Augmented Reality In Education

EDEN - 2011 Open Classroom Conference2. The SCeTGo approachThe SCeTGo project aims to bridge the gapbetween formal & informal education, to promote science learning at all levels, and to assist in ensuring that science not only holds ahigh place in teaching curricula but also promotes creative problem solving and learningby-doing. The overall objective, through theexploitation of AR, is to integrate experientiallearning & supporting materials provided byscientists & educators into a comprehensiveknowledge base for learning open to the public.evaluated a series of learning activities in accordance with the current trends in science education, based on inquiry and problem basedapproaches that allow the actively participatinglearners to enhance their scientific literacy andcritical thinking skills. Educational scenariosfollowing the inquiry-based teaching methodology have been designed for all miniatureexhibits. These scenarios by making use of ARintroduce new ways of interaction betweenlearners & the real world.In general, SCeTGo demonstrates to learnersthrough the merging of the miniature exhibitsand the AR technology new ways of interacting with scientific concepts and phenomena. Adetailed description of all five SCeTGo exhibits enriched by images and videos can be foundat the project’s official website [3]. A snapshotof this website is shown in Figure 2.Figure 1 The Science Center To Go suitcase and contents (laptop notshown)SCeTGo’s approach is based on an educationalkit that is delivered in the form of a small suitcase (Figure 1) and contains a tablet, a webcamera, a series of 3-D printed miniaturesand a user guide. These miniatures combinedin various arrangements can form in total fivemini- exhibits that illustrate various physicalphenomena linked to secondary school curricula: sound wave propagation, rigid body(double cone) motion on an inclined plane,wing dynamics, wave-particle duality and gasparticles’ velocity distribution. Learners caninteract dynamically with the miniature exhibits and by using AR enrich their optical viewwith information relevant to the physical phenomena shown. Examples of the physical phenomena include explanation of why do planesfly and why does the siren sound of a fire truckis different when it approaches an observerthan when it moves away from him.In the framework of the project the SCeTGopartnership has developed, implemented and8Figure 2. The SCeTGo website: www.sctg.euIt is beyond the scope of this paper to providea technical overview of the AR-system or adetailed description of the SCeTGo miniaturesand the way they are integrated in a formaland/or an informal educational environment.All this information can be found in the otherSCeTGo papers within this volume along withthe general evaluation of the project’s approachand the assessment of the impact on quantumunderstanding by using SCeTGo’s double slitminiature. The latter study has been performedto senior high-school students in Greece.In the sections to follow emphasis is given onthe innovative character of SCeTGo and thepotential impact it can have in education andsociety.

Augmented Reality in Educationdents will experience in the future duringtheir educational training in respect to ARtechnological applications.3. Innovative CharacteristicsThe SCeTGo introduces an ICT-enabled learning approach that has the following innovativecharacteristics:a)Makes use of advanced visualization technologies (AR) that not only have the potential to enrich the learners’ optical viewwith relevant information but also allowthe learners to interact dynamically withthe miniature exhibitsb) Is easy to operate. As it is based on common devices there are no real obstaclesthat a potential learner has to overcome inorder to use the system.c)Promotes an inquiry-based and experiential learning approach. Learners experience science first hand at their own leisureand engage in activities where information is discovered by them rather than passively transmitted to them. By interactingwith the miniature exhibits learners cannot only visualize invisible physical quantities but can also control the conditionsthat need to be met in order for a phenomenon to occur (e.g. learners by rotating aminiature wing, namely the mini-wing exhibit shown in Figure 3, at different anglescan see through the airflow augmentationon the wing, why planes fly)Figure 3. The mini-wing as it appears on the laptop’s screend) Demonstrates the possibilities that stu-e)Promotes the importance of science to allEuropean citizens through a journey ofentertainment & learning.f)Contributes to the development of a newgeneration of citizens who are scientifically literate and thus better prepared tofunction in a world that is increasingly influenced by science & technologyg) Offers a modern science centre experienceoutside the walls of the science centre inschool classrooms.4. Impact in Education & SocietyThe SCeTGo miniature exhibits illustrate various physical phenomena enabling learners tovisualize the invisible through AR technology. Thus, they offer to science teachers theopportunity to introduce new approaches inthe classroom by using the new customizedAR tools and to students the opportunity touse innovative technology in the framework oftheir normal school curriculum. Moreover theSCeTGo project contributes to the access toand sharing of advanced learning resources notonly between schools but also among sciencecentres and universities. In this way it supportsthe provision of key skills to the future citizens& scientists (collaborative work, creativity,adaptability, intercultural communication).From the other hand the SCeTGo approach facilitates lifelong learning as it aims to improvequality of learning by providing access to resources (mixed reality tools) with significanteducational value and to reinforce the contribution of lifelong learning to social cohesion,active citizenship, intercultural dialogue, gender equality and personal fulfilment. These aremajor priorities of the EC’s Lifelong Learning9

