This article describes the need to apply augmented reality technologies in training, as well as technologies of augmented reality application development in the educational process in engineering and IT areas. The definition of the augmented reality is given, the directions of studying the augmented reality technologies are analyzed, such as: studying the augmented reality technologies as means of designing and developing applications, application of pedagogical technologies for visualization of laboratory training workshops, definition and experimental testing of organizational and pedagogical conditions for effective use of such means of education in the educational process. Areas of application are considered, and types of visualization such as scientific visualization, software visualization, and information visualization are distinguished. Description of problems associated with the poorly developed skills of students to create images by verbal description, for instance, visualize information. It is substantiated the use of AR-applications to solve two tasks: to obtain sustainable knowledge, skills, and abilities in the use of finished products AR-applications, mastering the technology of designing AR-applications, and independent creation of projects of augmented reality for educational purposes and in general development. There is also a scheme of methods for designing AR-applications.
Constantly accelerating the development of information and communication technologies in the
modern world assumes mastering of new interactive skills, first of all, the faculty to maintain a high
level of professionalism, which leads to the mastering of new pedagogical and technological methods
and techniques of teaching, which in turn increases the quality of learning and mastering of new
knowledge and competences of students. At the same time, one step behind in technical terms
threatens to put both the user and the specialist off for the whole epoch of mastering new skills,
capabilities, means, and software and hardware implementations [
The process of ubiquitous digitalization inevitably changes the structure of employment and the
education system as a supplier of highly professional staff. The digital transformation of the modern
society puts on the agenda the questions about innovative forms of teaching and forms of education of
students, adequate to the current state of society and tasks of economic development [
The functions and roles of the teacher and, consequently, his professional training are transformed.
From a knowledge carrier and their supervisor, a teacher becomes a mentor, mentor-consultant, guide
in the world of information, moderator, initiating and directing active independent work, organizing
various types of interaction of students, becomes an expert and developer of electronic learning
materials [
Information and communication technologies have become an integral part of the modern man.
They are especially widely used by young people, using their gadgets to play, communicate, search
for information, navigate, and choose a route in new places and cities, etc. [
As a learning effect or stimulus and motivation to learn can become an augmented reality, which is
used in the skillful combination of technical, software, and didactic means of education as
schoolchildren and students of various specialties and directions. Thus, the rational use of information
resources in the implementation of educational programs has become the main trend of modern
education [
The purpose of this research is to analyze the technologies of augmented reality and to study the ways of introducing these technologies into the educational process, including the training of technical professions and training directions.
Justification of the choice of augmented reality application development methods and design algorithms for educational purposes will allow us to generalize the experience of using augmented reality technologies and will increase the interest in the process of education, namely, in the process of design of the students themselves, as well as teachers.
The use of augmented reality application development technologies in training in technical areas involves a deep study of graphic design methods (drawings, drawings, color schemes, etc.), as well as software design applications, which increases the overall professional training of students in the direction of information technology.
As smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices continue to dominate our digital ecosystem,
there are many industries using mobile or wearable devices to perform augmented reality (AR)
functions in their workplaces to increase productivity and reduce unnecessary workloads [
Let's consider the concept of augmented reality. For the first time, the definition of augmented reality was formulated by Ronald Azuma in "The Augmented Reality Study".
Augmented reality (AR) is a system that combines the virtual with the real, interacts in real-time,
and is in 3D space [
According to [9Thi18] Augmented Reality (AR), a technology for seamlessly augmenting the physical world with digital content, can be the answer to help bridge this gap and bring the two worlds closer, both digitally and physically. In other words, by overlaying additional information on the image of the real world, Augmented Reality Technology implements a fundamentally new type of user interface that is responsive to the environment.
