Augmented Reality Marker Activity Discus…
Augmented Reality Marker Activity Discussion Forum
This is a space to showcase your experience with augmented reality markers. Please feel free to post a screenshot/video of your experience; thoughts about the potential use and/or limitations of markers in a K-12 classroom and links to other similar tools.
Posted in: General, Week 07:
jenbarker 5:36 pm on October 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
This is a link to my screencast showing my experience. http://screencast.com/t/L93Kt1kMnDn
My son and I had so much fun with this program. From the way he reacted I can tell you there is definitely a market here for kids. I can’t wait to try out the rest of your activities. I am so thrilled I took this course as this is exactly the type of of technology I hoped to be exposed to. Thanks for providing such interactive activities.
Kudos, Jen
jkotler 2:15 am on October 17, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jen,
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to try using this since I didn’t have all the required resources, but even just from reading about it I automatically felt that it has the potential to be a great tool and so am happy (but not surprised) to see that your son really enjoyed it.
I have always believed that whenever a student has the opportunity to learn in a more interactive, dynamic and hands-on manner, they are much more likely to be engaged because it increases their excitement and curiosity among other things. As such, I think having the concepts being learned come to life like with the solar/wind and organs augmented reality markers, not only plays into that perspective perfectly but offers great learning potential.
tomwhyte1 9:12 am on October 17, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I agree that this has the potential to be a game changer, however what I have seen so far has limited applications for both students and teachers.
For students, they have that initial novelty effect and subsequent excitement. My question is, when this wears off… what learning is happening? So far, AR has limited to no interactivity, and the development of these items require significant time. Yes there are pre-developed resources, but unless they directly fit with your curriculum, they are simply being used because they are cool.
For myself, while I see potential benefit, if objects can be manipulated either physically, hand gestures, or on the computer. Such as, adding variable to show eating, or disease in the organ AR would be beneficial. However, the technology is still very young, and I will wait until it matures a little further.
Thoughts?
jhodi 1:36 pm on October 19, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi,
When we were researching AR for this week’s presentation, I noticed that there were a lot of applications that I thought would be useful and engaging for young students. I think that AR adds a potentially interactive nature to something that is typically thought of as ‘simple’ (ie. Augmented books).
Jhodi
tomwhyte1 8:00 pm on October 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
This is my link to my screencast showing what I guess are my organs…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns32ToI8SXs
For myself, I found the organ one more useful. For I have taught Bio 20/30, and this might provide students a slightly better understanding of our insides than what we currently utilize.
As for the solar/wind AR, it was cool… but other than that – I found it simply to be a proof-of-concept, with some novelty which will wear off shortly.
Other than that, I at this time find little educational value, and yes I realize that this is relatively new technology, however adding an interactive component would make the experience more meaningful and engaging.
However, I did notice the type of book series called popar, which may change my mind, after I explore it better.
Thoughts?
jenbarker 8:26 pm on October 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Tom,
I know the Grades 5 and 6 class at my school always do a science study of the body. I think they would love this. Which link was it that you tried? I want to share this with the teacher. Thanks, Jen
jenbarker 8:35 pm on October 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Tom,
Ignore my last question. I found the link right below the solar/wind AR. Which screencast program did you use to video yourself. I used Jing and it took forever to upload.
tomwhyte1 9:13 am on October 17, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I think I used screencast-o-matic… directly uploaded into youtube as well… with free version, get one screencast at a time… relatively quick as well.
Hope this helps.
avninder 1:54 pm on October 17, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I used the General Electric marker to view an example of augmented reality. It was a great experience and very user friendly.
Tom – I would also be concerned about the novelty wearing off. Also, as with the application of all technology it is important that the use of AR is pedagogically sound. I think the organ marker you used may have a lot of potential for use in the classroom.
tomwhyte1 9:28 am on October 18, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
For myself, the novelty was about 10 seconds… then I said… what I am learning from this? If I was in a class, and this was the objective to build an AR object, it would be an excellent example of what could be done – proof of concept – but as a learning object for Solar or Wind power… felt very underwhelmed…
Thoughts?
Peggy Lawson 6:58 pm on October 17, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I’m with Tom on this one. I tried the LearnAR Biology one with the organs, and after spending some time hunting found another by PBS Kids (Lunch Rush! http://pbskids.org/fetch/games/hollywood/lunchrush.html).
