ARTICLES
ENHANCING EDUCATION THROUGH MOBILE
AUGMENTED REALITY
By
D.R. ROBERT JOAN
Assistant Professor, Christian College of Education, Marthandam, Tamil Nadu.
ABSTRACT
In this article, the author has discussed about the Mobile Augmented Reality and enhancing education through it. The
aim of the present study was to give some general information about mobile augmented reality which helps to boost
education. Purpose of the current study reveals the mobile networks which are used in the institution campus as well as
university. Also, this study discusses the way to develop education and exchange information through mobile network.
This article talk about, how one can improve the learning through mobile functions. Mobile Augmented Reality makes it
possible to create new kind of services and applications. By making augmented reality work in mobile environments,
people face new challenges in positioning, registration, system performance and energy consumption. The evolution of
cellular networks and related technologies has recently been very fast. The transfer rates and low latencies for packet
data required by many Augmented Reality applications are feasible using the upcoming generation cellular networks.
The transmitting of information through mobile network takes a vital role in education. The classes which broadcast were
listened through the mobile network by learner. Thus mobile augmented reality is captivating its role to enhance
Education.
Keywords: Mobile Augmented Reality, Education, Learning in Augmented Reality.
INTRODUCTION video, or graphics. It is related to a more general concept
Mobile multimedia has become an integral part of our called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is
lives. A vast variety of multimedia services are email, modified by a computer. As a result, the technology
messaging, networks, mobile payment, mobile video functions by enhancing one's current perception of reality
conferencing, video and audio streaming, etc. Within the (Graham, Zook, and Boulton, 2012). By contrast, virtual
last few years, mobile multimedia has become the reality replaces the real world with a simulated one.
accepted standard, driven by developments in end-user Augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in
devices, radio networks, and back end services. The semantic context with environmental elements, such as
evolution of cellular networks and related technologies has sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of
recently been very fast. The transfer rates and low latencies advanced augmented reality technology, the information
for packet data required by many augmented reality about the surrounding real world of the user becomes
applications are feasible using the upcoming generation interactive and digitally worked.
cellular networks. Together with evolving transfer speeds, Mobile Augmented Reality
miniaturized displays and accurate positioning enable the Mobile Augmented Reality makes it possible to create new
building of a commercial mobile terminal with sufficient kind of services and applications. Some example
capabilities for mobile augmented reality in education. applications of mobile augmented reality includes,
Augmented Reality personal navigation, guidance systems, tele-operation,
Augmented reality is a direct or indirect view of a physical, security, entertainment, e-commerce and personal
real-world environment whose elements are augmented services. Generally, augmented reality is defined as to
by computer-generated sensory inputs such as sound, mean any case where computer generated objects, text,
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pictures and sound are added to the user's perception of Review Literature
the real world. By making augmented reality work in mobile Klopfer, (2008) has conducted a study on “Augmented
environments, people face new challenges in positioning, Learning: Research and Design of Mobile Educational
registration, system performance and energy consumption. Games”
Some experimental mobile augmented reality systems
New technology has brought with its new tools for learning,
have been built, but most current systems work only in a
and research has shown that educational potential of
restricted area and do not have sufficient means for
video games resonates with scholars, teachers, and
communication. They usually use commercially available
students alike. In "Augmented Learning", Eric Klopfer
or self-built wearable computers as their platform and their
describes the largely untapped potential of mobile
application area is often limited to some specific tasks.
