EUROGRAPHICS 2010/ L. Kjelldahl and G. Baronoski Education Paper
Using Augmented Reality as a Medium to Assist Teaching in
Higher Education
Fotis Liarokapis1
and Eike Falk Anderson1
1Interactive Worlds Applied Research Group, Coventry University, United Kingdom
Abstract
In this paper we describe the use of a high-level augmented reality (AR) interface for the construction of collaborative
educational applications that can be used in practice to enhance current teaching methods. A combination
of multimedia information including spatial three-dimensional models, images, textual information, video, animations
and sound, can be superimposed in a student-friendly manner into the learning environment. In several case
studies different learning scenarios have been carefully designed based on human-computer interaction principles
so that meaningful virtual information is presented in an interactive and compelling way. Collaboration between
the participants is achieved through use of a tangible AR interface that uses marker cards as well as an immersive
AR environment which is based on software user interfaces (UIs) and hardware devices. The interactive AR
interface has been piloted in the classroom at two UK universities in departments of Informatics and Information
Science.
1. Introduction
Until the emergence of new technological innovations the
most common teaching method has been the direct communication
between students and teachers usually taking place
in the classroom. Although current teaching methods work
successfully, most higher education institutions are interested
in introducing more productive methods for improving
the learning experience and increasing the level of understanding
of the students. The emergence of new technological
innovations in computing technologies has provided the
potential for improving them. For instance, the web-based
Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) that many universities
have adopted for aiding the teaching process are characteristic
for this. A recent study has shown that virtual learning
applications can provide the tools to allow users to learn
in a quick and happy mode by playing in virtual environments
[PCY∗
06].
In particular, the introduction of Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) not only in schools but also
in higher education institutions has been welcomed by students
and educators worldwide. Most multimedia applications
available for higher education purposes utilise teaching
material in a number of formats including text, images,
video, animations and sound. These tools usually build
upon traditional teaching methods, making the subject matter
more interesting and challenging for both the students
and the lecturer. Consequently, any future systems and techniques
must take into consideration the current trends and
needs of the higher education sector which is adopting these
new technologies fast.
Many universities are eager in exploiting new visualisation
methods to improve the current teaching models and
one of the most promising technologies that currently exist
is augmented reality (AR). In technical terms, AR is an
amalgamation of computer graphics, vision and multimedia,
which enhance the user’s perception of the real world
through the addition of virtual information [ABB∗
01]. In
AR the real environment must be harmonised (and synchronised)
with the virtual in position and context to provide an
understandable and meaningful view.
To improve student retention and participation in computing
disciplines, Carter suggests that learning should be
“more fun” [Car06], therefore one of the primary aims of
this research is to increase the level of understanding of
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F. Liarokapis & E.F. Anderson / Using AR as a Medium to Assist Teaching in HE
the students in complex learning issues through an effective
use of engaging audio-visual augmentation, which should
be “attractive and highly motivating to today’s generation
of media-conscious students” [MLC04], which is an educational
goal in itself.
This paper is structured as follows. A discussion of work
related to the use of AR in teaching is followed by the specification
of the requirements for applying AR technology to
learning in higher education. The following section introduces
a theoretical framework for enhancing the learning cycle
and style using AR. This is followed by a presentation of
approaches for effectively designing teaching material in the
context of AR scenarios for higher education. Furthermore,
multimedia augmentation techniques are presented for enhancing
traditional teaching methods. Several case studies
exploring collaborative learning through the use of human
computer interaction techniques are presented, followed by
a preliminary evaluation together with our conclusions.
2. Education with AR in a Classroom Setting
Modern classrooms are frequently enhanced through the addition
of new technologies, such as multitouch and computer
gaming technologies [MDD09], and AR is one of these
new technologies. Research has shown that learning does occur
in virtual environments [Har06], and one of the earliest
works in this area, applying AR to an educational context,
is the ‘Classroom of the Future’ [Coo01], which conceptualises
how it could be possible to enhance interaction between
instructor and students by employing AR technologies.
Another example is the higher education AR learning
system for mathematics and geometry education Construct3D
[KS02], which allows teachers and students to interact
through various interactive scenarios in a collaborative
environment. An alternative experimental education application
demonstrates the AR enhanced teaching of undergraduate
geography students about earth-sun [SH02]. In a similar
AR application educators use AR to explain to students how
specific parts of a computer could work in practice [FM03].
