Our group hadn’t heard of the term, augmented reality, and decided to use this project to better understand it. According to Wikipedia, which seemed an appropriate place to begin our search, augmented reality (AR) is defined as a "live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer generated sensory input such as sound or graphics" (“Augmented reality”, 2010, para. 1). Ronald Azuma (1997) clarifies augmented reality by distinguishing it from virtual reality. Virtual reality “technologies completely immerse the user inside a synthetic environment” (p. 2) shutting the real world out from the user. The real and the virtual do not interact and are mutually exclusive of each other. Whereas with augmented reality, a virtual component is overlaid over a real component and the two realities work together to enhance the user experience. Azuma argues that augmented reality must embody three features: the combination of real and virtual, interactive in nature and in real time, and visually presented in 3D. With the advancement of augmented reality, information can be saved and layered on top of real world pictures. Real world surroundings can become interactive with selected virtual objects or information, “presenting entirely new ways for humans to relate to the natural world” (Kroeker, 20110, p. 19). It is this interactivity of the real with virtual that is of interest to educators.
Augmented reality has been used for many years in sports. In football, for example, the yard marker (the colored line running across the field at the line of scrimmage) is not really on the field. It is simply a digital overlay on the live picture of the field. In hockey, this technology is also used to show the puck's line of travel. Advertisers use this technology on the outside of sporting arenas during broadcast games (“Augmented reality,” 2010 “Examples,” para. 1). In addition to the field of sports, several cities are having many of their features mapped with augmented reality by a company named Layar. This company, which started in the Netherlands, uses GPS, compass, and a camera on an Android or iPhone to use augmented reality to help viewers to "find a place to eat, to get to know the city through history, to play games and to see which bands is playing where now" (layarmobile, 2010). Games and other features are also offered.
As educators, we wanted to find out how augmented reality could be used with students to enhance their learning. Searching MERLOT, a helpful Web site for educators, yielded two entries with links for augmented reality use in education. The first linked to The Civil War Augmented Reality Project, a project presently being created by three public educators who have technology background. These teachers have combined their passion for history and their knowledge of technology with their desire to "offer more interactivity to students and the general pubic visiting historic sites" (Mummerty, Titzel, Vasellas, 2010, p.1). They are planning to have the AR project completed for the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War beginning in 2011. One of their goals is to have augmented reality applications for the iPhone or other similar handheld devices that have a digital compass allowing the user to interact with history through simulations, games, and other historical activities overlaid on the present geographical sites. Another goal is to provide both the general public and students with more interactivity when visiting historic sites by using stationary augmented reality binoculars. We highly recommend visiting the site Kickstart to view the informative video on the features of this proposed educational project!
Toward the end of the Civil War site, it was disappointing to note the project had not met its financial goals. We have been unable to find out if this means the project has been discontinued or if it is on hold until more funds become available. One of the problems the developers listed had to do with the lack of photography ability in the iPad and other handheld tablets. The ability to take pictures was important to the function of the proposed program. The creators of the Civil War augmented reality project are confident that the photography feature will be added to handheld computer tablets in the near future. Hopefully this allows them to continue on with the project.
As mobile computing devices increase in power and come down in price, the ability to leverage augmented reality to individual students gains strength. Games and role-playing scenarios are a common application of augmented reality toward educational objectives. One example is the game Alien Contact!, an experiential learning tool that simulates an invasion of extraterrestrial aliens (Villano, 2008). Middle school math students explore around their school with handheld devices using GPS to discover clues. The students work individually or in small teams but must collaborate with each other to understand why the aliens invaded Earth. The initial goal of augmented reality games is to engage students in learning, “by entailing students to walk around and rely on handhelds, augmented reality tools force them to play a more active role in their own education” (para. 8). But augmented reality simulations do much more than improve student motivation.
According to Eric Kloper, "Some of the benefits come from the sense of authenticity that one can get from role-playing games in the real world. Students don't often have the opportunity to do these kinds of activities and work with interesting, complex problems, and because they are physically involved in them, they care about the solutions" (as cited in Villano, 2008, para. 24). Alien Contact! was purposefully designed to target difficult areas middle school students have in both math and English literacy. Students work with these concepts while playing the game. Cooperative skills are also worked in the simulation. Each student (or small team) has an individual handheld device so the content can be differentiated. Each student (team) has unique clues and collaboration is needed to solve the larger problem/question. As the game grows in sophistication, the teacher can tailor the information to students based on ability level and content area focus.
Large scale projects such as the Civil War project and Alien Contact! are not necessary to bring the benefits of augmented reality into the classroom. Pocket Universe and Theodolite are two very inexpensive applications for the iPhone or iPad that can be used to make science lessons more tangible and engaging. Pocket Universe overlays constellations, stars, and planets onto the real image as viewed by the phone’s camera. The tool is an excellent way to discover astronomy.
Image created by DH Day: iPhone screen shot of Pocket Universe in action.
Theodolite is a virtual viewfinder that overlays maps, compass, position, altitude, and inclination information of a real image produced by the phone’s camera. Theodolite can be used to support math, engineering, or geology lessons. Both applications offer much more functionality than briefly described here so their use toward educational objectives is as limitless as the teacher’s creativity.
