Augmented Reality (AR) and education has a massive potential to be used widespread as more smart devices get access to special sensors and lenses to support basic AR applications. AR uses cameras and a device to superimpose an image using the surrounding environment while Virtual Reality (VR) completely recreates an environment on a screen along with fully digital objects (Gupton, 2017). Mixed Reality uses both real world and digital objects and is a combination of VR and AR.

The Microsoft HoloLens 2 is special set of Mixed Reality device that has major potential for both educating medical students and possibly improving quality of care by letting healthcare providers superimpose and manipulate medical imaging such as CT scans to interact with them in an AR space (Philips, 2019). Learning the human body, which is a complex artifact with veins, vessels, bones, and fluids going in a variety of directions could be aided by AR since students can touch (Ideally). Perhaps medical students can also practice going through surgical procedures using the Hololens 2 as a guide instead of having nothing or using cadavers (Philips, 2019). Not only can the Hololens 2 can also potentially help students learn background knowledge of human anatomy, it may also be used to simulate certain scenarios such as emergency responses, telemedicine visits, disaster training, violent patient escalation, patient education and other soft skills that require precise communication in the future (DeCapua, 2018). Although the Hololens seems promising, it is fairly expensive starting at $3500 USD per device (Microsoft Store, n.d).

Although the concept of visual, auditory, and sensory type of learners (OECD, n.d) is a Neuromyth, AR has the potential to stimulate and combine all three types of learning and create an immersive learning environment. Fields trips, and artifacts from historical landmarks around the world could be studied. Overall, I think AR and VR have tremendous  potential value, and will be more accessible as smart devices get more computationally capable, and affordable. Here is a poster I made on Canva promoting the Hololens 2.

References

DeCapua, M. (2018, April 24). 7 Ways Microsoft Hololens Will Transform Healthcare. https://www.melissadecapua.com/7-ways-microsoft-hololens-will-transform-healthcare/.

Gupton, N. (2017, September 21). What’s the Difference Between AR, VR, and MR? The Franklin Institute. https://www.fi.edu/difference-between-ar-vr-and-mr.

Microsoft Store. (n.d.). HoloLens 2: Find Specs and Features – Microsoft HoloLens 2. Microsoft Store. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/holoLens-2/91pnzzznzwcp/?activetab=pivot%3Aoverviewtab.

OECD. (n.d.)  Neuromyth 3. OECD.

https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/neuromyth3.htm

Philips. (2019, March 13). Philips and Microsoft HoloLens 2: could augmented reality change the face of image guided therapy? Philips. https://www.philips.com/a-w/about/news/archive/standard/news/articles/2019/20190313-philips-and-microsoft-hololens-2-could-augmented-reality-change-the-face-of-image-guided-therapy.html.