Yesterday, I posted instructions on using the free Aurasma app on your iDevice. Included in these instructions were how to use the plethora of “Overlays” provided within the app. Once, you create an “Aura” these “Overlays” are short animations or videos that can will appear on top of a trigger image when you use Aurasma on your device to scan the trigger image.
But you are not limited to the “Overlays” provided by Aurasma, numerous and entertaining though they may be. You can also add your own “Overlays” within the app. For example, suppose you have a student who has created a work of art. You would like to display the art on a bulletin board, but you really want people to see and hear the child describing her artwork as they are viewing it on the board. You could do this with a QR code, of course, as I explained in this post, but you could also use Aurasma, which will make it appear as though the student is actually standing in front of the artwork as she explains it. Another way you might use a “homemade” overlay would be with a textbook picture or a worksheet. You could have a video that explains a certain concept or gives hints, and it will appear every time a user holds their device over the trigger image. Here is how you could do this:
1.) First, decide what your trigger image is going to be. In the first example, it would be the child’s artwork.
2.) Then, decide what you want to happen when the image is scanned. In this case, we want a video of the child explaining her work to appear.
3.) Using your iDevice that has the Aurasma app, videotape the above scene with your camera app, and save it to your Photos.
4.) Open the Aurasma app. Tap on the Aurasma logo.
5.) Tap on the +. Near the bottom of the “Create” window, tap on the “Device” tab.
6.) Tap on the large +, and choose “Photo Album”.
7.) Find the video you created and choose it. Select “Use”.
8.) After it process, give the Overlay a name, and tap on “Finish”.
9.) You will be asked if you want to create an Aura with that Overlay. Tap on “OK”.
10.) Take a picture of the artwork.
11.) Choose where you want the Overlay to appear on the artwork.
12.) After it processes, add details (see my previous post for more info on this).
13.) Once it is done, it will give you a message that the Aura has been added to your device. After that, whenever you use the Aurasma app to scan that art, the video will appear over it.
Below, you can view a short video on ways Aurasma can be used in education. Next week, I will give some more ideas on how this app can be used in the classroom. (You can find it at http://youtu.be/5qRcIek4NY0 if the video does not show below.)