Augmenting Reality (AR) and Its Use Cases: Exploring the Game Changing Potential of Technology

1. Introduction

The influence of technology in every sphere of life is very much evident today. We are witnessing an exponential rise in technology integration across the industrial vectors with no sector remaining immune to the impact of the technology. Players across the industrial ecosystems have taken a proactive approach and are today using the technology to deliver better value, services, and facilities to their customers. From the use of information technology and artificial intelligence to simulation models and predictive analytics, businesses across the industrial sectors are at the forefront of using new technologies and innovations. Counted among the prominent technologies, augmented reality (AR) is proving a game changer thanks to its exceptional capabilities to enhance customer experiences. By simulating real-world conditions in an interactive and immersive way, AR has opened new ways of customer interactions across the globe (Aggarwal et. al. 2020). In the education sector alone, the use of AR/VR use is expected to reach $19.6 bn by the end of 2023 compared to the $9.3 bn size of the segment recorded in 2018. It is very clear from the growth numbers that going forward the use of AR will dominate across disciplines and will help businesses realise their true potential. The primary differentiator that AR brings to the table is the use of digital tools and technologies. Among the primary use cases of AR, the technology is finding prominence in the education and training domains. From converting textbooks into 3D models to simulating phenomena that are quite difficult to explain in the real world, AR is capable of doing it all. Quality of content can also be significantly enhanced with the use of AR and today we have a lot of AR applications in engineering, medical, and training aspects related to several industries. Many studies have found that the retention of aspirants increases significantly when learning happens through the use of AR. Especially in the domains where simulating real-world conditions is a challenging task, AR comes into the picture and allows educational institutes, universities, and training departments to help aspirants become skilled on difficult parameters of productivity and performance. Take, for instance, the Department of History and Archaeology. With the help of AR, both these departments can help students understand the ancient concepts in a more vivid, interactive, and immersive manner. AR can help faculty show students digital replicas of ancient civilizations and allow them to better understand the various civilizational heritages associated with the ancient communities. Similarly in the aviation and firefighting department, AR can be used for simulating real job situations, thereby saving a lot of cost and resources while allowing the trainers to keep new hires safe from the dangerous aspects of on-the-job training at the initial stage of their induction. Owing to all these benefits, it comes as no surprise that AR is on its way to dominate the education and training industry and with significant technology upgrades in the process, AR will change the very face of the training industry in the future. Against this specific background, this research explores the game-changing potential of AR in the education sector through its use cases. By looking into the practical applications of AR, the research gives the conceptual framework for enhancing the integration of technology in the education and training industry (Adamaska 2023). The framework takes into consideration the crucial role of stakeholders to ensure that the technology is implemented in a manner that bodes well for students, academicians, trainers, and the corporate sector among others. The conclusion section towards the end discusses the important implications of the study and offers guidelines for further strengthening the role of AR in the education and training sector.