Warren Fearn, Associate Professor in Design at York St John University, Dr. Katy Bloom, Associate Professor in Education at York St John University, and Jake Reeves Kemp, IT leader at Ebor Academy Trust in York, convene to discuss their findings on the intervention of augmented reality (AR) in primary teaching.
The conversation delves into the challenges faced by primary science education since the 2009 disapplication of KS2 Science SATs, which has resulted in the teaching of science at the primary level becoming more fragmented, despite it still being a core subject, This has coincided with a sea-change in children’s information consumption habits, who now have vast amounts of information at their fingertips through smartphones and platforms like TikTok and Instagram, which deliver content in short, digestible bursts. But how critical are they of the information they receive through these channels?
In response to these challenges, the EPIC AR PROJECT secured an Epic Mega Grant, sponsored by the creators of Fortnite, with the aim of fostering innovation among smaller teams, solo developers, and innovators. With this funding, the project aims to pioneer an immersive educational AR experience using the Unreal Games Engine. Through collaborative efforts, a pop-up AR exhibition focused on science relating to ‘climate change’ was designed to be implemented in schools across York and is currently being piloted in some York schools.
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