This is the first comprehensive research monograph devoted to the use of augmented reality in education. It is written by a team of 58 world-leading researchers, practitioners and artists from 15 countries, pioneering in employing augmented reality as a new teaching and learning technology and tool. The authors explore the state of the art in educational augmented reality and its usage in a large variety of particular areas, such as medical education and training, English language education, chemistry learning, environmental and special education, dental training, mining engineering teaching, historical and fine art education. Augmented Reality in Education: A New Technology for Teaching and Learning is essential reading not only for educators of all types and levels, educational researchers and technology developers, but also for students (both graduates and undergraduates) and anyone who is interested in the educational use of emerging augmented reality technology.

In the field of education, the quick progression of technologies poses both unprecedented challenges and unparalleled opportunities. As our classrooms undergo a large shift, traditional practices are being questioned, demanding a reevaluation of how we teach, learn, and prepare the leaders of tomorrow. The consensus is clear: for our students to thrive in an increasingly tech-driven world, they must not only understand but also master technology to ensure future economic success. However, the integration of these technologies into education brings forth a myriad of complexities, necessitating a thoughtful exploration of their impact and potential solutions. The swift development of transformational technologies is reshaping education, presenting educators, administrators, and policymakers with a daunting challenge. Augmented Reality and the Future of Education Technology offers pivotal solutions to the challenges presented by transformative technologies in education. Traditional teaching methods are being scrutinized, and the need for a cohesive understanding of these technologies is becoming imperative. The growing gap between the demands of the digital age and the current state of education highlights the urgency to address issues such as teacher readiness, student engagement, and the overall organizational culture's ability to adapt to this technological paradigm shift. The question remains: How can education effectively harness these technologies to create learner-centric, personalized, and engaging learning experiences?

New digital technologies offer many exciting opportunities to educators who are looking to develop better teaching practices. When technologies are new, however, the potential for beneficial and effective implementations and applications is not yet fully recognized. This book is intended to provide teachers and researchers with a wide range of ideas from researchers working to integrate the new technology of Augmented Reality into educational settings and processes. It is hoped that the research and theory presented here can support both teachers and researchers in future work with this exciting new technology. Contributors are: Miriam Adamková, Gilles Aldon, Panayiota Anastasi, Ferdinando Arzarello, Martina Babinská, Robert Bohdal, Francisco Botana, Constadina Charalambous, Eva Csandova, Omer Deperlioglu, Monika Dillingerová, Christos Dimopoulos, Jiri Dostal, Jihad El-Sana, Michael N. Fried, Maria Fuchsová, Marianthi Grizioti, Tomas Hlava, Markus Hohenwarter, Kateřina Jančaříková, Konstantinos Katzis, Lilla Korenova, Utku Köse, Zoltán Kovács,Blanka Kožík Lehotayová, Maria Kožuchová, Chronis Kynigos, Ilona-Elefteryja Lasica, Zsolt Lavicza, Álvaro Martínez, Efstathios Mavrotheris, Katerina Mavrou, Maria Meletiou-Mavrotheris, Georgios Papaioannou, Miroslava Pirháčová Lapšanská, Stavros Pitsikalis, Corinne Raffin, Tomás Recio, Cristina Sabena, Florian Schacht, Eva Severini, Martina Siposova, Zacharoula Smyrnaiou, Nayia Stylianidou, Osama Swidan, Christos Tiniakos, Melanie Tomaschko, Renata Tothova, Christina Vasou, and Ibolya Veress-Bágyi.

Due to the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence technologies, schools, museums, and art galleries will need to change traditional ways of working and conventional thought processes to fully embrace their potential. Integrating virtual and augmented reality technologies and wearable devices into these fields can promote higher engagement in an increasingly digital world. Virtual and Augmented Reality in Education, Art, and Museums is an essential research book that explores the strategic role and use of virtual and augmented reality in shaping visitor experiences at art galleries and museums and their ability to enhance education. Highlighting a range of topics such as online learning, digital heritage, and gaming, this book is ideal for museum directors, tour developers, educational software designers, 3D artists, designers, curators, preservationists, conservationists, education coordinators, academicians, researchers, and students.