As Bova V.V., Lezhebokov A.A., Nuzhnov E.V. indicates. "... AR-interfaces allow users to see in
the real world embedded virtual objects and manipulate them in real-time" [
Augmented Reality is a new interactive technology that allows superimposing computer graphics
or text information on real-time objects, it is a combination on the screen of two originally
independent spaces: the world of real objects around a person and the virtual world created on a
computer [
As noted by the authors in [
It is possible to define the following directions of Augmented Reality Technology research. First
of all, the study of augmented reality technologies as a means of designing and developing
applications that allow overlaying digital images on the surrounding reality, i.e. visualize information,
thus complementing texts, graphics, video, and audio. Secondly, study the application of pedagogical
technologies for visualization of laboratory training workshops to improve the learning of the material
under study. Third, the definition and experimental validation of organizational and pedagogical
conditions for the effective use of such learning tools in the learning process [
The main objective of the teacher - to prepare pupils for life in the modern information society in
which the main values are knowledge and information and also ability is competent to work with
them as [
For drawing attention and its deduction, it is required to include elements of interactivity or
practical activities in training activity that will allow cultivating interest in the subject, which will
increase the desire trained to gain new knowledge, deepening already available. This purpose is
answered by the technology of augmented reality, allowing to interest, realize the creative potential,
to motivate independent actions and self-training [
It is well-known that the best digestion of new material happens at the visual sensation of information, and fixing – at the direct accomplishment of the certain, strictly regulated repeating actions. So that to apprehend and comprehend new knowledge, it is desirable to see the object of study, and for complete immersion in the knowledge of the object, it is necessary to learn them to manipulate. Therefore, when studying physics, it was very much allocated for time for laboratory works when trained could take a small weight or the amperemeter in hands and learn by own experience that there is friction force, the body is affected by the pushing-out force – Archimedes force, at the parallel connection of the bulb, burn more brightly than at consecutive. Modern technologies allow us to make the same experiments but are now virtual. Visualization at the same time is present, and the accomplishment of some actions consolidating the effect of knowledge remains an unclaimed process. Visualization in combination with the manipulation, i.e. fixing at the muscular level, at the level of the response to an action, is possible when using augmented reality as training aids and representations of knowledge.
On the scope select the following types of visualization:
scientific visualization;
visualization of the software;
information visualization [
Scientific visualization can include the representation of static and dynamic objects from the point of view of their studying. It can be the visual image of the blood system of the person or work of heart, and also a demonstration of the moving difficult mechanism and the parts making it, demonstration of scientific inventions, the facts, opening, effects and influence of results rash or, on the contrary, the considered actions and the made decisions.
Visualization of the software can represent some graphic objects showing how the described environment depending on the change of the code and the entered data changes as the software product reacts to the operations performed by the person – so-called simulators and exercise machines which are most often intended for working off of abilities to manage the acquired information.
Information visualization – the simple or combined image which does not possess the training function and is not obligatory to storing and acquisition of skills of management of this information.
The modern child in two years can successfully use the offered smartphone for viewing animated films or children's videos. It leads to the fact that growing, he gets used to perceiving information visually, occasionally without pondering upon its essence and without being able to conclude. Till a certain time, it does not prevent studying at school since it is enough to remember the offered material to receive good marks. But over time it is necessary to analyze fiction, historical events, to get acquainted with theoretical material on natural disciplines when simple reproduction of the facts already insufficiently. It is necessary to find relationships between cause and effect. Here lack of skills and abilities to watch deep into events, to look for the actual reason, to assume possible effects for what occasion it is necessary to represent mentally events through rather extended periods as in the future, and in elapsed time affects.
For visualization of change of events and their course during such temporary intervals, the same can serve the technology of augmented reality.
Still, there is a wish to touch on one issue trained, got used to perceive only "information - in pictures", i.e. without pondering upon basic data, without comparing them, and without drawing at the same time independent conclusions. Acquaintance to any new subject begins with determinations and rules. The teacher often faces that the question asked upside-down nonpluses even the good pupil who several times spoke determination or the formulation of the new concept. It means that trained according to (read) phrase apprehended aurally or written cannot independently visualize this concept, provide it, transfer to the facts, forms, examples already known to it. Trained gets used to working with ready images, at the same time it becomes difficult for it to generate independently such images or it is impossible. The augmented reality can at rational use supplement understanding of terms and determinations, showing as inaccuracies in determination change the essence of object or process about which there is a speech.
So, it is offered to use technologies of augmented reality when training to engineer and IT to the directions at the higher school, proceeding from two tasks: first, to receive resistant concepts when using ready-made products of AR-applications, secondly, to master technologies of design of ARapplications and to independently create projects of augmented reality in the training purposes and alldeveloping.
