Tag: augmented reality

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i-Three Lab Innovation Innovation Partners

Interactive Print: Bringing words to life

Hopefully you are now super excited at the possibilities and ready to take the next step! Interactive print is a great way to promote Extension as well as using it as an educational tool. Let’s explore four of the most popular AR platforms so you can figure out which one will work best for your project.

layar-logo-ar_558d154446e0Layar: https://www.layar.com claims it is the “world’s #1 AR platform.” It is one of the most downloadable AR apps and gives users many options but there is a cost for using it.  The Layar app operates on Android, Apple, Blackberry devices as well as Google Glass. Layar has a dyi Creative Studio that will allow users to create their own content. Layar Demo Video

 

aurasma-logoAurasma: http://www.aurasma.com offers three ways to use AR. Users can make their content accessible to consumers by hosting it on their app or by using their SDK to enhance existing apps with the Aurasma feature. Aurasma offers interactive opportunities to engage people through images, animation, video, audio and 3D content. It is available on Android and Apple devices. it does almost everything that Layar does but it is free. There are for cost membership offers as well. Aurasma Demo Video

Aurasma Aura Image
Aurasma “Aura”- download the app and see what happens
  • Use your own bill or right click on the image
    and open it in a new tab. Print the mage and scan it with the Aurasma app.
  • This is a “super aura” created by Aurasma and does not require the user to follow a channel to view it.

unnamedAugment: http://augment.com offers users the ability to change 2D images into #D models. This is one of my favorite apps when wanting to make a 3D model. For example I made a 3D model of a high tunnel plan from a 2D image from an Extension guidesheet. When the participant uses the app they can see the 3D model right from the guidesheet page! Augment Demo Video

 

Courtesy of FileHippo
Courtesy of FileHippo

Wikitude: http://www.wikitude.com is a European based company that focuses on offering SDK packages. The Wikitude app is available for both Apple, Android and Google Glass devices. Users can directly create their own AR campaigns when used with the online Wikitude Studio. There is a learning curve to this platform id you are not experienced in software development kits. There is a free trial version but this is an expensive way to do AR. Wikitude Videos

Join me in September for a two part webinar hosted at eXtension on Augmented Reality and how to create AR step by step. See you soon!

 

 

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Information Information Technology Innovation International Professional Development Technology

AR: A new way to learn!

Google Translate App image source: Google
Google Translate App
image source: Google

In the previous blogs we have discussed the what and why of AR (Augmented Reality). Now it’s time to think of applicable ways to use it in Extension. Here are some ideas of how AR is currently being used:

3D model using Augment image source courtesy of www.augment.com
3D model using Augment
image source courtesy of www.augment.com
  • Enhanced interactive print experience- (brochures, flyers, posters, worksheets)
  • Museum interactivity- think about what a field trip might look like during an Ag safety day
  • AR browsers in the destination- virtual information in the real world to locate places and points of interest
  • Responsive experiences through gaming- participants can experience different historic and future events
  • Re-living historic life and events- visit a historic town the way it used to look like and see its virtual likeness as a 3D model

 

 

  • AR translation- Google Translate formerly Word Lens is a smartphone app that translates over 27 languages on the spot. Here’s a fun way it was used.

     

     

    The final blog will highlight AR apps that look at interactive print and creating your own AR experiences.

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Information Technology Innovation Innovation Partners Professional Development Technology

AR (Augmented Reality) – What the Research Says

Although there is no single technology that is a one size fits all, AR (Augmented Reality) can help provide the basis for a strong cooperative learning environment. The environment can also grow outside the formal classroom because of the nature of the tool itself. The technology used should depend on the pedagogical objectives and needs of the educational application and context to the target audience (Kaufmann, 2011).

AR can provide many positive benefits as an educational tool and merits more to discover and think about.  Researchers suggest that AR should complement traditional curriculum materials and not compete against or replace them. They also conclude that AR is more effective in demonstrating spatial and temporal concepts as well as offering new forms of shared learning experiences through remote collaboration experiences (Billinghurst & Duenser, 2012).

AR for contextual learning

Donald Norman’s meaning of affordances in educational technology refers to the “perceived affordances – that until an affordance is perceived it is of no utility to the potential user” (Bower & Sturman, 2015, p. 345). Two literature reviews analyzed a total of 58 studies within the context of augmented reality in education. The researchers found the following positive benefits (Radu, 2014; Bacca et al., 2014):  Man demonstrating augmented reality machine part

  • Increased understanding of content
  • Learning spatial structure and function
  • Long-term memory retention
  • Increased student motivation
  • Student engagement
  • Improved collaboration

 

There are many ways we can use AR in Extension to promote education for different audiences. Some of these include interactive posters and fact sheets, augmented tours and 3D models. In the next series of blog posts we will discuss these and review some AR apps that can help us get the job done.

Image: By Eawentling (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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i-Three Lab Information Technology Innovation Partners Professional Development Technology Working Differently

What is AR? (Augmented Reality)

Anatomy $D App Screenshot
Anatomy 4D Screenshot

The best way to describe what augmented reality looks and feels like is to imagine being a student at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books. The hallways are lined with painted portraits from floor to ceiling. As a student walking through the halls the paintings start talking, conversing and singing. They are alive and interactive. This is what augmented reality looks like. The first time someone experiences augmented reality it can be unbelievable.  As “cool” as augmented reality is, many educators consider it a novelty and don’t understand the benefits it can bring to meaningful learning in formal and informal settings.

Augmented reality (AR) is creating layers of digital information on top of the physical world that is viewed through an Android or iOS device. Virtual reality is different in that it is a computer simulated environment that replicates the physical world.

A glimpse at AR: What the future looks like

There are many AR apps available such as Elements 4D where students manipulate and combine elements like mercury rather than just reading or watching videos. Another app, Anatomy 4D, allows users to explore a human body and isolate various body systems. The British Museum’s AR app, A Gift for Athena, allows kids to go on a museum scavenger hunt to find different pieces of history in a story-based gamification experience. Apps like Aurasma and Layar let people create their own AR learning experiences.

In this blog post series we will discuss why using AR is important in education and how to use it effectively. Additional posts will discuss different AR apps that are applicable to Extension professionals.