EDEN - 2011 Open Classroom ConferenceProgramme which support the development ofinnovative ICT-based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning. Furthermore, the SCeTGo approach helps learnersto develop critical capacity and deeper understanding of the concepts underlying scientificinvestigation. In this framework, the objectiveof SCeTGo is not solely to produce more scientists and technologists; it is also to producea new generation of citizens who are scientifically and technologically literate.b) Belgium: the Scientix European Conference in Brussels in May, 2011. SCeTGowas one of the twenty-five ‘EU projectson Science Education for Teachers’ showcased throughout the whole duration conference (Figure 5)Finally, SCeTGo project is aiming at promoting population’s interest in science by building on the strengths of both formal educationalsettings (e.g. secondary schools) and informallearning environments (e.g. homes, sciencecenters and science museums).5. SCeTGo EventsOver the last two years (2010 & 2011) theSCeTGo approach was either implemented(through workshops, trials etc.) or disseminated (through conferences, seminars etc.) in126 different type of events in more than 12countries around Europe.Figure 5. Presentation of the SCeTGo project during the ScientixEuropean Conferencec)d) Iceland: the Nordic Science Annual Meeting in Reykjavik near the end of September, 2011.e)Greece: the “Pathway to Inquiry-basedScience Teaching” International SummerSchool in Heraklion in the first week ofJuly, 2011.f)Sweden: the NO-Biennalen Conference inHalmstad with 300 science teachersMajor dissemination events included ina)Germany: the “Girls day Bundeskanzleramt” in Berlin in the mid-April, 2011(Figure 4).Figure 4. Mrs. Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany visitingthe SCeTGo stand in Berlin.10Poland: the ECSITE Annual Conferencein Warsaw on the 25th of May, 2011.Despite the fact that the SCeTGo project afterparticipating in many events has approachedthe end of its EU funding period, the SCeTGopartnership will continue to establish contactswith current or former projects under othersimilar national or European actions in orderto continue to reinforce bilateral collaborationsand synergies arising for all participants.

Augmented Reality in Education6. References[1] Papert, S. (1991). “Situating Constructionism.” In Constructionism, edited by I.Harel and S. Papert. Norwood, NJ: AblexPublishing.[2] Resnick, M. (1993). Behavior Construction Kits [pdf]. Communications of theACM, vol. 36, no. 7, pp. 64-71 (July1993).[3] Science Center To Go official website:http://www.sctg.eu11

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Augmented Reality in EducationPedagogic Issues and Questionsfrom the Science Centre to Go,Augmented Reality, ProjectImplementationMartin Owen1, Sue Owen1, Mario Barajas2, Anna Trifonova21CER Wales, 2University of Barcelonamartinowen@mac.com, mbarajas@ub.edu, trifonova@ub.eduAbstractThis paper discusses the teaching and learningissues we have encountered during the ScienceCentre to Go (SCeTGo), an EU EACEA project.The project was about the development of a set ofminiature apparatus overlaid with augmentedreality (AR) elements, to support inquiry-basedlearning in science. The focus of this paper ison teacher acceptance, support for inquirybased approaches and how students mightlearn with AR-supported resources. The projecthas been at the development stage. Thereforewidespread classroom implementation has notbeen part of the project. This paper addressesthe future research questions we have derivedfrom the development process that can bepursued in a wide-scale pilot implementation.1. IntroductionScience Centre To Go (SCeTGo) is an EUEACEA funded project that has researchedand developed creative, computer-mediated,resources intended to promote inquiry-basedscience education (IBSE) using augmentedreality (AR). The system consists of a suitcaseof five miniature exhibits (miniatures) togetherwith the technology for overlaying live imagesof the exhibits with visual and auditoryelements, in order to explore the underlyingscientific phenomena (Figure 1 and 2).Figure 1: The AR adds elements to the image of the miniature exhibits(double cone)The system has been piloted in educationestablishments in several European countries(Germany, Finland, Greece, Romania, Spainand UK). In this paper we discuss some of theeducational issues that have arisen.13