Other researchers have compared the use of AR and physical
models in chemistry education [Che06], where results
showed that some students liked to manipulate AR by rotating
the markers to see different orientations of the virtual
objects whereas others preferred to interact with physical
models to get a feeling of physical contact. In another study,
two modules, ‘Solar System’ and ‘Plant System’, were developed
for mixed reality (MR) in the classroom, “providing
support for classroom teaching and self-learning”
[LCMLT07]. This study was influenced directly by its perceived
usefulness, and indirectly through perceived ease of
use and social influence, and preliminary results seemed to
indicate the participants’ intention to use MR for learning.
Elswhere, researchers have studied the integration of physical
objects that are computationally-augmented to support
and encourage face-to-face interaction between disabled students
and virtual objects [APK∗
09]. Here, initial results have
indicated the importance of inclusion in novel technologyenhanced
learning approaches for science education.
Collaborative AR allows participants to work in teams,
experiment and interact with the superimposed virtual information
in a natural way. In such environments, multiple
users may access a shared space populated with digital
information and thus maximizing the transfer of knowledge
[Kau03]. A good example is the use of a real physical
book for the development of a visually augmented reality
book, however with drawbacks that include the affordances
of the book resulting in book-like interaction by the users,
which creates challenges in terms of technology deployment
[GDB08]. Another collaborative approach for teachers and
trainees is an AR system that simulates a web-based training
and teaching environment for distance education and training.
AR may be used successfully to provide assistance to
the user necessary to carry out difficult procedures [SL03] or
understand complex problems. Demonstration in lecture and
seminar rooms is one of the most effective means of transferring
knowledge to large groups of people [LMW∗
04].
The main advantage of AR over more traditional teaching
methods is that learners can actually ‘see’ and ‘listen
to’ supplementary digital information. Additionally, students
can intuitively manipulate the virtual information, allowing
them to repeat a specific part of the augmentation as many
times as they want. One of the main aims of this research
is to contribute in resolving the perceptual discontinuities
[DNT01] initiated by scattered sources of information during
the learning process. To better understand these discontinuities
we have developed a prototype AR learning system
focused on higher education with a particular interest in
computing courses. The basic idea is an AR table-top learning
environment that integrates the real teaching environment
(i.e. lecture theatre) with virtual learning scenarios in
a student-friendly and engaging manner. Tangible interfaces
are the medium used to allow students examine and experiment
with the virtual teaching material in a natural manner.
One of the most important aspects of learning is effective
interaction and collaboration. The concept of collaboration
appears to be widely accepted as a manner of encouraging
learning to take place in the classroom. The educational goal
for which collaboration is intended plays a significant role on
the nature of collaboration [Brn98]. In cases where learning
is the primary educational goal it is essential to investigate
how students become capable of collaboration [BBTJ97].
It is highly believed that AR support for collaboration can
be improved if there is awareness for the level of collaboration
required. Past research has shown that virtual and augmented
reality learning environments can provide assistance
to learners to perform cooperative and collaborative studies
[KS02, POVP04, LMW∗
04].
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3. Learning in Augmented Reality
Apart from the subject content itself, pedagogical and psychological
issues also need to be considered when designing
a higher education learning system. The shared presence of
virtual environments can enhance the opportunities for effective
educational applications [HM97]. As an extension to
VR systems, AR systems can be extremely effective in providing
information to a user that deals with multiple tasks at
the same time [KHS∗
00]. Previous studies [BHBS99] have
shown that they can improve performance times when the
training is conducted on real objects. Taking into consideration
the fact that individual persons have different learning
styles and different ways of communication it is very important
that we design a system following a user-focused approach.
Educators not only need to recognise a unique learning
style but also recognise this correctly for the successful
development of effective learning and teaching strategies.
The potential benefits of AR applied to higher education in-
clude:
• multi-modal visualisation of difficult theoretical concepts
• practical exploration of the theory through tangible exam-
ples
• natural interaction with multimedia representations of
teaching material
• effective collaboration and discussion amongst the partic-
ipants
Multi-modal visualisation allows students to switch interactively
between different visualisation media. Tangible AR
interfaces can help students to explore the multi-dimensional
augmentation of the teaching material in various levels of detail.
Students could navigate through the augmented lecture
data and therefore concentrate and study in detail any part of
the lecture. It is also important to consider the technological
issues when introducing AR into teaching and learning processes
[LMW∗
04]. Ideally an educational AR system fulfils
at least the following requirements:
• be simple and robust
• provide the learner with clear and concise information
• enable the educator to input information in a simple and
effective manner
• enable easy interaction between learners and educators
• make complex procedures transparent to the learners and
educators
• be cost effective and easily extensible.
