How can Augmented Reality turn complex scientific processes into an interactive learning experience?
Within the STEM-IT project, researchers from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens developed an Augmented Reality Escape Room designed to support the teaching of the greenhouse effect and geodynamic processes. The educational approach was presented at EUROGEO 2026 as an example of how immersive technologies can contribute to more engaging STEM education.
The AR Escape Room is designed as a structured inquiry-based activity in which students explore scientific concepts, gather information and use evidence to solve educational challenges. At the centre of the experience is an interactive 3D model of the Earth, which acts as the main spatial interface of the application.
Interactive pins placed around the globe allow students to access different 3D models and short explanatory texts. The application distinguishes between two types of content. Geographically accurate pins are linked to specific real-world locations, while educational pins use representative locations to illustrate broader scientific processes and concepts.
Exploring the Earth through AR
Some of the geographically accurate examples featured in the application include:
- Iceland, used to explore divergent tectonic boundaries and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge;
- Santorini, illustrating the characteristics of a volcanic caldera system;
- Japan, showing the relationship between convergent plate boundaries, seismic activity and volcanism.
Other interactive models help students visualise concepts such as the internal structure of volcanoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquake distribution and the relationship between seismic activity and plate tectonics.
Connecting volcanoes and the greenhouse effect
A particularly important part of the Escape Room focuses on the question:
How do volcanic eruptions affect the greenhouse effect?
The activity introduces students to the dual influence of volcanic eruptions on the Earth’s climate. Sulphur dioxide released during eruptions can form aerosols in the stratosphere that reflect incoming sunlight, producing a short-term cooling effect. At the same time, volcanic carbon dioxide contributes to the greenhouse effect by trapping heat in the atmosphere, producing a warming effect over longer timescales.
By exploring these mechanisms through interactive models, students are encouraged to move beyond memorisation and understand how different Earth systems are interconnected.
From textbooks to immersive inquiry
The STEM-IT approach does not aim to replace traditional teaching materials. Instead, Augmented Reality is used as an extension of textbooks and classroom instruction.
Static educational content can become an entry point into interactive 3D environments, while teachers guide students through questions, evidence and scientific investigation. The presentation also proposes teaching scenarios structured around checkpoints, where students need to use AR resources to gather evidence and solve scientific puzzles.
The experience can also incorporate information from scientific databases, including seismic and volcanic data, creating opportunities to connect classroom learning with real-world phenomena.
Through this combination of Augmented Reality, inquiry-based learning and geospatial thinking, the STEM-IT AR Escape Room demonstrates how immersive technology can help transform geography and science education from the simple observation of maps and diagrams into the exploration of dynamic systems.