Android Mobile Augmented Reality Application Based on Different Learning Theories for Primary School Children BEHRANG PARHIZKAR
ZAHRA MOHANA GEBRIL
Faculty of Information & Communication
Faculty of Information & Communication
Technology, LlMKOKWING University
Technology, LlMKOKWING University
Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia
[email protected]
[email protected]
WAQAS KHALID OBEIDY
MIKE NG AH NGAN
Faculty of Information & Communication
Faculty of Information & Communication
Technology, LlMKOKWING University
Technology, LlMKOKWING University
Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia
[email protected]
[email protected]
SHAHAN AHMAD CHOWDHURY
ARASH HABIBI LASHKARI
Faculty of Tnformation & Communication
Faculty of Information & Communication
Technology, LTMKOKWING University
Technology, LlMKOKWING University
Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia
[email protected]
[email protected]
Abstract-Due to advancements in the mobile technology and the
new learning theories, web and mobile learning has exploded
presence of strong mobile platforms, it is now possible to use the revolutionising augmented reality technology in mobiles. This research work is based on the understanding of different types of
everywhere in our society, which is considered as an essential learning style in the coming future. The use of Augmented
learning theories, concept of mobile learning and mobile augmented reality and discusses how applications using these advanced technologies can shape today's education systems.
Keywords: Mobile Learning, Mobile Augmented Reality, Mobile Applications and Android Augmented Reality
1.
Reality will further enhance the outcome of studies and makes it more interesting. Similar
to
AR,
learning
using
handheld
computers
or
smartphones is obviously relatively immature in terms of both its technologies and its pedagogies, but is developing rapidly [9]. Parsons and Ryu defme it as "M-Iearning is broadly defined as the delivery of learning content to learners utilizing mobile computing devices" on 2006. M-Iearning also related to e-Iearning. Currently there are many debates, whether m Learning is the next progressive step from e-Learning or simply an advanced tool that integrates with e-Learning.
INTRODUCTION
A relatively new term in the field of technology is Augmented Reality (AR) which is somehow can be considered as an extension or a variation of virtual reality. It allows users to experience the real world with virtual objects superimposed upon or composited with the real world [3] and hence it serves so as to supplement reality, rather than completely replacing it.
Augmented Reality (AR) is currently widely researched and rapidly evolving. This technology supplements the real world with composite 3D virtual objects that are integrated into the real world. This technology is very interesting and interactive and therefore there is a vast range of potential applications of Augmented Reality (AR) such as in the field of medicine, manufacturing, urban planning, architecture, archaeology, education and many more. Nowadays with the rapid developments in web and mobile computing technologies and
Augmented reality is found to be very effective in the field of teaching and this can be used in order to build interest of students and young children to the study concepts which are imaginary and are difficult to understand. By Merging the these two concepts of Augmented reality and mobile learning and deeply studying the concept of mobile augmented reality, the idea is to develop an interactive mobile augmented reality application based on the best learning practices in which the interactive science book will act as a marker and the web and the mobile camera will work as a tracking device to trigger the new level of study experience of general science concepts such as the study of materials, solids, liquids and gases, different phenomenon they go through, universe and the galaxies, the
978-1-4673-1520-3/12/$31.00 ©2012 IEEE
basic human skeleton parts, digestive and respiratory systems etc.
There are two main aspects of content adaptation: 1) Adaptive content selection: the learning material is selected on the basis
A detailed survey and analysis was done in order to find out what are the problems from which the average primary school
of a user or learner model taking in account prerequisite knowledge and user preferences. 2) Adaptive presentation based on the user context (type of device, connection
children go through, and the concepts which teachers believe are difficult for them to understand.
bandwidth, environment etc) [4]. B.
Favourite Subject
Learning Theories
A learning theory is an attempt to describe how people learn; thereby helping us understands the inherently complex process of learning. Human learning is a highly complex topic. Different theories have emerged as researchers have focused on different kinds of learning (John Bransford et.al, 2005). There are three major basic learning theories for instructional human
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
iii F3VOfit'e Subject in SChool
Figure 1. General Science is their most favorite subject in the school
Use of Interactive Materials in the Class
learning, Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and the latest approach of Constructivism [13]. Our main aim is to use constructivism theory to make mobile learning application. Constructivists believe that learning is an active process and that learners can construct their own knowledge according to their own individual preferences based on the perception of experiences within a matrix established by the instructor or on a search initiated by the learners themselves. Knowledge can also be gained from the sharing of multiple perspectives [13].
Mobile Augmented Reality Augmented Reality (AR) is a technique C.
