Basava Sungari uses Arloopa mobile app to develop augmented reality content as teaching/learning material.
India is a land of brilliant minds. Time and again the people have proved their prowess in whatever they set their mind to. The world is all excited and gearing up for the huge impact augmented reality will have on our futures. In our endeavour to bring you latest in augmented reality field, we came across Mr. Basava Sungari, a teacher from Belagavi district of Karnataka who has is successfully using augmented reality in teaching his students science lesson and making them more interactive and fun.
Basava Sungari used Arloopa, an AR, VR and game development application to create science videos in Kannada. We came across a few videos on his Facebook channel which were quite intriguing. For example, in one augmented reality video he was seen explaining the solar system and in others he brought a crocodile, a cow and an elephant to his online classroom. Not just generating AR content himself, he encourages his students to also work on AR projects.
Here is a short interview with Mr. Basava Sungari.
Can you pls tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get into the teaching profession and since when have you been doing it?
I am Basava sungari and I live in a village called B.K.Kangrali near by Belagavi District of Karnataka. In 2007 I was appointed as an Assistant Science teacher at Hassan District Belur Taluq Gorur by CET, Government of Karnataka. I worked there for 2 years and in 2009 I took a transfer to my native district Belagavi. I belong to a middle class family. The school where I’m working is in a highly vulnerable and poor background family area. I call my students champs because every child is special. The champs are very much active and humble, that’s what make me to work harder to provide best education for them.
What immersive technologies are you using in your teaching and what inspired you to do so?
When I started, there was no augmented reality or any such tool to use technology in teaching. I started exploring some gaming apps, I related to them and used them as teaching learning material. Anycast instrument helped me to connect my cell phone with the projector and then I started using apps directly on big screen as TLM. Champs inspired me to do such stuff because they are very active and enjoy the immersive experience.
We have read that your augmented reality content on wildlife and solar system has been a hit amongst the students. Tell us a bit more on how did you decide on these topics and your creative journey?
In COVID 19 lockdown time I merely connected with the champs! I felt something missing. I already had champs parents numbers because I had made a WhatsApp group of students in December last year. When corona hit, everything changed but that group helped me in this period. We started a new project in lockdown named “Champs mind is not locked Down”. I asked champs to do some innovative project, whatever they could, It could be art, science model or any skit, so they stay in touch with new thing. I got a huge response from champs.
How have students reacted to the augmented reality content?
I not only use AR to teach but also encourage my students to develop augmented reality projects. Till now I have got more than ten augmented reality videos from the champs. Initially they were very curious about AR/VR videos and started asking from where that elephant came, how solar system is in front of u. They thought I edited some video or something. in fact I used Arloopa to develop these immersive and engaging videos to teach them and stay engaged in these online classes.
What are your plans for future? Where do you see Augmented reality in teaching in coming years?
I just want to say that technology cannot replace the teacher but technology in the hands of teacher is transformational. Teachers have to cope with technology in the changing world. Skill based education is very Important now a days. We have to make champs curious, When curiosity develops Inventions take place