A carefully planned and managed presentation of AR technology
is also needed to avoid the teaching and learning
environment being solely focused on technological issues
rather than educational ones. This, together with the use of
technological improvements, can direct higher education institutions
to improve their teaching and learning processes.
4. An Affordable Augmented Reality System
Different learning styles can be applied from a single classroom
session to a whole degree programme [HJ00]. Traditional
methods of presenting teaching material can satisfy
student demands only to a certain degree. For example, when
teaching computer graphics it is really difficult for students
to understand the concept of 3D if only traditional methods
(i.e. PowerPoint presentations, websites, etc) are used. A
cost effective AR audio-visual presentation of virtual multimedia
content can be utilised to exploit the potential benefits
of using alternative technologies to improve current teaching
methods. Using virtual multimedia content, students can see
real-life 3D examples of the principles they are studying as
well as interact with them in a natural way.
Figure 1: Operation of our AR system.
The majority of educational AR applications operate in
indoor environments [FS99, SH02] and this is where this research
work is focused. Registration between the real and
virtual information is one of the most important issues of
AR can be achieved either with the use of sensor devices or
via computer vision techniques. Although, both techniques
have proven advantages and disadvantages it seems that vision
systems work much better in indoor environments while
sensor-based systems are preferred for urban outdoor environments.
In this paper, a vision-based AR learning solution
has been adopted since the target environment is the classroom
and it is much easier to control environmental parameters
such as the lighting conditions. In addition, the cost of
most of the technologies used in vision-based AR systems
can be afforded by most higher education institutions – the
cost of the system used here is a standard computer with a
web camera (Figure 1).
5. Design of Teaching Material
To experimentally prove the feasibility of the higher education
application, different teaching scenarios from different
subject areas have been investigated and implemented. All
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scenarios are specifically engaged with the improvement of
learning and teaching techniques in the fields of Informatics
at the University of Sussex and Information Science at City
University. The presented scenarios have the capabilities of
providing a rewarding learning experience that is otherwise
difficult to obtain. Although the system suggests ways of
enhancing teaching methods currently applied in computing
courses it has been designed in such a way that it can
be easily adapted and applied to other educational domains.
The design of the teaching material has to be formulated in a
way that satisfies the AR requirements of learning in higher
education proposed above. As a consequence, the end result
of the teaching material must transfer practical, theoretical,
functional and constructive knowledge to the students.
The teacher’s expertise and the adaptation capabilities of the
students serve as a cornerstone in deciding which methodology
and scenarios should be followed. Depending on the
nature of the subject areas (i.e. science or arts) the educator
will have to design the course accordingly. In this research,
courses that belong to the computing area have been used
as case-studies. The development of the teaching material itself
is an off-line process and consists of the following three
interrelated parts each of those are explained in detail below:
• a set of distinctive marker cards – this provides the link
between the real and the digital information so it needs to
be easily distinctive
• digital information – the digital information including pictures,
3D models, textual descriptions, video animations
and auditory information
• educational tutorials – a number of predefined learning
scenarios which combine theory and practice at the same
time
5.1. Design of Distinct Marker Cards
The precise definition of the teaching material is of great
importance in any learning and teaching environment. In addition,
the way the material is presented to students plays a
significant role. The purpose of using marker cards for presenting
the teaching material was selected because it provides
a tangible interface between the real and the synthetic
information, while it gives an indication to students what
each marker contains at the same time. Our system presents
the virtual multimedia information on marker cards of various
shapes and sizes [Lia05]. The teaching material, course
notes, diagrams and video animations were decomposed into
appropriate components and for each a single marker card
was created. This set of meaningful marker cards was carefully
designed to create a complete representation of the theoretical
elements of the subject matter during teaching. Students
are given a selection of marker cards associated with
the teaching material so they can have a visual choice before
the information is presented. Each marker contains a
link to the learning components (i.e. 3D objects and scenes,
textual information, pictures and diagrams, video animations
and spatial sound), allowing students to experiment with different
combinations. The use of marker cards allows learners
to pick up and examine the superimposed information in an
intuitive manner. The lecturer needs only to devise the learning
strategy, which is to create the most appropriate learning
scenarios. That is, the sequence in which they need to instruct
the students to observe the markers and hence display
the learning material in the AR environment. This can be
achieved using a number of different ways. The lecturer can
either manipulate the marker cards himself on a big table
so that all students can enjoy an augmented presentation or
leave the students to organise for themselves the sequence
used in the teaching session. It may be that a combination
of both methods could be more beneficiary for the students
because they will be able to spend more time on the material
they prefer or for which they need more assistance. This encourages
students to become more interested in the subject
because the teaching information is presented in an appealing
way compared to more traditional methods.
