You probably asking yourself what do augmented reality (AR)and Korean dramas have to do with each other? Well, in December 2018 Korea debuted a new drama on Netflix, Memories of Alhambra, which revolved around a groundbreaking AR game based on medieval battles in Alhambra. The main character of the drama, Yoo Jin Woo, is a CEO of an investment company that specializes in optical devices. One optical device he creates was a contact lens that allows users to interact with AR content. For Jin Woo, getting his hands on the next big AR game was imperative. This leads to a late night phone call from an AR game creator, Jung Se Joo, telling him they need to meet ASAP otherwise he might sell his game to Jin Woo’s competitor. This gets Jin Woo on plane to Granada, Spain, and thus begins his AR journey.

The main protagonist of the drama starts walking the streets of Granada and comes upon the main square with a monument. All of a sudden Jin Woo hears a violin playing and something that sounds like explosions. In the distance he can see a building on fire and then something flying towards him which ends up being a cannon ball that hits the side of a building. In the distance he sees a medieval soldier on a horse riding towards him and as he gets closer we see he is riddled with arrows. The soldier falls off his horse and the horse runs past other civilians on the street but said civilians are going about their daily routine as if nothing is amiss. Jin Woo looks around the main square and then back at the monument which then comes alive. The warrior at the top of the monument jumps down and attacks Jin Woo. Blood is dripping off the blade the warrior is carrying and then we see the contact lens come to life and it tells Jin Woo he has been killed by a Nasrid Kingdom Warrior with a critical hit. All of this has been the AR game. Once Jin Woo entered a specific location, the game came to life.

Obviously this show is heavily based on fictional and AR has not gotten to a point where you can interact with AR materials with the use of a single contact lens. However, there were some basic concepts that could be taken away from this and reformatted to work with the tools that exist now. The biggest thing that I enjoyed and kept thinking “how cool,” was how Jin Woo was interacting with the town. When he came upon the square with the monument, it came to life.

Bringing AR into Higher Ed

Imagine a study abroad student walking the streets of Paris and with just their cell phone they can be transported to medieval Paris. They can pull their cell phone up to a building and the building changes right before their eyes to how it looked in the past. Or a monument of an important figure comes to life to give them a brief history lesson on their life. An AR experience for students studying abroad could almost act as a scavenger hunt to find these special places that transform into history they can interact with. This brings a new level to experiential learning.

AR is the future and if this drama is any indication of where AR can possibly go, then I am super excited. I highly recommend giving this show a watch and think about how your students could use this technology to further immerse themselves in coursework or experiences. Even if it just the first episode, I think if you are into AR or want to come up with possible ways to use AR in the classroom this show will get your creative juices flowing!