Augmented Reality Campus Tour for Transfer Students Extended to 2025

George Mason University, in partnership with ARway.ai, has successfully developed an augmented reality (AR) app aimed at assisting first-generation ADVANCE transfer students. Utilizing ARway's advanced no-code, no-beacon spatial computing technology, the app provides a seamless virtual tour of the Fairfax Campus. This initiative, designed to ease the transition from Northern Virginia Community College, will extend through 2025 after achieving significant milestones.

The app, spearheaded by professors Kelly Schrum and Graziella Pagliarulo McCarron, offers features like GPS tracking and geolocation to help students easily navigate campus facilities, fostering a sense of community. Expansion plans include additional campus locations. Funded by George Mason's Office of the Provost and other initiatives, the app is set to enhance the ADVANCE program's mission.

Feedback from students and staff, many being first-generation attendees, highlights the app's role in supporting students academically and personally, potentially benefitting other underrepresented groups.