I will keep looking as I am very intrigued about the possibilies and, importantly believer there are significant possibilities, but what I’ve found so far is very cool…..but mostly for the novelty. The biology organs – my first experience – was neat!! But I didn’t find it any more useful than existing quality resources.
The PBS Kids Lunch Rush!! (I downloaded & tried the iPhone version – http://pbskids.org/fetch/games/hollywood/lunchrush.html) was very weird in content (addition problems to 10 – markers were used to identify the correct number of sushi (sushii????) ordered by members of a movie crew. How many grade 1 students can relate to that scenario??). And the AR experience were virtualized suschi skewers. Clearly a disconnect I think between the person they hired to develop the math game and educational consultants who might actually have some sense of actual real-life interests of 6 year old students.
I was underwhelmed by the virtual reality and from my brief samples felt it was very gimicky but of little added educational value to existing technology. However I do believe their is great potential, and my experiences were just very early, and low-level, not-quite-ready-for-prime-time examples.
I strongly suspect, however, that within a few years the technology will mature and there will be great uses in many academic areas. Being able to visualize a concentration camp in 3-D, for example, may have much greater effect than a 2-D photo.
Peggy
Peggy
tomwhyte1 9:26 am on October 18, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I was going to mention this specific app, and I forgot, thank you very much.
I agree that there is big disconnect between the activity and the work, and probably a misunderstanding for the students. However, I have had my 6 year old and 4 year old run around the house for the last couple of weeks (because I move the markers all around the house for extra physical activity), and even thought they may not get the reason for the sushi, they are understanding the math.
The only issue that arises, is when they get to basic algebra – 6 + X = 8… this is where I need to provide a little more assistance.
As well, I also believe that advanced hardware will further propel the ability of this platform, developing more pedagogically sound applications.
Thoughts?
Peggy Lawson 8:19 pm on October 18, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I would seriously doubt that the Lunch Rush activity is actually helping your kids learn math, or even reinforcing it much. From my admitedly brief exposure to it, this game is like many educational “games” that might provide some entertainment value, which isn’t bad, but I really didn’t see how it would actually improve student learning. And for a supposedly educational product, I’d say that’s a critical feature.
Peggy
tomwhyte1 2:27 pm on October 19, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
From my experience, with my two children (ages 6 and 4), this program provides a quick and fun assessment to help them gauge their understanding of the concepts they have worked with, through more traditional means. They do this activity with limited supervision, which in my opinion tells me that they have understood the basic math concepts I have provided them, however I could be wrong.
Thoughts?
jhodi 1:42 pm on October 19, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi,
I also wonder about the novelty of AR. As I was exploring AR this week, I found several examples of what AR does, but so many times, I found myself thinking ‘how can I use this in a class?’. Several times my response was for ‘nothing more than a supplementary resource’ such as objects. As I further explored, I found some applications that were very intricate and applicable, although the minority of examples. I hope that this technology is further pursued and more resources are created that are directly applicable to learning and teaching.
Jhodi
Doug Connery 7:34 pm on October 17, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Like jkotler, I don’t seem to have the resources to play with the AR resources.
I must admit I was taken in by the wow factor by the videos, especially the Magician/story teller. And like many others, I question the value to education once one gets around the wow factor. I am sure there will be a place in the future for AR applications in education when this new technology matures. We can help it mature by playing around with it, and perhaps find some gaps in education that it can fill rather than using it to duplicate some existing simpler resource.
Doug.
Paula Poodwan 8:19 pm on October 18, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
AR is fun when you first try it out. It gives you a new experience of what technology can do.
Here is what I made with GE Wind Turbine
http://screencast.com/t/jwZn0AUQG
Using AR in the classroom will definitely promote collaborative learning when students as a group view three-dimensional models and have their discussion about the object, which will make learning fun and an interactive process.
melissaayers 9:04 am on October 21, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
While I see AR as really cool technology and something both kids and adults alike would enjoy, personally I also think what they are implementing with the AR technologies from this interactivity might be easier if they had a 3D image on the screen to manipulate. This way it would be easier to zoom in & out and rotate around the object using the mouse or touch screen. My opinion on this might be partly as I have a laptop with and inbuilt camera, if I had a camera I could move around it would have been easier to use I believe.
When I was printing out the Markers it reminded me of QR codes which seem somewhat similar to how AR is implemented by GE and LearnAR Biology. While QR codes do not augment reality they link images, or web links to a type of barcode/marker that can be read by a smart phone or tablet with camera.