The AVO2 subproject “3D and mobile environments for learning and participation” is piloting the use of augmented reality and Kinect, the motion-sensing input device, for education and improved participation. In autumn 2012, the project has taken off to a good start, and the first pilots are under way.

Learning domestic work with augmented reality

“Cleaning the toilet is one of the least motivating topics in the studies of domestic and consumer services students. The use of an augmented reality application might make it more interesting”, said Ms. Tuula Rantanen, Special Needs Teacher and Ms. Leena Koivisto, Special Needs Assistant, in Orimattila unit of Salpaus further education, when they were asked in spring 2012 about good learning contents to pilot. Just a moment earlier, the teachers and students had been introduced to augmented reality through a few demos, the viewing of which had brought astonished, yet delighted expressions on their faces.

Causing the wow effect is not a sufficient reason to start making use of augmented reality in teaching. Any application that is implemented must be useful in real situations and, first of all, it must help students learn the intended content at least as well as traditional methods do.

There are several challenges in the Orimattila pilot. Students should have their hands free in these educational situations, and the adopted technology should work well enough to keep the students’ user experience positive. In addition, students in special needs groups may have problems understanding instructions in textual form. It is possible to answer these challenges with a technology that enables the presentation of the required issues through several different media.

The application that guides students in toilet care is going to be first tested in practice in autumn 2012, and further development is going to take place on the basis of the feedback received. It may be possible to make use of the application in another pilot site of this project, i.e. in Virvelinranta Development and Resource Centre for the Disabled.

Getting Empowered by Interaction and Motion with Motion-Sensing Input Devices

This autumn in Virvelinranta a group of students studying welfare at HAMK University of Applied Sciences have begun testing and familiarizing technologies that help the clients’ activities and participation. As of this August, students in work placement at the Development and Resource Centre have been practicing how to conduct guidance sessions for their clients with Kinect sensor, a motionsensing input device. These guided sessions have only a few participants at a time to ensure the fine experience. The participants have so far played one or both of two games: Kinect Sports and Kinectimals, in the latter of which the client obtains a pet in order to take care of it and to teach tricks to it.

Even though the participants were not familiar with Kinect at first, they soon learned to use it. Virvelinranta clients eagerly welcomed new experiences and, in particular, the cuddly animals in the Kinectimals game. Even the staff became enthusiastic about the new device. The beginning could not have been better even though the first times with the device presented challenges by finding the best practices for different clients. The virtual pet motivated many to intensive concentration. Clients are eager to play and at the same time getting rather considerable amounts of exercise. Their degree of mobility and control of bodily movements have been improved while playing. When they have been engaged in the activity, clients have experienced success and joy and have felt empowered as they have seen that they can control Kinect themselves. The students participating in the pilot use of these new contents have felt positive about the success of the implementation.

The guidance sessions are ongoing and observations are being collected. During the autumn, on the basis of these materials, IT students at HAMK will develop various applications for Virvelinranta clients to enjoy, make use of and learn with. These applications will also benefit HAMK students studying welfare as they will be able to use the applications for practice. The usability and features of Kinect are studied in order to create well-thought-out user experiences for as many clients as possible. The wishes of Virvelinranta staff, such as counsellors and physiotherapists, are carefully noted, and their feedback is valuable. Some staff members are now guiding game sessions themselves. Kinect seems to have come to Virvelinranta to stay.

Forest Learning Path Is Forming in Tampere

The 3DM subproject has quite literally been taken into the bushes. The Pirkanmaa unit of the Finnish Forestry Centre and its educational partner, the 4H organisation, are involved in designing a forest learning path that could be operated on augmented reality browsers in smart phones and tablets. The target group will include pupils in comprehensive schools as well as everyone generally interested in forests.

“In spring 2012, our Bittimetsä (Bit forest) project implemented the Kauppi forest skills track in Tampere. The assignment points are marked with QR codes and are problematic in the sense that they easily attract vandalism and, therefore, they require constant maintenance. We also wanted to try out a new method for forestry education because this might work better in motivating modern children and young people to learn about forests”, says Ms. Ulla Konkarikoski from the Forestry Centre.

The idea is to implement this forestry education path so that it will include 9–12 assignment points that can be found in the terrain by the aid of GPS coordinates. These assignment points will present forest-related tasks that can be resolved using mobile devices. At an assignment point, you might be asked to view a video clip or to search for more information on the web. The tasks can involve rewarding, therefore motivating elements. The intention is to select a city forest for this path so that it can be easily reached by as many people as possible. On the other hand, all assignment points can be easily transferred to a different area by simply changing the coordinates. The application will be ready for test use in spring 2013.

In addition, the 3DM subproject hopes to implement a pilot in which an abstract issue is made more concrete with the help of augmented reality. Good examples of such applications are abundant already.

To Learn More

3DM subproject blog at University of Tampere
Augmented reality group in SOMETU network 

Further information

Joanna Kalalahti | University of Tampere
e-mail | joanna.kalalahti(at)uta.fi

Leena Koskimäki | HAMK University of Applied Sciences
e-mail | leena.koskimaki(at)hamk.fi

Merja Salminen | HAMK University of Applied Sciences
e-mail | merja.salminen(at)hamk.fi

www.eoppimiskeskus.fi/avo2