Let's stop on the second task. For the creation of AR-applications special knowledge and application of technologies, not only design but also design skills are required.
First, it is necessary to study the data domain for which the AR-application will be created. It can represent the graphics image, static or dynamic. It can be studying any patterns of change of object, its basic functions, and assignment, the related historical events of its features proceeding in its processes.
Secondly, choice of representation of object or process: the freeze or dynamic frame image (video series), schematically or full-color, transparent or opaque, with transitions or without them, reacting to change of provision of the gadget or ignoring it, etc.
Thirdly, the choice of design and color gamma of the AR-application. The monochrome type or full-color is possible. Bright tone or pastel. The tone in one gamma or contrast selecting certain image details.
Fourthly, the choice of technologies of design, i.e. the environment of drawing (drawing), modeling, development, and storage of libraries and databases to the application.
Only later above the described preliminary stages, it is possible to begin to develop the ARapplication. For this purpose, at first, the corresponding pictures images of the object are selected. It defined what image or its part will serve as the marker for the initialization of the AR-application (or the QR code is created). According to the selected pictures, the scheme of the object is drawn, its three-dimensional image is modeled, textures for the covering are selected, additional elements of the roof, the ladder, etc. (an example of Figure 1) are created.
Only after that, you can start creating the AR application itself. As a rule, it is the Unity environment that is used to develop AR-applications for Android, as well as the Vuforia engine for storing a database of images and markers. Adjust the characteristics of the image and with the help of special scripts creates a working project (an example of Figure 1).
For a more clear description of the above-mentioned method of AR-application development, the algorithm described above can be represented as a scheme (Figure 1).
Stage I. Subject area analysis
Setting the project goals
Choosing the graphics
Defining design
Functions of the project are set
Choosing the editor
Designing blueprints
Stage II. Analysis of design tools
Choosing the environment
Choosing database services Stage III. AR-application development
3D modeling
Setting DB markers
The project environment
The project execution
Augmented reality or AR applications allow you to visualize information that is difficult to perceive, thus allowing more effective training processes that require memorization of large amounts of material and its deep perception, due to the visibility and actual actions performed with the information being studied. Also, the development of augmented reality applications by students of engineering and IT areas allows to interest and involve young people in self-development and selfeducation, which guarantees the training of highly professional staff in this field.
Currently, there are two significant problems with the use of augmented reality applications. The
first is the work of applications in real-time, which is influenced by the technical capabilities of
gadgets (cell phones, tablets, additional reality glasses, etc.), using AR-applications and
superimposing on top of the real picture of the augmented image, which entails the need to process
graphics in real-time on portable platforms. Thus, the computing capabilities of the hardware are the
main limitation of the AR-applications. The second problem is the quality of the received data
(graphics, video, or sound). The AR application in the classical variant processes the initial
information, received from the camera, processes it, finding and recognizing special markers or QR
codes, and adds to it virtual data (an image, another video, 3D model, or just text), which are stored in
special libraries. In this case, the place where the additional information will appear at the display is
determined by the developer [
It should be noted that regional universities have a huge shortage of resources (information,
personnel, financial, hardware, etc.), without which it is impossible to create special educational
conditions for students [
On the other hand, working with augmented reality applications involves individual sessions and
the development of projects and tasks, which affects the separation of students from each other and
the disruption of communication and social ties between them. Thus, the abuse of information and
communication technologies and development technologies including AR-applications can lead to
personal isolation of students from their peers [
Thus, the introduction of augmented reality (AR) technology will improve the quality of learning
by motivating students to self-study, increasing the interest of the audience in the presented and
studied material, developing the desire to use modern interactive technical capabilities and
technologies, replacing manuals and laboratory equipment with multimedia computer models [
For students, these advantages can be summarized as follows: the attractiveness of the courses,
reduced cognitive load, increased motivation and interest in the course, increased ability to ask
questions, increased interaction between students, new opportunities for individual learning, the
concretization of abstract concepts, increased success [
Modern enterprises are in urgent need of an influx of young mobile employees, which is explained
by the new course of the country on implementation of the National Technological Initiative as one of
the priorities of the state policy, which gives rise to the task of creating conditions for the preparation
of future personnel, corresponding to the state priorities for the development of science and
technology, capable of developing at home. Thus they increase their economic potential [