LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - Sep 26, 2016) - A new 'massive open online course' (MOOC) launching this month is set to showcase the ways augmented reality (AR) technology can help bring learning to life.
The course, developed in partnership between Canvas Network and Zappar comes in response to huge user demand for AR in the classroom, which Zappar reports has tripled in two years (from 11% to 29%)1.
The MOOC will offer an innovative way for teachers and students aged 8 years and up to explore 'the water cycle', grounding a theoretical subject in an authentic, tangible and visual way. Young learners under the age of 13 must submit a signed parent consent form in order to enrol and fully participate in the course.
As schools and colleges strive to better engage students, STEM in particular has been put under the spotlight. With results in these subjects continuing to lag behind humanities subjects according to the most recent GCSE results2, innovations like AR can work alongside quality teaching to help enthuse students, helping them apply knowledge to practical problem solving.
"New innovations offer the chance for teachers to shake up their traditional methods and the Canvas Network is a great tool to help facilitate this," said Sam Blyth, Director of Further Education & Schools at Canvas. "Augmented reality can bring subjects to life in a way that textbooks can't, and its ability to deliver contextual and visual learning supports a wider set of priorities for schools -- to put the user experience firmly at the heart of teaching and learning."
The Canvas Network course will give teachers and students the platform to create their own augmented reality environment, bringing to life a poster of the water cycle by using the ZapWorks online tool. The MOOC helps users through the process of creating the AR poster and no prior coding knowledge is needed. Once finished, the poster comes to life when a smartphone or tablet is pointed at it, with videos, quizzes and animations at each step of the cycle.
"The use of augmented reality in the classroom can be a fantastic tool to complement great teaching," said Caspar Thykier, co-founder & CEO at Zappar. "Augmented reality can help children visualize problems and immerse themselves in a topic -- getting really hands-on with the subject matter, all while improving their computing and communications skills and helping foster a collaborative and engaging learning experience."
The Canvas Network MOOC 'Zappar Powered STEM Learning Using Augmented Reality' will begin on Monday 26 September 2016, forming part of a month of STEM related courses for teachers and students. Enrolment for the free, self-paced course is open now and those who complete the MOOC will receive a ZapWorks Certificate.
Notes to Editors
1 - Source: Zappar -- proportion of accounts on ZapWorks platform within the education sector has increased from 11% in 2014 to 29% in 2016
2 - Source: Joint Council for Qualifications - http://www.jcq.org.uk/media-centre/news-releases/gcse-press-notice-uk-2016
ABOUT CANVAS NETWORK
Canvas Network offers open, online courses taught by educational institutions and organizations throughout the world. It provides a place and platform where teachers and students can connect and chart their own course for personal growth, professional development, and academic inquiry. Canvas Network is developed and supported by Instructure, the technology company that makes smart software that makes people smarter. Learn more at www.Canvas.Net.
About Instructure, the creator of Canvas
Instructure, Inc. is the software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology company that makes software that makes people smarter. With a vision to help maximise the potential of people through technology, Instructure enables organisations everywhere to easily develop, deliver and manage engaging face-to-face and online learning experiences. To date, Instructure has connected millions of instructors and learners at more than 2,000 educational institutions and corporations throughout the world. Learn more about the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment at www.Instructure.com and http://www.CanvasVLE.co.uk.
Copyright © 2016, Instructure, Inc. All rights reserved. Instructure, Canvas and the Bridge logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Instructure, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brands and names may be claimed as the property of others.
Source: Canvas-EMEA
About Zappar
Zappar is the world leader in augmented reality ("AR") on mobile devices accessible through its free-to-download app on iOS and Android (or third-party apps with Zappar embedded within them). Zappar specializes in AR-enabled products and infotainment experiences: working closely with brands, license partners and retailers across the world to produce innovative, customizable market-leading solutions as bite-sized entertainment. Partners include Rovio, Activision, Sony Pictures, Sony Music, Warner Bros, Hasbro, PEZ, Universal Pictures, Pedigree Books, Crocs, Morphsuits, Moonpig.com, Coca-Cola, Manchester City Football Club and Asda amongst others.
With the launch of ZapWorks, Zappar is bringing to the market the most feature rich and affordable AR/VR content creation tool available that is already being used by Avon Cosmetics, Deloitte, InterContinental Hotels Group, MSU School of Journalism, Publicis and Vodafone among others. Learn more about Zappar at www.zappar.com.