5.2. Digital Information
The digitisation of the teaching material must have an educational
flavour, as otherwise the virtual information will not
have any effect when presented to students. To keep the complexity
of the system low, only a few video animations were
created and more emphasis was placed on the collection and
generation of 3D objects, 3D sound, images and descriptive
textual information. Most of the 3D models used were digitised
using a technique known as Image-based Modelling
(IBM). Although IBM techniques are not ideal for producing
highly realistic models with detailed geometry, they have the
advantage of rapidly generating 3D content. Alternative 3D
content creation methods include laser scanning or manual
modelling. The collection and digitisation of the static images
was the most time-consuming task, as the information
had to be organised in categories, followed by a thorough selection
process to meet the requirements of the AR learning
visualisation. Parts of relevant textbooks (i.e. from Multimedia
and VR) were originally scanned and modified to make
them suitable for classroom presentation. For storage, the
TGA file format was selected as it provides an alpha channel
that can be used to make images appear transparent. The
textual descriptions were created in a text editor and stored in
ASCII format. For generating the sound material, a standard
microphone and an audio processing tool were employed.
5.3. Tutorial Generation
Aspen and Helm [AH04] proposed that a mixture of related
approaches can be of substantial benefit to learners, resulting
in effective commitment in a number of situations. The
teaching material that we used was adapted from the official
course material provided to the students in the classroom
and digitised appropriately, aiming to address a wide range
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of students, including visually impaired students. The digitised
information has been categorised into different types.
Each one aims at introducing different sections of the teaching
material to the students. The tutorials that have been implemented
up to this point can be categorised into three parts:
theoretical; practical; and assessment tutorials;
• Theoretical tutorials – only the most important aspects
of the theory are described through visual and auditory
means of augmentation. The theoretical tutorials are the
easiest to design technologically as no interaction with the
user is required. The instructor simply needs to present
the appropriate information to the students. However, the
toughest challenge is the representation of the information
in an appropriate manner for understanding and learning.
In some cases, the information that has been transformed
from 2D to 3D can confuse the user instead of helping,
which is caused by a phenomenon known as information
overload.
• Practical tutorials – based on the theory, students have
to use a specific set of marker cards to describe a simple
but complete process (i.e. building a computer using
hardware devices). The practical tutorials encourage students
to explore and interact with audio-visual information.
Students have to use natural means (the specific set
of marker cards) to explore a complex process or system,
such as understanding how a computer works and replacing
a component of a computer (i.e. processor), or solving
a 3D puzzle that consists of – in our experiments – six
pieces (Figure 4).
• Assessment tutorials – 3D graphical representations of
theoretical and practical issues are assessed in a semiautomatic
manner. The assessment tutorials aim to provide
a less stressful way to evaluate the learning ability
of the students. In the simplest scenario, students are provided
with an augmentation of a 3D object or scene and
a related question is asked. In more complex scenarios,
AR quizzes can present a sequence of questions and have
the potential of creating an enjoyable method for assessing
students. It is important to note that all of our tutorials
were designed on an experimental basis and only the theoretical
and practical tutorials were demonstrated to highereducation
students. The assessment tutorials have not yet
been applied in real teaching.
In the next section, two real-life examples of how AR
learning scenarios can be applied in ‘Informatics’ and ‘Information
Science’ are presented.
6. Case Studies
6.1. AR in Informatics Teaching
First of all, it is important to ascertain whether augmented
reality technology can be effective in aiding education and
learning. This part of the pilot study focused on this issue
having the following hypothesis: Augmented reality can
be effectively combined with traditional methods to help
students understand complex concepts and operations during
practical laboratories. Based on studies that suggest that
multimedia augmentation provides a more effective way of
presenting teaching material compared to traditional methods
[LPLW02], an interactive scenario was designed and
demonstrated to two courses. The first was a foundationlevel
course called ‘Introduction to Information Technology’,
and the other one was a postgraduate course, called
’Virtual Environments’. The audience in ’Introduction to Information
Technology’ course consisted of 15 foundation
students while ‘Virtual Environments’ had a cohort of 5
postgraduate students. In both courses, qualitative responses
were collected from the students based on the ‘thinking
aloud’ technique [DFAB04].
