How can you choose the right AR development tool for your Digital Learning project?

1 Your learning objectives

The first step is to define your learning objectives and how AR can support them. What are the key skills, knowledge, or behaviors you want your learners to acquire or improve? How can AR help them achieve these goals? For example, if you want to teach anatomy, you might use AR to visualize the human body in 3D and interact with its organs. If you want to train employees on safety procedures, you might use AR to simulate realistic scenarios and provide feedback. Depending on your learning objectives, you might need different features and functionalities from your AR development tool.

2 Your target audience

The next factor is to consider your target audience and their preferences, needs, and limitations. Who are your learners and what are their characteristics? How familiar are they with AR and technology in general? What devices and platforms do they use or have access to? How will they access and interact with your AR content? For example, if your learners are young children, you might want to use a simple and intuitive AR tool that works on tablets or smartphones. If your learners are professionals, you might want to use a more advanced and flexible AR tool that works on headsets or glasses.

3 Your budget and timeline

Another factor is to consider your budget and timeline for your digital learning project. How much money and time do you have to invest in developing and deploying your AR application? How complex and scalable is your AR content? How often will you need to update or modify it? For example, if you have a low budget and a short timeline, you might want to use a low-code or no-code AR tool that offers ready-made templates and assets. If you have a high budget and a long timeline, you might want to use a custom or native AR tool that allows more control and customization.

4 Your technical skills

The final factor is to consider your technical skills and the skills of your team or collaborators. How proficient are you in coding, designing, and testing AR applications? What tools and languages do you know or want to learn? How much support and guidance do you need or can provide? For example, if you have little or no coding experience, you might want to use a visual or drag-and-drop AR tool that simplifies the development process. If you have strong coding skills, you might want to use a code-based or open-source AR tool that enables more creativity and flexibility.

Choosing the right AR development tool for your digital learning project is not a one-size-fits-all decision. It depends on various factors that relate to your learning objectives, target audience, budget and timeline, and technical skills. By evaluating these factors, you can narrow down your options and select the best AR tool for your project.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?