EDEN - 2011 Open Classroom Conference-Mini-cooler and heater (kinetic theoryof gases). The miniature is a temperatureprobe, mini fridge and a mini heater. TheAR shows how the speed of air moleculesis related to their temperature.Figure 2: The AR adds elements to the image of the miniature exhibits(double slit)The exhibits are mini-fire truck, mini-doublecone, mini-wing, mini-double slit and minicooler & heater (presented on Figure 3):--Mini- fire truck (the Doppler effect):model of a fire engine and an observer/microphone. As the vehicle andmicrophone move relative to one anotherthe AR adds in the sound of the fire engine,an exaggerated visualisation of the soundwaves and their emitted and receivedfrequencies.-Mini-double-slit (quantum mechanics): themodel uses AR to simulate the behaviourof particles and waves passing throughsingle and double slits. It also facilitatesthe exploration of the phenomenon ofwave-particle duality.-14Mini-wing (wing dynamics): model of anaeroplane wing that can be rotated. TheAR adds in lines indicating the directionand relative speed of airflow over the wingat different orientations, and the uplift anddrag. Different shapes of wing can becompared.Mini-double cone (classical mechanics):a model of a double cone that appears totravel up sloping rails. The AR assists inan investigation of why this happens bymeasuring angles.Figure 3: The miniatures: mini-fire truck, mini-double cone, miniwing, mini-double slit and mini-cooler & heater2. The Scope of the Project andthis PaperThe project has been resourced as a design andtest activity. During the project we have onlyhad two sets of prototypes to share amongstthe partners for demonstrating and testing. Thishas been sufficient to get realistic feedback onthe usability and reliability of the devices and,more significantly, on the acceptability andinterest from teachers and other professionalsin the field. The feedback has been veryfavourable to the development of the SCeTGoresources. The findings of this evaluation arediscussed more fully in another paper in thisworkshop [1].This paper focuses on educational researchand development questions that have emergedfrom both engineering the prototypes andthrough the field evaluation and disseminationprocesses that have included practicalengagement and conversations with teachersand students. The paper reflects a developmenton from the project’s deliverable D2.1: SCeTGoPedagogical Framework and builds on the

Augmented Reality in Educationunderstanding and questions we present there.Furthermore, it points to the questions we stillneed to study further in both the application ofaugmented reality and the use of informationtechnology resources in the pedagogy of IBSE.There are three major areas that we identify forfurther and deeper research. The first relates toteacher professional development with respectto IBSE and technology; the second refers toclassroom implementation and final relates tothe student learning with augmented reality.source: ry.htmlFigure 4: Teacher perspective of inquiry-based learning3. Inquiry Based ScienceEducationThe Rocard Report for European Commissionrecommends renewal of schools’ scienceteaching pedagogy by “introduction of inquirybased approaches in schools” ([2]: 22). IBSE isrooted in the scientific method of investigatingphenomenon in a structured and methodicalmanner. Related to teaching and learning, it isan information-processing model that allowsstudents to discover meaning and relevanceto information through a series of steps thatlead to a conclusion or reflection on the newlyattained knowledge. The report also suggeststhat IBSE can provide increased opportunitiesfor cooperation between actors in the formaland informal arenas.In most cases of IBSE, teachers use a “guidedinquiry” method to facilitate the learningexperience and structure the inquiry aroundspecific goals of instruction. The benefits ofinquiry-based learning include the developmentof critical thinking, creative thinking, andproblem solving. The process from a teacher’spoint of view is described in figure 4.Further, [3] suggests a model that contraststeaching/learning strategies on a matrix (Figure5).Figure 5: Inquiry-based Learning: Conceptions and Approaches (Levy,2009)Levy’s framework describes inquiry-basedlearning in terms of whether the tasks areallocated by the teacher (staff-led) or whetherthe learners formulate questions themselves(student-led). As learners develop skills ofscientific inquiry they should move towardsstudent-led inquiry. Within SCeTGo teacherscan encourage learners to compose questionsthat can be answered either by using thesoftware or by further research.15