learning games played on such handheld devices as cell
Mobile augmented reality has long sounded like a wild phones, Game Boys, and Sony PSPs to make a substantial
futuristic concept, but the technology has actually been impact on learning. Examining mobile games from both
around for years. It becomes more robust and seamless Educational and gaming perspectives, Klopfer argues that
with each passing decade, providing an astonishing the strengths of the mobile platform and its portability,
means of superimposing computer-generated images a context sensitivity, connectivity, and ubiquity--make it ideal
top user's view of reality, in order to create a composite view for learning games in Elementary, Secondary, University,
rooted in both real and virtual worlds. Although augmented and lifelong education. Klopfer begins by exploring the
reality applications run the gamut from interactive map past and present of Education, Educational Technology,
overlays and virtual showrooms to massive multiplayer king ‘Edutainment’, and mobile games, and then offers a series
of the hill titles and the like, each piece of software hones in of case studies of mobile educational games that have
on smart-phone and camera functionality to create a been developed and implemented in recent years. These
more immersive experience (Widder, 2014). So it should be games either participatory (which require interaction with
very effective for education. other players) or augmented reality (which augment the
Mobile augmented reality provides learning designers and real world with virtual information)--can be produced at
educators with a new opportunity to start thinking more lower cost than PC or full-size console games. They use
deeply about the mobile learner's context and situation. social dynamics and real-world contexts to enhance
Augmented reality technologies can take any situation, game play, can be integrated into the natural flow of
location, environment, or experience to a whole new level instruction more easily than their big-screen counterparts,
of meaning and understanding. Augmented reality is and can create educational compelling and engaging
uniquely changing the way people learn with mobile environments for learners. They are especially well-suited
devices (Jason Haag, 2013). for helping learners at every level development of twenty-
Aim of the study first century skills, including the ability to tackle complex
problems and acquire information in ‘just-in-time’ fashion.
The aim of the present study was to give some general
All of this, Klopfer argues to put mobile learning games in a
information about mobile augmented reality which helps
unique and powerful position within educational
to boost the education.
technology.
Purpose of the study
Buesing, & Cook (2013) have conducted a study on
The current study reveals the mobile networks which are
“Augmented Reality Comes to Physics”
used in the institution campus as well as university. Also this
Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology used on
study discusses the way to develop education and
computing devices where processor-generated graphics
exchange information through mobile network. This article
are rendered over real objects to enhance the sensory
talks about, how to improve the learning through mobile
experience in real time. In other words, what we are really
function.
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seeing is augmented by the computer. Many AR games resources are considered, along with logistical issues
already exist for systems such as ‘Kinect’ and ‘Nintendo 3Ds’ surrounding affordability, security and safety issues of
and mobile applications, such as ‘Tagwhat’ and ‘Star mobile devices.
Chart’ (a must for astronomy class). The yellow line marking Lee (2012) has conducted a study on “The Future of
first downs in a televised football game and the enhanced Learning and Training in Augmented Reality”
puck that makes televised hockey easier to follow, both use
Students acquire knowledge and skills through different
augmented reality to do the job.
modes of instruction that include classroom lectures with
Bower, Howe, McCredie, Robinson, & Grover (2014) have textbooks, computers, etc. The availability and choice of
conducted a study on “Augmented Reality in Education learning innovation depends on the individual's access to
Cases, Places and Potentials” technologies and on the infrastructure environment of the
Augmented Reality is poised to profoundly transform surrounding community. In this rapidly changing society,
Education as we know it. The capacity to overlay rich media information needs to be adopted and applied at the right
onto the real world by viewing through web-enabled time and right place to maintain efficiency in all settings.
devices such as phones and tablet devices means that Augmented reality is the technology that dramatically shifts
information can be made available to students at the the timing and location of learning. This paper describes
exact time and place of need. This has the potential to augmented reality, how it applies to learning, and its
reduce cognitive overload by providing students with potential impact on future education.
perfectly situated scaffolding", as well as enable learning in Mobile Applications and Challenges
a range of other ways. This article studies the uses of
Mobile applications and challenges are the recent
Augmented Reality both in mainstream society and in
advances to the application areas where mobile
Education, and discusses the pedagogical potentials
augmented reality systems are used. This is not an extensive
afforded by the technology. Based on the prevalence of
chronological list as having aim to complement the most
information delivery uses of Augmented Reality in
recent surveys from Azuma, Billinghurst, Schmalstieg, and
Education, researchers argue the merit of having students
Hirokazu, (2004) who studied the convergence of the
design Augmented Reality experiences in order to develop
augmented reality, ubiquitous and wearable computing.
their higher order thinking capabilities. A case study of
The Mobile Augmented Reality applications’ study covers:
"learning by design" using Augmented Reality in HighSchool
·Virtual Character-based applications for augmented
Visual Art is presented, with samples of student work and
reality.
their feedback indicating that the approach resulted in
high levels of independent thinking, creativity and critical ·Cultural Heritage.
analysis. The paper concludes by establishing a future ·Edutainment and Games.
outlook for Augmented Reality and setting a research ·Navigation and Path-Finding.
agenda going forward.
