Evaluating the Usability of an Augmented Reality Based Educational Application

Technological developments and changes mean that computer-based teaching tools rapidly become obsolete or less attractive to students. In teaching, as in other fields, there is a continual need to explore new technologies that are attractive, adapted to the personal needs of students and which motivate them to learn. Students are struck by the appearance of new technology or gadgets and they show an interest in using them. This paper analyses the potential of Augmented Reality technology in university education. An AR-based application has been developed with a view to improving spatial abilities among engineering students, thus enabling them to gain a better understanding of engineering graphics subjects. We present a student satisfaction study and an evaluation of the efficiency and efficacy of the technology applied to this field of education.

[1]  Maria del Carmen Juan Lizandra,et al.  An Augmented Reality System for Learning the Interior of the Human Body , 2008, 2008 Eighth IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies.

[2]  Kasper Hornbæk,et al.  Current practice in measuring usability: Challenges to usability studies and research , 2006, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[3]  Ivan Poupyrev,et al.  The MagicBook - Moving Seamlessly between Reality and Virtuality , 2001, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.

[4]  Beat Signer,et al.  Using paper to support collaboration in educational activities , 2005 .

[5]  A. Wesman The DIFFERENTIAL APTITUDE Tests , 1952 .

[6]  S. Vandenberg,et al.  Mental Rotations, a Group Test of Three-Dimensional Spatial Visualization , 1978, Perceptual and motor skills.

[7]  Manuel Contero,et al.  A study of usability of sketching tools aimed at supporting prescriptive sketches , 2006, SBM'06.

[8]  Benjamin Lok,et al.  Scaffolded learning with mixed reality , 2009, Comput. Graph..

[9]  Nigel Bevan,et al.  Practical issues in usability measurement , 2006, INTR.

[10]  Benjamin S. Bloom,et al.  A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives , 2000 .

[11]  Ronald Azuma,et al.  A Survey of Augmented Reality , 1997, Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments.

[12]  Dieter Schmalstieg,et al.  Mathematics and geometry education with collaborative augmented reality , 2003, Comput. Graph..

[13]  Valerie J. Shute,et al.  Understanding spatial ability , 1984 .

[14]  T Vilis,et al.  “Active” and “passive” learning of three-dimensional object structure within an immersive virtual reality environment , 2002, Behavior research methods, instruments, & computers : a journal of the Psychonomic Society, Inc.