Application of the augmented reality method in training of radio engineering students

Abstract

Third quarter of 2021 was marked by the appearance of technologically mature augmented reality (AR) equipment, which is positioned by the leaders of all leading IT companies as the next wave of radical changes in digital technology after the spread of smartphones. The process is accompanied by the beginning of the introduction of AR in education, applications of this kind are becoming widespread. Due to the comparative novelty and attractiveness for users, the educational practice of AR is ahead of the accompanying research activity. Despite the already existing large volume of publications on this topic, most of them are preliminary, dedicated to certain private aspects. A very problematic, although natural for a new technology, circumstance is the lack of publications on the consequences of long-term use of this tool in training. At the same time, there is no doubt that there is a significant potential for improving the efficiency of educational processes via AR, especially in university practice and when teaching students of radio engineering specialties. In the Russian Federation, there is a noticeable lag in the application of augmented reality technology in educational practice for students of specialties that are not directly related to software development. The purpose of this paper is to fill in this didactic gap in radio engineering education. The paper highlights the practice of using an augmented reality application for smartphones in the educational process for three months in 2021 at Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation. The specific capabilities of virtual and augmented reality technologies are correlated, the expediency of their use in education compared. The results of a long-term educational application of augmented reality are shown. The paper allows to identify promising problems of using augmented reality technology in radio engineering education from a research perspective, as well as to formulate didactic recommendations.