Image created by DH Day: iPhone screen shot of Theodolite in action.
Learning about augmented reality has convinced us that this new technology should be included in the career education and technology education in high school classes. Many jobs options will be connected with augmented reality technologies in the future, from technology development and production, to marketing and maintenance. Teachers, historians, artists, musicians, gamers, and many others are just beginning to use their interests to enhance augmented reality sites. Educators, state park employees, travel agents, concierges, taxi agents, and many other professions could use this technology to enhance their services too. The job potential is limitless!
What are other ways we can we use AR for teaching classroom-based curriculum? Right now, little of this technology has been used inside the classroom. However, efforts are being made to move this technology from the laboratory into the classroom. AR technology can take advantage of the limitations offered by other visual means of communication for learning. For example, astronomy concepts such as "earth-sun relationships," would lend themselves beautifully to the AR interface. Shelton, a Learning Sciences researcher (2002), describes how students use AR to more fully understand astronomical concepts. "The virtual sun and earth are manipulated on a small hand-held platform that changes its orientation in coordination with the viewing perspective of the student" (2). As shown below, the student would be able to control viewing angles in order to understand how elements work with previously seen elements.
One theory proving the educational value of augmented reality is it will provide a more direct cognitive path toward understanding of content. This is especially important in today's society where fewer students are interested in pursuing a job in the sciences. This kind of technology could spark a revival of interest in the science fields. AR can also help teach difficult science concepts to students with many different learning styles and abilities. For example, pictured below, is a student interacting with a 3D molecular model using AR technology. Right now, lessons have been created by colleges specializing in developing technologies and taught to high school students in some communities using this technology. So far, responses from teachers and students have been positive. Other educational applications include architecture, archeology and museum exhibits. .
Kroeker, K. (2010). Mainstreaming Augmented Reality. Communications of the ACM, 53(7), 19-21. doi:10.1145/1785414.1785422
Layarmobile, (2010, June 18). Layar augmented reality 2010: Discover, play & premier of the Floaticons [Video comment]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtpNx7Y14d0
Mummert, J.,Titzel, A., Vasellas, J. (2010), The Civil War Augmented Reality Project, p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2010, from http://acwarproject.wordpress.com/
Augmented Reality: What is it?
By Holly, Stephanie, & JeannetteOur group hadn’t heard of the term, augmented reality, and decided to use this project to better understand it. According to Wikipedia, which seemed an appropriate place to begin our search, augmented reality (AR) is defined as a "live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer generated sensory input such as sound or graphics" (“Augmented reality”, 2010, para. 1). Ronald Azuma (1997) clarifies augmented reality by distinguishing it from virtual reality. Virtual reality “technologies completely immerse the user inside a synthetic environment” (p. 2) shutting the real world out from the user. The real and the virtual do not interact and are mutually exclusive of each other. Whereas with augmented reality, a virtual component is overlaid over a real component and the two realities work together to enhance the user experience. Azuma argues that augmented reality must embody three features: the combination of real and virtual, interactive in nature and in real time, and visually presented in 3D. With the advancement of augmented reality, information can be saved and layered on top of real world pictures. Real world surroundings can become interactive with selected virtual objects or information, “presenting entirely new ways for humans to relate to the natural world” (Kroeker, 20110, p. 19). It is this interactivity of the real with virtual that is of interest to educators.
Augmented reality has been used for many years in sports. In football, for example, the yard marker (the colored line running across the field at the line of scrimmage) is not really on the field. It is simply a digital overlay on the live picture of the field. In hockey, this technology is also used to show the puck's line of travel. Advertisers use this technology on the outside of sporting arenas during broadcast games (“Augmented reality,” 2010 “Examples,” para. 1). In addition to the field of sports, several cities are having many of their features mapped with augmented reality by a company named Layar. This company, which started in the Netherlands, uses GPS, compass, and a camera on an Android or iPhone to use augmented reality to help viewers to "find a place to eat, to get to know the city through history, to play games and to see which bands is playing where now" (layarmobile, 2010). Games and other features are also offered.
As educators, we wanted to find out how augmented reality could be used with students to enhance their learning. Searching MERLOT, a helpful Web site for educators, yielded two entries with links for augmented reality use in education. The first linked to The Civil War Augmented Reality Project, a project presently being created by three public educators who have technology background. These teachers have combined their passion for history and their knowledge of technology with their desire to "offer more interactivity to students and the general pubic visiting historic sites" (Mummerty, Titzel, Vasellas, 2010, p.1). They are planning to have the AR project completed for the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War beginning in 2011. One of their goals is to have augmented reality applications for the iPhone or other similar handheld devices that have a digital compass allowing the user to interact with history through simulations, games, and other historical activities overlaid on the present geographical sites. Another goal is to provide both the general public and students with more interactivity when visiting historic sites by using stationary augmented reality binoculars. We highly recommend visiting the site Kickstart to view the informative video on the features of this proposed educational project!
