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Using augmented reality to teach and learn chemistry

Augmented reality and chemistry. A perfect match, you might say, given the difficulty many have visualising chemical structures and mechanisms.

Augmented reality, if you're not yet au fait, is making computer graphics or information appear in real-time over live video. It has hitherto generally been used for some mobile phone information tools, such as Layar, or as a toy. Kids can bring their plastic Avatar toys to life with a webcam and a a piece of card printed with a special two-dimensional bar code.

Late last year a colleague pointed me towards this post by Dr Teeth about augmented reality chemistry education tools, and I've been meaning to blog about it since. It takes these playful applications of augmented reality into genuinely practical areas for education.

Augmented Reality - Chemistry Review from Sponholtz Productions on Vimeo.

I see lots of potential for this sort of thing, but if anyone knows of other chemistry augmented reality tools out there, speak up. I don't doubt that there's a lot more out there.

Spoonholtz Productions (the people behind this rather fancy tool) produce molecule visualisation cards free to download and use. If anyone has success using these in class with real students, let us know.
Posted by Duncan McMillan on Feb 1, 2012 5:00 PM Europe/London

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