EDEN - 2011 Open Classroom ConferenceBuilding on the work of Bruner [4] and Taba[5] we outline a scenario for discovery-based,or inquiry-based learning:1.Confront learners with a problem thatinitially baffles them.2.Prompt to utilise previously acquiredknowledge and perception to recogniseways to tackle the problem.3.When learners have solved this problem,present them with another one in whichthey can demonstrate the principles theyhave now acquired.SCeTGo fits into this scenario very well. Weask hard questions. Why do planes fly? Whydoes a fire engine sound different when it’smoving towards or away from you?A more recent analysis divides inquiry-basedlearning into two types (see [6]): finding out information from existingknowledge, the “information frame” building and evaluating new knowledge,the “discovery frame”.Both of these frames can be relevant to SCeTGobut the initial focus is on the discovery frame.The learners can be encouraged to be realscientists and to find out something using theminiatures and the AR that they did not knowbefore. They can then judge whether this fitsin with their pre-existing perceptions, forexample, “objects do not roll uphill” or “lightis a wave.”In SCeTGo the information frame wouldnormally come into play after the encounterwith the miniature, if the intention is to followup the activities with further research intoexisting disciplinary knowledge. It is importantthat the learners have not studied all of thetheory, appropriate to their level, behind theminiatures before they see them, so that thereare still opportunities to learn by discovery. Forexample, younger learners may have learned16about the observable properties of sound butthey may not know that it travels in waves. Soone challenge for them would be to say whatthey thought the lines represented on the minifire truck AR.A possible exception to this general principleis that learners could find out beforehand howscientists work, for example how they makeincremental changes and how they formulatehypotheses and then test them. This would bea useful strategy if the learners are not familiarwith scientific and laboratory techniques.4. Augmented Reality andLearningAugmented Reality (AR) is a term describingthose technologies that allow the real-timemixture between computer-generated digitalcontent and the real world [7]. AR can also bedefined as being an overlay or superimposingof digital data visualised on top of the realview of the surrounding environment. Froma technological perspective, AR is oftenrelated to wearable computers and overheadmonitors [8]. People usually associate AR withexpensive hardware that requires significantprocessing capability that can be found only inresearch and specialist environments such asfighter pilot’s cabins. However, nowadays wecan witness a wide variety of AR alternativesthat can be implemented by much simplersolutions, such as a laptop and a web camera oreven with the use of a PDA or a mobile phone(for example http://www.wikitude.org/).In recent years, with the rapid advancesof wireless and mobile technologies,experimenting with AR has moved beyondexpensive military applications and has nowentered a wide variety of domains. In the fieldof education, AR has been widely researchedin laboratory settings and more recently

Augmented Reality in Educationvarious tests in real classrooms have beenmade [8, 9, 10]. By using AR technologies itis possible to combine real objects with virtualones and to place suitable information into realsurroundings. Novel uses of AR applicationmake it possible to converge the fields ofeducation and entertainment, thus creatingnew opportunities to support learning andteaching in formal and informal settings [11].Natural or historical events and characters,reconstructed monuments or archaeologicalsites could be now simulated and augmentedto the real world. AR is a booming technologythat attracts more and more attention from HCI(Human Computer Interaction) researchersand designers. This allows for the creationof meaningful educational experiences thatare grounded in a substantive subject areaof knowledge and focus on the intellectualand emotional development of the viewer.From these latest perspectives, AR learningenvironments have the potential to offer botheducational and entertainment value.Previous research efforts in the field show thatAR can have a great potential in education.Construct3D (www.ims.tuwien.ac.at/research/construct3d/) is a tool for exploring and learningabout geometry. It takes aspects of computeraided design (CAD) and combines it with ARtechnology to create a learning tool aimed topromote social interaction in the shared space,allowing its users to commu

Augmented Reality in Education ISBN: 978-960-473-328-6 . 1 Augmented Reality in Education EDEN - 2011 Open Classroom Conference Augmented Reality in Education Proceedings of the “Science Center To Go” Workshops October 27 - 29, 2011 Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Athens, Greece. 2File Size: 2MB