Over the past decade, geospatial technologies, location-based services (LBS), and augmented reality (AR) have evolved from experimental, science-based innovations to now accepted, finished products and applications. At the German congress of geography, Professor Jan-Peter Mund – in cooperation with Professor Matthias Möller – hosted a session that showcased the use of mobile, digital AR/VR-based data collection devices and immersive visualization techniques in education.

The session highlighted examples where user groups such as high school students, college students, researchers, were utilizing mobile, digital AR/VR-based data collection devices and immersive visualization techniques to better understand the environment and its dynamic processes. A team from Ruhr University of Bochum presented a project aimed at designing a simple AR app for lunar exploration. The team presented the developed of a new “Go to the Moon!” app that primarily visualises lunar data for easy and quick use in the classroom. The app was developed as part of the Columbus Eye app, which brings Earth and planetary observation data into the classroom with AR.

Functions of VR/AR and their integration into different learning approaches were discussed, against the background of students’ understanding of learning current environmental data collection methods in a realistic mobile geoinformation environment. A team from Kaiserlautern Landau, for example, presented an evaluated prototype of a virtual excursion in VR on the topic of the “carbon cycle” for use in interdisciplinary teaching

The session presented the integration of different learning approaches with mobile computing techniques and VR/AR tools to discuss the understanding of the principles of digital database management and mobile ecological data collection and highlight best practices.

The session further included presentation by Rene Schmidt from the University in Wuppertal, Lisann Prote and Nina Brenden from the Potsdam University, Nina Heuke from the University in Wuppertal.