Robotics and Coding Level 2, JHB Contact Session 1: Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Scratch Recap

The MANCOSA School of Education’s iTEACHlab in Johannesburg facilitated a contact session for the Robotics and Coding Facilitators Course – Level 2. This session was attended by the Johannesburg School of Education Robotics students on Saturday, 18th March 2023.

The session began with a recap on Scratch, a high-level block-based visual programming language and website used to create interactive stories, games, and animations.

Students were then introduced to two new technologies in education: Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.

Augmented reality (AR) is the real-time use of information in the form of text, graphics, audio and other virtual enhancements integrated with real-world objects. Students explored marker-based and marker-less AR in the iTEACHlab using the MANCOSA iTeach app on their smart devices.

Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated environment with scenes and objects that appear to be real, making the user feel they are immersed in their surroundings. This environment is perceived through a device known as a Virtual Reality headset or helmet. Students were thrilled to explore the world of virtual reality through the VEER app as well as the Oculus VR headsets.

For more information on the Robotics and Coding Facilitators Course for students, please contact Raeesa Ebrahim: raeesa.ebrahim@mancosa.co.za