Toward the end of the Civil War site, it was disappointing to note the project had not met its financial goals. We have been unable to find out if this means the project has been discontinued or if it is on hold until more funds become available. One of the problems the developers listed had to do with the lack of photography ability in the iPad and other handheld tablets. The ability to take pictures was important to the function of the proposed program. The creators of the Civil War augmented reality project are confident that the photography feature will be added to handheld computer tablets in the near future. Hopefully this allows them to continue on with the project.
As mobile computing devices increase in power and come down in price, the ability to leverage augmented reality to individual students gains strength. Games and role-playing scenarios are a common application of augmented reality toward educational objectives. One example is the game Alien Contact!, an experiential learning tool that simulates an invasion of extraterrestrial aliens (Villano, 2008). Middle school math students explore around their school with handheld devices using GPS to discover clues. The students work individually or in small teams but must collaborate with each other to understand why the aliens invaded Earth. The initial goal of augmented reality games is to engage students in learning, “by entailing students to walk around and rely on handhelds, augmented reality tools force them to play a more active role in their own education” (para. 8). But augmented reality simulations do much more than improve student motivation.
According to Eric Kloper, "Some of the benefits come from the sense of authenticity that one can get from role-playing games in the real world. Students don't often have the opportunity to do these kinds of activities and work with interesting, complex problems, and because they are physically involved in them, they care about the solutions" (as cited in Villano, 2008, para. 24). Alien Contact! was purposefully designed to target difficult areas middle school students have in both math and English literacy. Students work with these concepts while playing the game. Cooperative skills are also worked in the simulation. Each student (or small team) has an individual handheld device so the content can be differentiated. Each student (team) has unique clues and collaboration is needed to solve the larger problem/question. As the game grows in sophistication, the teacher can tailor the information to students based on ability level and content area focus.
Large scale projects such as the Civil War project and Alien Contact! are not necessary to bring the benefits of augmented reality into the classroom. Pocket Universe and Theodolite are two very inexpensive applications for the iPhone or iPad that can be used to make science lessons more tangible and engaging. Pocket Universe overlays constellations, stars, and planets onto the real image as viewed by the phone’s camera. The tool is an excellent way to discover astronomy.
Theodolite is a virtual viewfinder that overlays maps, compass, position, altitude, and inclination information of a real image produced by the phone’s camera. Theodolite can be used to support math, engineering, or geology lessons. Both applications offer much more functionality than briefly described here so their use toward educational objectives is as limitless as the teacher’s creativity.
Learning about augmented reality has convinced us that this new technology should be included in the career education and technology education in high school classes. Many jobs options will be connected with augmented reality technologies in the future, from technology development and production, to marketing and maintenance. Teachers, historians, artists, musicians, gamers, and many others are just beginning to use their interests to enhance augmented reality sites. Educators, state park employees, travel agents, concierges, taxi agents, and many other professions could use this technology to enhance their services too. The job potential is limitless!
What are other ways we can we use AR for teaching classroom-based curriculum? Right now, little of this technology has been used inside the classroom. However, efforts are being made to move this technology from the laboratory into the classroom. AR technology can take advantage of the limitations offered by other visual means of communication for learning. For example, astronomy concepts such as "earth-sun relationships," would lend themselves beautifully to the AR interface. Shelton, a Learning Sciences researcher (2002), describes how students use AR to more fully understand astronomical concepts. "The virtual sun and earth are manipulated on a small hand-held platform that changes its orientation in coordination with the viewing perspective of the student" (2). As shown below, the student would be able to control viewing angles in order to understand how elements work with previously seen elements.
One theory proving the educational value of augmented reality is it will provide a more direct cognitive path toward understanding of content. This is especially important in today's society where fewer students are interested in pursuing a job in the sciences. This kind of technology could spark a revival of interest in the science fields. AR can also help teach difficult science concepts to students with many different learning styles and abilities. For example, pictured below, is a student interacting with a 3D molecular model using AR technology. Right now, lessons have been created by colleges specializing in developing technologies and taught to high school students in some communities using this technology. So far, responses from teachers and students have been positive. Other educational applications include architecture, archeology and museum exhibits.
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References
Augmented reality. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved 23:33, November 1, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Augmented_reality&oldid=394208550
Azuma, R. (1997). A Survey of Augmented Reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 6(4), 355-385. Retrieved from http://www.cs.unc.edu/~azuma/ARpresence.pdf
Kroeker, K. (2010). Mainstreaming Augmented Reality. Communications of the ACM, 53(7), 19-21. doi:10.1145/1785414.1785422
Layarmobile, (2010, June 18). Layar augmented reality 2010: Discover, play & premier of the Floaticons [Video comment]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtpNx7Y14d0
Mummert, J.,Titzel, A., Vasellas, J. (2010), The Civil War Augmented Reality Project, p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2010, from http://acwarproject.wordpress.com/
Shelton, Brett E., (2002), Augmented Reality and Education:Current Projects and the Potential for Classroom Learning. New Horizons Retrieved November 7,2010 from http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/technology/shelton.htm
Villano, M. (2008). When Worlds Collide: An Augmented Reality Check. T.H.E. Journal, 35(2), 33-34. Retrieved from ERIC database. http://mantis.csuchico.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ786385&site=ehost-live