Augmented reality provides a distinct learning environment for Canadian classrooms: MindFuel and Agents of Discovery collaborate on new Wonderville.org lesson plans
Oct 29, 2019, 09:00 ET
Partnership delivers augmented reality supported lesson plans to students across Canada creating a dynamic and stimulating learning experience
CALGARY, Oct. 29, 2019 /CNW/ - Canadian classrooms can soon experience a new form of immersive learning through the incorporation of augmented reality (AR) curriculums. MindFuel (also known as the Science Alberta Foundation) and Agents of Discovery have collaborated on the forthcoming launch of its all-new Wonderville lessons plans that integrate Agents of Discovery's interactive AR platform.
Known for its award-winning STEM games and experiments, Wonderville is a student engagement platform that serves hundreds of thousands of teachers and students across Canada and millions more in more than 170 countries. With Wonderville's heightened focus on building a digital ecosystem that inspires life-long student learning in STEM, MindFuel and Agents of Discovery's new AR-enabled lesson plans further propel this mission through its inclusion of immersive and engaging learning activities that students can access on mobile devices, tablets or laptops. The 120+ curriculum-aligned AR lessons and activities are designed to engage students through movement, while simultaneously learning about a variety of topics across science curriculum.
"At MindFuel, we are constantly seeking educational methods that integrate 21st century learning into classrooms, and our upcoming launch of the newly integrated AR Wonderville lessons provides us with another way to do this," says Cassy Weber, CEO MindFuel. "Many studies have determined that AR drives engagement, therefore, by offering an interactive experience to students, we expect to build their interest in STEM disciplines. Also, by learning through AR missions, students are up and moving about and actively involved in their lessons."
"Agents of Discovery is pleased to be partnering with MindFuel to enable them to use our platform to deliver their amazing STEM content in an innovative, engaging and active way. Augmented Reality gaming is going to be an important part of the future of education," says Mary Clarke, CEO, Agents of Discovery.
Month long pilots of AR-integrated Wonderville lesson plans were introduced to classrooms in Alberta and British Columbia earlier this month - with the official kick off taking place on October 29th at Telus World of Science. To date, the AR enabled curriculum has experienced positive feedback from both students and teachers alike.
Pilots will continue in Canadian classrooms over the next two months, with commercial product availability occurring in early 2020 through subscription to the Wonderville.org platform, which integrates the AR experience delivered by the Agents of Discovery Mission Maker app to student devices. Those interested in the Agents of Discovery app can download it for free through Google Play or the App Store.
About MindFuel
Established in 1990 by James (Jim) Gray, O.C., as Science Alberta Foundation, MindFuel is a registered charitable organization focused on creating future generations of innovators and problem-solvers. As a digital literacy pioneer, MindFuel is helping Canada diversify its economy through a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and career paths. MindFuel supports teachers with 21st century award-winning learning services and helps immerse students in the fun world of STEM through blended learning, which includes both digital and hands-on training, critical to advancing Canada's Innovation Agenda. MindFuel places a large emphasis on empowering young women, Indigenous peoples, and other under-represented groups to pursue careers in STEM. In 2017, MindFuel programming reached hundreds of thousands of students across Canada in 2018 in both French and English, and is used in over 170 countries around the world. For more information on programming, please visit mindfuel.ca.
About Agents of Discovery
Agents of Discovery, winner of the 2016 Best App-Based Game at the European Conference on Game-Based Learning, is an innovative educational tech platform that utilizes web, mobile, and the latest in augmented reality technologies to get kids active and learning about the world around them. Agents of Discovery provides educators with a unique way to gamify information, incentivizing kids to be active while learning and exploring. The easy-to-use Mission Maker allows educators to pull challenges from their extensive Agency Library or to create customized content specific to their site. Educators can then easily publish Missions for kids to complete on tablets or their own smart devices. For more information, please visit the Agents of Discovery Website.
SOURCE MindFuel
For further information: Alma Abugov, Director, Development and Stakeholder Relations - MindFuel, Tel.: 403-220-0077 x234, Email: aabugov@mindfuel.ca
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