·Collaborative assembly and design.
Latif (2012) has conducted a study on “CARE: Creating
·Industrial maintenance and inspection.
Augmented Reality in Education”
Education and Augmented Reality
Latif’s paper explores, how Augmented Reality using
Augmented reality applications can complement a
mobile phones can enhance teaching and learning in
standard curriculum. Text, graphics, video and audio can
education. It specifically examines its application in two
be superimposed into a student's real time environment.
cases, where it is identified that the agility of mobile devices
Textbooks, flashcards and other educational reading
and the ability to overlay context specific resources offers
material can contain embedded ‘markers’ which are
opportunities to enhance learning that would not otherwise
when scanned by an AR device, produce supplementary
exist. The technologies that will be used to develop these
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information to the student rendered in a multimedia recognize this AR correctly for the successful development
format. Students can participate interactively with of effective learning and teaching strategies. The potential
computer generated simulations of historical events, benefits of augmented reality applied to higher education
exploring and learning details of each significant area of include: multi-modal visualizations of difficult theoretical
the event site (Lubrecht, 2012). Augmented reality can aid concepts, practical exploration of the theory through
students in understanding subjects by allowing them to tangible examples and natural interaction with multimedia
visualize the concept and interact with a virtual model of it representations of teaching material. It is also important to
that appears, in a camera image, positioned at a marker consider the technological issues when introducing
held in their hand. Augmented reality technology also augmented reality into teaching and learning processes.
permits learning via remote collaboration, in which A focus on learning through interaction with 'reality' directs
students and instructors are not at the same physical researchers to situated theories of learning and a careful
location and can share a common virtual learning attention to context. Developers, educators and e-learning
environment populated by virtual objects and learning designers often lack clarity regarding the impact that a
materials and interact with another within that setting. student's situation has on their interpretation of e-learning.
Augmented Reality in Classroom Setting Bowker and Star (2000) took the concept of 'situated' learning
Modern classrooms are frequently enhanced through the further by suggesting and also considering issues of space
addition of new technologies, such as multi-media and and time in any learning process. Latour (1999) had
computer gaming technologies, and augmented reality is emphasized our need to create order in these processes. The
one of these new technologies. Research has shown that reality is continually mediated and reinterpreted by our
learning does occur in virtual environments, and one of the practices and meaning-making exercises. At a first glance,
earliest works in this area, applying augmented reality to an the shift from low-tech to mobile-tech and to augmented
educational context, is the 'Classroom of the Future', which reality may seem merely quantitative: Augmenting/adding
conceptualizes how it could be possible to enhance the to reality has always been a part of outdoor education,
interaction between instructor and students by employing whether it is through informative signposts at a site, costumed
augmented reality technologies. Augmented reality was re-enactments of historical events, or straightforward on-site
influenced directly by its perceived usefulness, and tuition by a teacher or parent. It is necessary to change our
indirectly through perceived ease of use and social perspectives, understanding and meaning-making of reality
influence, and preliminary results seemed to indicate the by augmenting it with additional information. Technology
participants' intention to use augmented reality for merely offers systems and resources that can enhance our
learning. The importance of augmented reality is to situated learning by augmenting our realities more
implement novel technology to enhance learning effectively. Yet, it is needed to consider how new
approaches in education. technologies might offer the potential for qualitative
changes in our relationship with reality; imagine a learner
Learning in Augmented Reality
leaving a 'video note' for peers at a historical point of
Apart from the subject content itself, pedagogical and
interest; viewing a geographical site as it would have
psychological issues also need to be considered when
looked during an Ice Age; or collecting audio-visual notes
designing a higher education learning system. The shared
of observations. Such experiences transform reality into a
presence of virtual environments can enhance the
multi-modal social text, as described by Bezemer and Kress
opportunities for effective educational applications. As an
(2008). The use of augmented reality in education, and
extension to augmented reality systems, it can be
particularly in mobile learning, is still in its infancy and it
extremely effective in providing information to a user who
remains to be seen how useful it will be in creating effective
deals with multiple tasks at the same time. Educators not
learning experiences. The overview of learning activities
only need to recognize a unique learning style, but also
shows that augmented reality can be used successfully for
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situated and constructivist learning, particularly, when Scope of the Study
collaboration and student inquiry are processed. ·Mobile augmented reality is the technology used for
Augmented reality also shows and supports informal various purposes with the help of mobile. The mobile is
learning experiences (FitzGerald, Ferguson, Adams Gaved used for the learning point, we say that m-learning.
