Augmenting paper based learning materials A pragmatic approach Sandra Maathuis-Smith School of Social Sciences Open Polytechnic of New Zealand Lower Hutt, New Zealand sandra.smith@openpolytechnic.ac.nz Gary Mersham School of Social Sciences Open Polytechnic of New Zealand Lower Hutt, New Zealand gary.mersham@openpolytechnic.ac.nz Abstract—Some distance education institutions have invested heavily in print-based resources, and learners still show a preference for print; but some concepts and practical or skills based courses, for example science or engineering, do not translate well into the print medium. This paper presents Augmented Reality (AR) as a possible solution and discusses the development and implementation of an AR application into traditional print learning materials. Keywords-Distance education; mixed reality; augmented reality; ODL I. ENHANCIING PAPER BASED LEARNING MATERIALS WITH AUGMENTED REALITY International evidence (from publications and strategy documents from JISC and EURODL, and the development of user experience design UXD) suggests that in the future. Open and Distance Learning (ODL) will not be either print-based or ‘online’ but will use appropriate mixes of available media designed to meet different learner needs [1]. Teachers and students have reported that the use of AR in teaching and learning has led to high engagement and interactive, situated, collaborative problem solving [2, p.1]. In our example of the rendering of three dimensional ball bearing images, augmentation enables us to exploit the particular power of the computer (regardless of their networked status) as a symbiotic aid to cognition. Computer code is particularly adept at taking one kind of data input and expressing it in novel and revealing ways. So, for example, the viewer we developed allowed students to manipulate the three dimensions of the rendering independently. As Allen [3, p.7] puts it, augmentation involves learning where humans and machines can work together to solve problems and present the results of that investigation. If such augmentation is also networked, it enables further dissemination, analysis and consideration as well. Many distance education institutions have invested heavily in print-based resources for students. More still are moving to a blended approach where resources are presented in print and some in a digital environment. Over 90% of the learners at the Open Polytechnic continue to express clear preferences for either print-based distance learning (supported by freephone and email access to lecturer, library and other support services) or ‘mixed mode’ distance learning (the print-based service plus e-support services) [1]. Many disciplines have concepts which do not translate well into the print medium and this is one of the problems facing distance education providers. In practical or skills based courses such as science or engineering, learners find it difficult to get access to physical artifacts such as tools, chemicals and components. Some distance students will have difficulty sourcing many of the artifacts relevant to their subject. For example: plumbing valves, electrical components, chemicals, etc. The question of how this content could be best rendered and delivered to the students via the print medium was investigated by a team at the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand [4]. Aside from delivering the content the team also was challenged to produce an interface where there was minimal set up and low cognitive investment (learning curve) on behalf of the content developer and the user, and also to do it without reliance on networks or online technologies. This paper describes the process without reliance on networks but the same process can be adapted to deliver the content via intranet, internet or cellular and mobile networks. The adage goes that ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ A 3D image would exponentially increase that to many thousands, but how do you put a number on a 3D image whose angle of “viewing” you can manipulate yourself? True learning is experiential and the more senses that are involved, the more powerful the learning experience. Successful E-learning and distance educators are putting in the effort to engage their students in meaningful activities that involve interaction at multiple levels; through sound, sight, touch, emotions, etc. In real life humans are able to move and turn objects freely in space; this natural interaction allows the user to investigate the object from different perspectives. Traditional methods of learning spatially-related content involved viewing 3D objects on a computer screen: The objects are manipulated in space through keyboard commands or mouse clicks. One step to improving this interaction involves presenting learners with 3D visualizations of components with the ability to manipulate the ‘view’ from the users’ perspective. Some doubt has been put on the pedagogical value of Augmented Reality (AR) because of the predominant use of 978-1-4673-4925-3/12/$31.00 ©2012 IEEE November 6-8, 2012, Amman, Jordan 2012 International Conference on Interactive Mobile and Computer Aided Learning (IMCL) Page 58