesting communities, it is up to the teachers' skills to make the most use of them.