Though the technology is becoming quite popular as a teaching tool, many wonder if it will continue.

Colleges and universities are both beginning to take a look at augmented reality as they discover its potential as a teaching tool, but many wonder whether it is simply a gimmick that will temporarily catch the attention of students, or whether it is a trend that will continue to develop over time.

With the high penetration of smartphone and tablets among college-age students, the technology holds potential.

The latest estimates have said that among students who are between the ages of 16 and 24 years old, 71 percent currently have smartphones. This means that nearly three out of every four students already has the technology that would be required to be able to take advantage of augmented reality learning tools if they were being offered by their schools. It is, however, the professors and the teachers who are slow to embrace the technology as a part of their lessons and lectures.

Only a few trailblazers have worked augmented reality into their classrooms as a teaching tool.

This is leading many to wonder whether a considerable opportunity to help to build significant workplace skills is currently being overlooked. Augmented reality could potentially provide more engaging and interactive lessons that would allow students to develop their skills for facing the real world.

AR technology gives people the ability to add a digital element to print materials, objects, and geographic locations. A smartphone or a tablet are all that is required to use an applicable app and scan the object to which the digital content has been applied.

The University of Manchester presented a considerable and successful example of the use of augmented reality as a learning tool, through its Scarlett Project. This program gave student device users the ability to access rare manuscripts and books in their digital versions through AR technology.

Similarly, City University London also used a number of mobile friendly techniques, for their Creating Augmented Reality in Education (CARE) project for students in the healthcare program, which provided them – among other things – with a number of enhanced “health walks” that combined AR and GPS technologies.

Widespread adoption of mobile commerce has yet to be seen

Commerce is changing all over the world, largely due to the advent of mobile technology. Smart phones and tablets had once been considered simple tools to make some aspects of life more convenient for consumers. These technologies have come to inhabit a very important role in society, providing millions of people all over the world with entertainment, organization, access to information, and even a new way to pay for products. Mobile commerce has risen from the importance that mobile technology has established in the lives of consumers, but it has yet to become mainstream.

Consumers show interest in mobile payments, but adoption is still low

Mobile commerce is a relatively new trend in the mobile world. It refers to a consumer making purchases using a mobile device or engaging in other financial services, such as banking. The concept is simple enough and consumers all over the world have shown strong interest in mobile commerce. Much of this enthusiasm has yet to become tangible support, however, as many consumers show that they are interested but unwilling to participate in mobile commerce. There are several factors that contribute to this apparent reluctance.

Poor experiences may dissuade consumers from using mobile commerce services

ForeSee, a marketing analytics firm, suggests that some of the lack of support for mobile commerce being shown by consumers is due to poor experiences with e-commerce platforms. Because most e-commerce platforms were designed before mobile technology became such a widespread phenomenon, they are not optimized to be used on a mobile device. This leads to significant problems when these platforms are accessed by smart phones and tablets, creating a poor experience for consumers. Even platforms that are optimized for mobile viewing suffer from speed problems, making mobile payments very slow and unintuitive for consumers.

Singapore and Hong Kong show most growth in mobile commerce

Because of the problems consumers have been experiencing, mobile commerce has found only moderate success in many parts of the world. The only markets that mobile commerce has seen significant success in are in Asia. According to a report from Neilson, which was commissioned by PayPal, Singapore and Hong Kong have seen the most growth in mobile commerce than any other market in the world. This is partly due to the strong focus on mobile technology that businesses in these markets have, as well as the high number of mobile consumers that live in both regions.