Observation and analysis of a classroom teaching and learning practice based on augmented reality and serious games on mobile platforms

Abstract

This qualitative research is part of a learning effort to better understand how serious games are exploited in a science education context. The research team examined this issue by focusing on augmented reality as a technological innovation imbedded on a tablet. Given the current state of knowledge related to serious games and augmented reality, and given the fact that its use in the context of teaching/learning is not extended, this paper focuses on an initial exploration of how a new teaching practice involving a serious game based on an interactive augmented reality solution would impact on students in a physics class. A Design Based Research methodology was applied in a real‑world context within a college‑level physics class. Two conceptual tests containing ten questions on spatial notions regarding electromagnetic fields were administered to two control groups and two groups using the proposed serious game. The latter groups were administrated a game evaluation questionnaire as well. Thematic interpretation of students written responses to the evaluation questionnaire as well as the lessons and observations we derived from the in-class experimentation are provided and discussed in the paper.

Mobile Educational Augmented Reality Games: A Systematic Literature Review and Two Case Studies

“…NatureAR (2017) [56] FI Provides information on and direct interaction with real-world objects utilizing mobile AR and natural objects as markers. Parallel (2015) [57] CA Resolve a mystery using a simulator showing the true behavior of charged particles moving in electric and magnetic fields. PasswARG (2014) [58] CA Crack a password in a treasure hunt with different types of puzzles presented by virtual characters.…”

“…Mathematics was the most popular subject, including elementary areas such as fractions [34], geometry [52,53] and arithmetics [38]. Topics related to science were also popular, including physics [57], chemistry [61], lab experimentation [44], environment [37,41], and other biological sciences [45,49,55,56]. Four of the reviewed EMARGs [6,42,48,58] aimed to be general-purpose educational tools for learning any topics.…”

“…Most EMARGs were created for primary school children, to be used in informal pedagogical settings, such as in science centers [61], libraries [60], in nature [41,49,56] or in museums [39,40], thus demonstrating how augmented content can enrich situated learning [64] experiences in authentic contexts. A few games targeted at higher education [57,63] or lifelong learners (i.e., any age group) [50,54,59]. The EMARGS that are marked as having formal contexts were created for and evaluated in classroom environments; however, many of them are context-independent and therefore can be played in anywhere (e.g., at home).…”

“…For example, EMARGs that used 3D models may have had animations in them, but I could not always confirm that. [34] n/a n/a Visual, touch screen 3D, animations AR Ole Cierraojos [35] n/a Markers (image) Visual, touch screen 3D, 2D, annotations, animations AR Treasure Hunt [36] AndAR Markers (n/a) Visual 3D AREEF [37] Vuforia SDK on Unity 3D Markers (image) Visual, touch screen, sensors 3D, animations ARmatika [38] n/a Markers (image) Visual, touch screen 3D, annotations ARMuseum [39] n/a Markers (image) Visual, marker manipulation 3D, animations Astrid's spår [40] ARToolkit Markers (fiducial) Visual 3D, 2D, video Calory Battle AR [6] Vuforia SDK Markers (image) Visual, marker manipulation 3D, 2D, annotations, animations Conserv-AR [41] Vuforia SDK Markers (image) Visual 3D, annotations EduPARK [42] Vuforia SDK on Unity 3D Markers (image) Visual, touch screen 3D, 2D, annotations Electric Agents [43] n/a Position (sensors) Visual, sensors 2D, animations, annotations Eleftheria et al [44] Vuforia SDK on Unity 3D Markers (image) Visual 3D, animations Furio et al [45] ARToolkitPlus Markers (fiducial) Visual, touch screen, sensors 3D, animations Furio et al [46] ARToolkitPlus Markers (fiducial) Visual, touch screen, sensors 3D, animations Hsu [47] n/a Markers (image) Visual, touch screen Annotations HUNT [48] Metaio AR Objects Visual, touch screen 2D, video Hwang et al [49] n/a Markers (fiducial) Visual, touch screen 2D, annotations Igpaw [50] Vuforia SDK on Unity 3D Markers (image), sensors Visual, touch screen 3D, annotations Lan [51] Vuforia SDK Markers (image) Visual 3D, animations, annotations Leometry [52] Vuforia SDK on Unity 3D Markers (image) Visual, marker manipulation 3D Lin et al [53] Aurasma Markers (image) Visual 2D, video Luostarinmäki Adventure [54] ALVAR on Unity 3D Position (point cloud) Visual, touch screen 3D, animations, annotations Martinez Zarzuela et al [55] Vuforia SDK on Unity 3D Markers (image) Visual, touch screen 3D, annotations NatureAR [56] Vuforia SDK on Unity 3D Objects Visual, touch screen 3D, animations Parallel [57] n/a Markers (image) Visual, touch screen 3D, animations PasswARG [58] Layar n/a Visual, ...…”

“…Multi-player mode with competition and cooperation was implemented in AR Treasure Hunt [36], Calory Battle AR [6], and EduPARK [42] where players worked together in teams whilst competing against other teams. [55] Puzzle SP Match, select Phones and tablets (Android, iOS) NatureAR [56] Treasure hunt, puzzle SP Match, move, select Tablets (Android) Parallel [57] Puzzle, simulation SP Match, destroy, select Tablets (iOS) PasswARG [58] Treasure hunt, puzzle MP, Coop Match, move, select, write Phones and tablets (Android, iOS) REENACT [59] Puzzle, simulation, role-playing MP, Coop Match, move, select, shoot, avoid, write Tablets (Android) Secret SLQ [60] Treasure hunt, adventure SP, Comp Match, move, select Phones and tablets (iOS) I categorized gameplay elements of the reviewed EMARGs based on the Game Bricks model that describes 10 elementary components, or "bricks", that can be combined to describe the gameplay of a videogame [66] (Table 6). The more of these elements the game uses, the more versatile it is.…”