Written by Callan Williamson & Vince Ruffolo
AR glasses can profoundly impact education because they can provide a new way of learning that cannot be easily reproduced in other media. AR glasses are a highly immersive media technology that can allow students to explore content by projecting digital images and virtual screens directly into a field of view and use learning tools that provide interactive three-dimensional models or deep simulation models for new professionals. Using AR technology, teachers could interact with students during learning modules or help them when they might be struggling, resulting in better learning outcomes. (Mathewson, 2018; Rudra, 2025).
This helps to understand how the AR Glasses media form would impact learning through a Kozma perspective (1994) because he would contend that these features could not be considered merely as making instruction more proficient but that AR glasses could actually offer new methods of representing information. This means that instead of being merely a delivery system, AR glasses can fundamentally alter the learning experience for the student. AR glasses could, for example, aid in real-time teacher decision making which might enable more immediate interaction between teacher and student, potentially allowing for a more enhanced learning experience. AR glasses could also enable teachers to get real-time visual feedback on who is having difficulty with the material, while keeping an eye on the classroom (Mathewson, 2018). In addition, Rudra (2025) refers to AR glasses that can present 3D models and contextual information to students, representations that are educationally important to Kozma because students can engage with concepts in a way that traditional media cannot easily replicate. Kozma would say that these are examples of how AR technology would change the relationship between the teacher and student in the act of instruction thereby making AR media a learning experience unlike another form of media.
On the other hand, Clark (1994) argues that if there is no single definable attribute of a medium that provides a unique effect on learning, then a medium serves as a proxy, or vehicle, for other variables that influence learning. AR glasses fall into this category, providing a vehicle to reach learning outcomes that may make an educator’s job easier, but do not necessarily produce learning themselves. Identifying struggling students, checking for understanding, and adapting instructional practices are all activities educators already use. The AR glasses may provide additional information that leads to higher efficiency, but it is the instructional method, rather than the technology itself, that Clark would identify as responsible for the resulting learning. An example of Clark’s (1994) stance can be inferred from Mathewson (2018), Mathewson notes that teachers already rely on students’ facial expressions and body language to determine when they may need assistance, this suggests that AR glasses may provide information that can enhance instructional practice that is already occurring, rather than introducing something new.
References:
Clark, R.E. (1994). Media Will Never Influence Learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 21-29. https://www.jstor.org/stable/30218684
Kozma, R.B. (1994). Will Media Influence Learning? Reframing the Debate. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 7-19. https://www.jstor.org/stable/30218683
Mathewson, T.G. (2018, October 4). These glasses give teachers super powers: Augmented reality glasses for classrooms seem straight out of science fiction. The Hechinger Report. “Lumilo” augmented reality glasses give teachers super powers
Rudra, S. (2025, March 5). How Augmented Reality Glasses Could Support Learning: Smart lenses create digital layers for a more immersive learning experience. EdTech Focus on K-12. How Augmented Reality Glasses Could Support Learning | EdTech Magazine