Figure 2. Teachers use interactive
Out of the survey done on 50 primary school children, almost 55 % of them were of the opinion that General Science is their most favourite subject in the school (Figure 1) and surprisingly 60% said that their teachers use interactive (Figure 2).
II.
A.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Mobile Learning
Mobile learning or M-learning through the use of mobile device allows anyone to access information and learning materials from anywhere and at any time. M-learning focuses on the mobility of the learner and interacting with portable device, like laptop, PDA, smart mobile phone etc. [lO].M learning is also related to e-Iearning. Currently there are many debates, whether m-Learning is the next progressive step from e-Learning or simply an advanced tool that integrates with e Learning. Georgiev and colleagues define it as, "A new stage of the development of e-Iearning" [5]. E-learning and M-learning has similar functionality, i.e. course content, student support services, www etc, But each of this learning process being executed differently. In the case of e learning a tethered approach is utilized. Tn m-Iearning, the same processes are performed in an exclusively wireless environment [12]. Mobile device has limited hardware and software capabilities, so learning content has to be limited but friendly to user. Based on what user wants.
for overlaying virtual objects onto the real world. AR can provide users with sub immersive feeling by allowing interactions to occur between the real and virtual worlds [20]. Augmented Reality (AR) superimposes or composites generated virtual objects onto real world images. It appears to the user that the rendered objects supplement reality and coexist in the same space [19]. The virtual world should be properly aligned to the real one to produce this illusion. Many potential AR applications have been explored such as medical visualization, maintenance and repair, robot environment planning, entertainment and manufacturing [16]. Augmented Reality requires accurate scene registration which results in a problem of camera pose estimation in the 3D environment [14]. One usage model that has gained significant interest to end users and handheld providers is Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) [2]. Instances of MAR usage models and applications are already emerging today. For example, Wikitude shows the potential of such applications built on Android platforms by using a combination of location, webcam and Qype content to achieve augmented reality. There are several other efforts also already investigating MAR applications. These examples clearly highlight the future potential of augmented reality in general [17]. Generally it is said that, augmented reality has become practicable on high-end mobile handsets only in 2009. This was because of the availability of superior technology and five key facilities within the handsets other than the mobile operating system which augmented reality supports. They are; Camera, GPS, Broadband connectivity, Tilt sensors and digital compasses [7]. There is a vast range of potential applications of
Augmented Reality (AR) and Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) such as in the field of medicine, manufacturing, urban planning, architecture and archaeology, journalism, navigation and path finding, and civil engineering.
D.
Development Methodology
The development methodology for this research is based on Tterative-Visual Cognitive Software Development Life Cycle Methodology (1- VC SDLC). The I-VC SDLC is a systematic process which incorporates the standard five processes: Analysis, Design, Development,
Android Platform
The Android platform composed of the operating system, middleware, user interface and application software, is the first software platform and operating system built for open and complete mobile device [6]. Android application development is a hot topic since the introduction of android by Google and hundreds and thousands of applications are being developed and shared in the android market every now and then. Android supports a wide range of input/output devices, sensors and communication media. Google has revealed the power of "Open Source" through it massive complex +100,000 Linux servers, and as it has enriched the web with its search engine, will revolutionize the mobile computing technologies with its open source Android platform [1]. In May 2010, Android's first quarter U.S. sales surpassed that of the rival iPhone platform. Analysts pointed many advantages and said that Android has as a multi-channel, multi-carrier OS, which allowed it to duplicate the quick success of Microsoft's Windows Mobile and even more.
Ill.
A.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
application on android OS platform for general science studies of primary school syllabus. In addition, the objective of the research is also, to develop the prototype using Tangible User Interface as well as Natural User Interface (natural element of human finger and hand), to control the virtual 3D objects in the real environment. The research methodology is discussed in two parts: development methodology and the simple usability testing methodology.
Mayers Principle
Phase
1:
Analysis
to
acquire
(SRS) were determined in order that the system developed would meet the need of the users. Amongst the factors considered to meet the needs of the users were as follows: .Scope of system .Need of user .Contents of object .Problem statement .Process of digitization The above factors were considered as very important.
Interface
Design Stl'U·otUre
m
..
Learning
•
..
Theory Mastsry learning StJ"ategy
The
scope of the system is important to determine, so that the objectives and the need of the users can be met. To meet these requirements there are several steps were taken in analysis phase, such as questionnaires, literature review, interview and
Phase IT: System Design The output and findings of the Analysis Phase became the input of the system design and architecture phase. This phase involved the design of four different contents which includes: 3D objects, and finger interaction. The Systems Design and Architecture Phase included three sub-phases: content design, interface design structure design. The details of these sub phases are as follows (figure 3):
-
Construct!"is -
Requirement
At the Analysis Phase the Software Requirement Specifications
D esig n or prolctype
Design
Software
Specifications (SRS)
initial analysis.