6.1.1. Tutorials
Figure 2: Student examining a 3D representation of an Intel
CPU.
The first step in the sequence of the lecture material described
the basic hardware components of a computer system
and only the most significant components were presented
including the motherboard, RAM, CD-ROM, DVDROM,
hard disk, fan etc. To present a more engaging way of
learning, 3D representations of the hardware were combined
with human-computer interaction techniques. Students were
able to examine the virtual information naturally. They could
either use a head-mounted display (HMD) or a standard display
monitor to view the virtual information. Each type of
visualisation display has advantages and disadvantages since
a HMD-based augmentation provides more immersion but
may cause nausea and motion sickness and increases the
overall cost of the application. On the other hand, monitorbased
augmentation is much cheaper and it is more suitable
for collaboration but provides less immersion.
The application of AR in learning can be demonstrated
through the use of a practical tutorial called the virtual computer.
The aim of this tutorial was to combine traditional
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methods (i.e. PowerPoint presentation) with AR technologies
to illustrate how a real computer looks like in reality.
Students and lecturer gathered around a table on which the
interior of a computer was overlaid. Based on the course’s
syllabus, augmented guidance was provided to the students
using meaningful textual annotations in two ways: as references
or as instructions. References (also called labels) were
used to augment the most characteristic hardware devices
whereas instructions were provided to act as an additional
electronic guide for students (Figure 2).
To emphasise the 3D representations of the computer’s
parts the lecturer could isolate only the 3D models so that
students were more focused and able to perform basic interactions
on them such as rotations, translations and scaling
operations.
Figure 3: Web3D-based VR presentation with metadata and
AR-based presentation.
For the ‘Virtual Environments’ course, a second tutorial
was designed and presented which allowed users to interact
with 3D Web content (Web3D) using virtual and augmented
reality. This allowed the exploration of the potential benefits
of Web3D and AR technologies in education and learning.
Multimedia content could be viewed locally or over the Internet,
as well as in a tabletop AR environment (Figure 3).
To better manipulate the 3D model, sensor devices, such
as 3D mouse were integrated within the system. The advantage
of using a 3D mouse is that it usually provides button
menus together with a puck allowing six degrees of freedom
interaction with 3D information, which makes for a more
efficient interface than the keyboard.
6.1.2. Evaluation
The two educational scenarios were designed to investigate
the effectiveness and presentation of multimedia augmented
reality. The operation of the system was presented to the laboratory
and students in both courses were asked to comment
on the effectiveness of the system and whether it should be
used as an additional tool for teaching the courses. Two different
configurations were used, one for collaborative learning
using standard monitor displays and another one using
HMDs.
As far as the user feedback is concerned, all students
agreed the presented technology is very promising and
should be applied in the classroom. However, the feedback
received for individual aspects (i.e. visualisation and interaction)
varied within the different groups of students (undergraduate
and postgraduate). Specifically, the undergraduate
students were impressed with the ease of use, the flexibility
and the capabilities of the learning interface. In terms
of visualisation, they preferred the monitor-based augmentation
compared to the HMD-based augmentation which they
found distracting and difficult to use. They commented that
the monitor-based augmentation can help to increase collaborative
learning and enhanced interaction and engagement
with the subject matter. On the other hand, the postgraduate
students found it extremely useful to be able to ‘see’
and ‘interact’ with related multimedia information in threedimensions
using the HMD-based augmentation. Especially
in the case of computer components where they could examine
a number of 3D representations concerning not only the
specific hardware components but also learn by the virtual
multimedia scenarios how a computer works. One particular
student pointed out that the use of AR technology is the best
means of teaching the ‘Virtual Environments’ course since
it makes it easier to understand the underlying theories and
concepts for three-dimensions.
In addition, all students agreed that the physical interaction
of multimedia information provides an exciting means
of collaboration between the lecturer and the students. However,
almost all students criticised the fact that only a few
scenarios had been implemented.
6.2. AR for Teaching Multimedia
A second pilot was conducted in a postgraduate course
called ‘Multimedia’. As before, the experimental demonstration
of the AR technology was qualitatively evaluated. The
course cohort consisted of 10 students including 5 male and
5 female. Since the use of AR technology as a learning tool
was determined to be helpful the second stage of the research
was to explore some aspects of it in more detail. The hypothesis
consisted of three parts: augmentation of audio-visual
information is more effective than other multimedia mediums
and it can aid the learning process; interaction in AR is
more effective than other means and will speed up the learning
process; and current learning can be enhanced through
the use of AR.