Mor & Thomas 2013).
·Mobile technologies with Educational Technology as
Roles of Space in Learning with Augmented Reality the theory and practice of educational approaches to
When considering augmented reality, people need to take learning.
into account the environment that is being augmented, in ·Mobile technologies as technological tools, assisting
order to understand what spatial components can be in the communication of knowledge, and its
augmented and why they might want to do this. Dourish development and exchange.
(2006) presents the environment as a duality analogous to
·Mobile technologies for learning system management
the house comparison. He distinguishes between “space”
·Mobile technologies are informal learning contexts.
(the physicality of our surroundings and their structures,
which may enable or constrain our movements or ·Mobile technologies are informatics education and
interactions) and “place” (the social, cultural and historical digital literacy.
contexts we associate with such settings, acquired through ·Mobile technologies help teacher educator to
our interactions with them). We can also consider the improve the professional development.
“affordances” of such spaces, a term employed to ·Mobile technologies help to identify research needs
describe perceived properties which facilitate particular and topics in the field of education.
actions, for example, a chair affords sitting; a pen affords
Advantages of Mobile Augmented Reality for Learners
writing. Bligh and Crook provide an excellent overview of
Besides bypassing learning, these tools can also be set up to
how spatiality impacts upon technology-enhanced
support learning. Specifically these technologies are great at
learning, discussing at the lengthy notion of “learning
providing meta-cognitive information to your students.
spaces” in terms of the design and evaluation of learning
Mobile augmented reality provides learning designers and
activities (Bligh & Crook, 2014).
educators with a new opportunity to start thinking more
Spaces for Learning
deeply about the mobile learner's context and situation. In
Bligh and Crook (2014) identify several affordances of fact, the key thing to remember about mobile augmented
spaces for learning as follows: reality is, that it is about augmenting experiences in real world
·Impeding: Students may be inhibited by the space environments. Augmented reality technologies can take any
around them. situation, location, environment, or experience to a whole
·Containing: The layout of a space may restrict/ new level of meaning and understanding. Augmented
challenge, or support/enhance, learning interactions. reality is uniquely changing the way people learn with mobile
devices.
·Stimulating: Spaces can be used to stimulate learners'
thinking and to encourage physical exploration. Uses of Mobile Networks in Universities
·Associative: Observed that the experience of place is In Universities, the wifi-network was permitted for all learners
dependent upon 'semantic tangles' of people. for their educational purpose. Universities connect their e-
library website with various educational links to collect the
·Constitutive: It forms part of the physical environment
information, data, and review and so on. Also through
in which it is located.
network, many e-courses are organized by different
·Socially constitutive: Social space is both produced by
educational institutions. It may be accessed through
and can afford social interaction by groups.
mobile network. Thus mobile augmented reality is an
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Conclusions
Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work
The augmented reality technology is a promising and
(CSCW '06), Banff, Alberta, Canada.
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[8]. FitzGerald, E., Ferguson, R., Adams, A., Gaved, M.,
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Mor, Y., & Thomas, R. (2013). Augmented reality and mobile
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learning: the state of the art. International Journal of Mobile
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
D. R. Robert Joan is currently working as an Assistant Professor in Christian College of Education, Marthandam. He has five years of
experience in the M.Ed. Department of M.E.T. College of Education. He has presented 14 papers at National level seminars and
has published in 4 Journals.
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