Augmenting Reality, Transforming Learning

  • Maggie Buxton

Abstract

From very early in life I knew there were hidden worlds – worlds that could be accessed through day and night dreams, through portals in my garden and the portals of my mind. These worlds were populated by ghosts and spirits, fairies and monsters, private investigators and aliens. These realities were as real to me as my day to day existence- the regimented and serious world of schooling.

As I look around today it seems that things haven’t changed too much. Today’s youth still supplement (or escape) their day to day existence by engaging their waking and dreaming imaginations and have the added (dis)advantage of having greater access to the realities conjured up by mind-altering substances. They now also occupy a multitude of digital spaces which provide opportunities to socialise, wage warfare and share creative offerings. With the rapid evolution of hand-held and mobile communications the boundaries between these different realms is in flux and our education system is struggling to keep up.

But there are opportunities for transformation to occur – one of which may be in the form of mixed-reality games. This paper briefly outlines some of the 21st century educational issues we face, and then provides an overview of the mixed-reality tools that are evolving to provide solutions. It represents the beginning of a PhD research project focussed on using these tools in the New Zealand context – a project that helps me reconnect to the multi-ontological reality I experienced as a child.

Published
2012-06-01
How to Cite
Buxton, M. (2012). Augmenting Reality, Transforming Learning. The Journal of Creative Technologies, (2). Retrieved from https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/journal-of-creative-technologies/article/view/7