The aim of this research is to design and develop a mobile phone augmented reality application and multimedia
Design Content
Implementation and Evaluation in a four-phased model namely: Analysis, Systems Design, Development and Evaluation, and Implementation and Testing.
•
bl1'81lie T )(1 3D object FI 9 er t Ler�ctilon
Prototype ---
Scl(tnce EIIl)edrtion: The pop-up Advenlura
,.---
Figure 3. Learning Model Used in the Development of the Prototype
a) Content Design sub phase This sub-phase involved the study on the contents of the Science Expedition: The pop-up Adventure. The contents design is based on the Mayer's Multimedia principle. The
Mayer's principles are: Spatial Contiguity Principle: Students learn better when corresponding words and pictures are presented near rather than far from each other.Coherence
Principle: Students learn better when extraneous words, sound and pictures are excluded rather than included [8, 11].
that the Software Design Specifications (SDS) is met based on the storyboard.
b) Interface Design Sub phase
Phase IV: Implementation & Evaluation
This sub-phase focused on the Interface of the application and it is based on constructlvism learning theory. Constructivism is a theory of knowledge. Humans Construct their own knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. During infancy, it is an interaction between their experiences and their reflexes or behavior-patterns [13].
This phase is important in software development, because in this phase all the outputs and results of all the previous phases will appear. Before the implementation process was executed, the evaluation phase was conducted. The evaluation part involved Research instrument, expert opinions and usability testing. Evaluation part is under our Testing Methodology.
c) Structure design Sub phase This sub-phase focused on the structure of the application which is based on mastery learning. Mastery learning is "A framework for planning instructional sequences". Students have to go through step by step to enter next level to each level [15]. System architecture: The
process
of
designing
the
prototypes
of
Science
Expedition comprised of five main components such as: resources, theory, sampling, interactions and evaluation which defmed its system architecture. It can be observed in figure 4.
B.
Usability Testing Methodology
Our testing methodology is based on usability evaluation or testing. Usability testing is a technique for ensuring that the intended users of a system can carry out the intended tasks efficiently, effectively and satisfactorily. Usability testing of Science Expedition: The pop-up Adventure was conducted using five characteristics of usability [18]. •
Effective
Phase TIT: Development and testing
•
Efficient
This phase involved the development and testing of the Science Expedition: The pop-up Adventure prototype. This phase also involved the creation of storyboards. The development of the prototypes at this stage involved three sub
•
Engaging
•
Error Tolerant
•
Easy to Learn
phases which included: plan, design and compose, as an important approach in development of application to ensure
Science Expedition
-
The Pop-up Adventure
Figure 4. System Design Architecture
IV.
DISCUSSION
A literature review of the topics such as mobile learning, learning theories, mobile augmented reality and latest platforms have enabled us to understand how technology is moving fast and the ways in which people use to educate themselves are changing accordingly. This paper throws light on the basic concepts mobile learning and mobile augmented
realityand shows us a way how we can combine these concepts along with different learning theories to facilitate today's education in better and productive way.
The special thank goes to our helpful advisor Dr. Arash Habibi Lashkari for his supervising and advising in the progression of our dissertation and project. REFERENCES [1]
[2]
Figure 5. System prototype 1
By doing a basic research on today's education industry and by understanding the different principles in used in the mobile
learning
and
mobile
platform
compatibilities
we
decided to develop an application which can improve today education system and helps student understand concepts which are imaginary, such as the rusting of iron, formation of ice, movement of planets in the universe etc. By following a standard J-VC SDLC methodology and the four-phased model described in detail in the paper above, we have been able to propose a new method of constructive teaching to the young primary school children which can revolutionize the whole education system in future. The system prototypes have shown
[3] [4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
in figures 5 and 6.
[8]
[9] [10]
[11]
[12]
Figure 6. System Prototype 2
V.
[13]
CONCLUSION
Augmented reality is found to be very effective in the field of teaching and this can be used in order to build interest of students and young children to the study concepts which are
[14]
[15]
imaginary and are difficult to understand. Due to advancements in the mobile technology and the presence of strong mobile platforms, it is now possible to use augmented reality technology in mobiles. Therefore, in this research, mobile augmented reality is used to model primary school science book chapters. The users shall be able to open the augmented
[16]
science book, and will be able to witness related supportive
[17]
matter popping up on the screen of the mobile with 3D models, pictures and voiceovers. These augmented objects will be interactive and can be played around with. The system will be developed using the lterative-Visual Cognitive Software Development Life Cycle Methodology (J-VC SDLC) for
[18]
Mobile based Augmented Science Book System.
[19]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT [20]
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