Educating large groups of people about complicated scientific issues - not an easy task. Climate change has proven to be one of the most challenging communication and education issues, and not just because of the political tug-of-war over the issue. How do you get people to invest time into learning about climate change, and take action, when a the concept and the call to save the planet can be so overwhelming?
Smithsonian.com looks at how augmented reality can measurably change a person's behavior after they experience the effects of environmental destruction through augmented reality or virtual reality. The way they experience this matters. If people feel a real sense of control over their actions, they are more likely to take action or change a specific behavior. For example, in an MIT augmented reality app, users are given the opportunity to see and experience the environmental impacts of policies, by "implementing" a policy, or "removing" a policy. In their augmented reality, they view the future effects of these policies immediately.
Of course, there are concerns that bias can creep into the way augmented reality experiences are designed, and many may argue that getting out in nature and appreciating the environment in actual reality is more appropriate. But for those that need to see the effects of climate change from a different perspective, augmented reality could provide a solution.
Read more about the many ways augmented reality is addressing the climate change education and communication challenge.
Photo by Nattu on Flickr under Creative Commons
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