While completing his Communications degree at the University of Newcastle, Kyle felt that something was missing.
“We were taught how to write a blog and make a really basic website and I saw there was this gap between computer science, design and what we were doing,” said Kyle.
It was this realisation that sparked Kyle’s interest in coding. Coming home from university each day and immersing himself in the world of code, it wasn’t long before Kyle discovered his new major passion.
“I hated computers and I hated code until right at the start of University. That’s when I realised I’d been living my life wrongly!”
Over the next three to four years, Kyle continued to enhance his digital skills, developing a variety of websites and apps.
Currently working part-time as a website developer at local marketing agency Wild & Free Media, Kyle has also been working on a personal project he feels could help make education a more immersive and engaging experience for students.
“I’ve been working on an Augmented Reality app. The app basically takes a still image and augments something over the top of it, whether that’s a video, a 3D image or a hyperlink. It can almost be whatever you want it to be; the app just pulls information out of the cloud and puts it there.”
As a self-confessed Ancient History nerd, Kyle particularly sees the potential for its use with students studying these subjects.
“At school we studied Pompeii and Herculaneum and they showed us this 360 experience on desktop where you could walk around through the ruins and our minds were blown. I feel being able to have that pop out of a poster or textbook in class would make it a lot easier to explain and make for a much more immersive lesson.”
While the app currently only allows users to view and interact with 3D experiences, Kyle has plans to develop the app into a platform that would allow students to create their own content.
With most schools now integrating the use of personal devices such as laptops and tablets into the classroom, Kyle feels this app will help take technological learning to the next level.
“I’m really keen to see it implemented in some schools. I know there are laptops and tablets in schools now as they try to make it more digital and immersive, but I think they’ve just made it more digital and not necessarily immersive. I think having a way to interact and to spark creativity will be of real benefit.”
As well as bringing the interactive app into the classroom, Kyle also sees an opportunity to teach students more about app development.
“This could create a good hands-on learning experience in schools.
“Because of my roots in SFX I’d be more than happy to go in and facilitate that kind of learning. I remember that I used to be blown away by the people who would come in and do these crazy demos and the historians who would come in and talk. I’d love to be someone who can come in and say ‘let’s put something together and learn something’”.
If you’re interested in finding out more about bringing Augmented Reality to your school, you can contact Kyle at kyleminors@gmail.com or explore his website kyleminors.com.