6.2.1. Tutorials
Collaboration in classroom situations is largely determined
by the students’ roles [KS02] so the lecturer is responsible
for controlling the sequence of the demonstration using the
AR interface environment. The AR Puzzle application designed
for this study was used to present geographical information
in an attractive manner that would make learners
more interested in geography. As an example scenario the
topology of the university’s campus was presented in an interactive
3D puzzle. At the beginning of the game, students
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Figure 4: Collaborative AR learning game: unsolved AR
puzzle pieces with the complete solution (left) and solved AR
puzzle (right).
were provided with a set of marker cards. Each card corresponded
to a different 3D component of the campus. Students
were able to examine the components of the puzzle
interactively in a natural way. Furthermore, they could experiment
with different topology combinations by placing
the pieces of the puzzle next to each other (Figure 4).
Students could collaborate in natural ways by swapping
the cards around and utilising all types of communication
that humans use when collaborating in real life (i.e. verbal,
gesture, etc). This is one of the most significant advantages
of the AR system over other educational and learning technologies.
It offers students a selection of different interaction
techniques ranging from natural interactions to software and
hardware interactions.
6.2.2. Evaluation
The feedback received from the participants can be categorised
into three types including: visualisation experience;
interaction and movement; and usefulness in learning. In respect
to the visualisation experience, most students agreed
that the enhancement of AR was responsive, helpful with
user-friendly interface. The visualisation experience as a
whole was very useful and can be ranked as very good since
the 3D models were very realistic. Some students argued that
the tangible interface is very effective because it is possible
to examine 3D objects from any angle in a natural manner.
Three students mentioned that 3D perception in a classroom
is much better than 2D because it helps to visualise the atmosphere
in a better way and looks closer to reality.
As far as interaction and movement is concerned, students
were impressed with the tangibility of the AR technology
and the ability to naturally manipulate the learning material
(i.e. navigating into a new place in 3D to wayfind from one
position to another). Most of them mentioned that interaction
seems to be very easy a very enjoyable and one said that
it is “the most interactive interface that I have experienced
in the classroom”. One stated that it is much better to interact
with 3D objects in AR rather than interacting using the
mouse and keyboard. Another student said that it is better
than traditional methods since it is closer to reality.
The general feedback received was that AR is a useful
tool for learning not only in multimedia but also in other
courses of computer science and informatics. Most students
were impressed with the capabilities of AR and liked using
it for exploration and learning. In particular one said “by
far the most interesting lecture I have ever had and made
me want to explore more and more”. Another liked the fact
that they can zoom-in and explore particular features. One
student mentioned that it would be good to have the whole
course using AR but this would probably require a lot of time
in the generation of tutorials. Finally, two students said that
it is complicated and need some time to adapt to it so they
proposed to do some training before using it.
7. Conclusions
In this paper we have presented an interactive, low-cost AR
educational environment. The innovation of the system is
that it can provide students with a multimedia augmentation
of teaching material in a compelling and engaging way. Students
can collaborate with the learning environment using
either a physical interface (i.e. marker cards) or hardware
devices (i.e. keyboard, mouse, 3D mouse) and software user
interfaces (i.e. graphical user interfaces). The technology has
been trialled in three different academic departments of different
UK universities. Our initial evaluation suggests that
AR technology is a promising and stimulating tool for learning
and that it can be effective when used in parallel with
traditional methods.
The current focus of the research is on implementing more
robust educational scenarios and evaluating the operation of
the system as well as the learning scenarios through extensive
user studies One of the greatest advantages of the presented
system is that it can be used as a platform for creating
other learning applications in other higher education fields
such as computer graphics (as mentioned in section 4 of this
paper), biology, chemistry, physics, archaeology, geology,
geography etc. Although AR has been around for a while
now, only recently have researchers started designed and
implementing experimental applications including entertainment,
medicine, construction, collaborative design, military,
archaeology and many others. However, many issues related
to technology remain to be improved as well as wide-ranging
user studies within universities must be completed before
AR learning environments can become a standard component
of higher education.
8. Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge two
websites, http://www.3dcafe.com and
http://www.ocnus.com/models/, from which some
of the used VRML objects were downloaded. Additionally,
special thanks need to be extended to Panagiotis Petridis for
creating part of the virtual multimedia content and Maria
Cheiladaki for her assistance.
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