Augmented Reality (AR) has many advantages that include increased engagement and interaction as well as enhanced innovation and responsiveness. AR technology has applications in almost all domains such as medical training, retail, repair and maintenance of complex equipment, interior design in architecture and construction, business logistics, tourism, and classroom education. Innovating with Augmented Reality: Applications in Education and Industry explains the concepts behind AR, explores some of its application areas, and gives an in-depth look at how this technology aligns with Education 4.0. Due to the rapid advancements in technology, future education systems must prepare students to work with the latest technologies by enabling them to learn virtually in augmented ways in varied platforms. By providing an illusion of physical objects, which takes the students to a new world of imagination, AR and Virtual Reality (VR) create virtual and interactive environments for better learning and understanding. AR applications in education are covered in four chapters of this book, including a chapter on how gamification can be made use of in the teaching and learning process. The book also covers other application areas of AR and VR. One such application area is the food and beverage industry with case studies on virtual 3D food, employee training, product–customer interaction, restaurant entertainment, restaurant tours, and product packaging. The application of AR in the healthcare sector, medical education, and related devices and software are examined in the book’s final chapter. The book also provides an overview of the game development software, Unity, a real-time development platform for 2D and 3D AR and VR, as well as the software tools and techniques used in developing AR-based apps.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) provide flexibility in education and have become widely used for the promotion of multimedia learning. This use coincides with mobile devices becoming prevalent, VR devices becoming more affordable, and the creation of user-friendly software that allows the development of AR/VR applications by non-experts. However, because the integration of AR and VR into education is a fairly new practice that is only in its initial stage, these processes and outcomes need to be improved. Designing, Deploying, and Evaluating Virtual and Augmented Reality in Education is an essential research book that presents current practices and procedures from different technology-implementation stages (design, deployment, and evaluation) to help educators use AR/VR applications in their own teaching practices. The book provides comprehensive information on AR and VR applications in different educational settings from various perspectives including but not limited to mobile learning, formal/informal learning, and integration strategies with practical and/or theoretical implications. Barriers and challenges to their implementation that are currently faced by educators are also addressed. This book is ideal for academicians, instructors, curriculum designers, policymakers, instructional designers, researchers, education professionals, practitioners, and students.

Novel trends and innovations have enhanced contemporary educational environments. When applied properly, these computing advances can create enriched learning opportunities for students. Mobile Technologies and Augmented Reality in Open Education is a pivotal reference source for the latest academic research on the integration of interactive technology and mobile applications in online and distance learning environments. Highlighting scholarly perspectives across numerous topics such as wearable technology, instructional design, and flipped learning, this book is ideal for educators, professionals, practitioners, academics, and graduate students interested in the role of augmented reality in modern educational contexts.

Discover the groundbreaking potential of augmented reality in special education with this comprehensive book, which fills a significant research gap and explores the transformative impact of AR/VR on teaching and learning experiences for individuals with disabilities. Millions of young people across the world have impairments. Because of their apparent problems, these young people have typically been marginalized or excluded from schools. Studies on augmented reality applications in education for special children are still in their early stages and there is a dearth of research on the effects and implications of augmented reality in education for special children or individuals with special needs, such as intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and physical disabilities. Technological advancements have enabled the creation of whole new learning environments, vastly expanding the breadth and sophistication of teaching and learning activities. For example, several studies have shown that virtual reality and augmented reality can help autistic people understand facial emotions and improve their social skills. By compiling a collection of conceptual and research chapters investigating the infiltration of AR/VR into teaching and learning practices and experiences for disabled people, this book will fill a significant gap in current research literature.

This book is the first research monograph that explores a new research field and practical applications produced by the combined use of two of the most advanced and powerful technologies available in today’s world – Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR). It is written by a team of 50 researchers and practitioners from 16 countries, which has enabled a thorough coverage of emerging or previously unexplored subject areas. The authors consider practical, theoretical, and cultural aspects of “AI-powered AR” and “AR-enriched AI”, and their usage in a large variety of areas, such as education, medicine, healthcare, dentistry, pharmacy, active lifestyle, smart services, fashion, retail, recommender systems, and several others. Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence: The Fusion of Advanced Technologies is essential reading not only for researchers, practitioners and technology developers, but also for students (both graduates and undergraduates) and anyone who is interested in building a comprehensive understanding of the emerging fields of “intelligent augmented environments” and “artificial intelligence presented by augmented reality”.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Computer Graphics, AVR 2021, held in Italy, in September 2021. Due to COVID-19 pandemic the conference was held virtually. The 38 full and 14 short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 69 submissions. The papers discuss key issues, approaches, ideas, open problems, innovative applications and trends in virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, applications in cultural heritage, in medicine, in education, and in industry.