Higher Education

Introduction

In this section we illustrate how Augmented Reality systems can be applied experimentally in higher education for learning and training purposes. The content used is based on the actual lecture material currently applied for teaching in the university of Sussex. For this purpose two different scenarios have been designed including:

Multimedia Augmented Reality Interface for E-Learning

An interactive Multimedia Augmented Reality Interface for E-Learning (MARIE) is presented. In this work, its application for Engineering Education is primarily discussed in order to enhance traditional teaching and learning methods, but it is equally applicable to other areas. A user-friendly interface has been developed and implemented, to experimentally explore the potential of augmented reality by superimposing Virtual Multimedia Content (VMC) information in an AR tabletop environment, e.g. a student desk workspace.

The user can interact with the VMC that is composed of three-dimensional objects, images, animations, text (ASCII or three-dimensional) and sound. To prove the feasibility of the system only a small part of the teaching material was digitised and some experimental results are presented.

• Liarokapis, F., Petridis, P., Lister, P.F., White, M., Multimedia Augmented Reality Interface for E-Learning (MARIE), World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education, UICEE, 1(2): 173-176, (2002). ISSN: 1446-2257. Pdf

• Liarokapis, F., Mourkoussis, N., Petridis, P., Rumsey, S., Lister, P.F., White, M., An Interactive Augmented Reality System for Engineering Education, Proc. 3rd Global Congress on Engineering Education, Glasgow, 30 June - 5 July, 334-337, (2002). ISBN: 0-7326-2201-8. Pdf

• White, M., Jay, E., Liarokapis, F., Kostakis, C., Lister, P.F., A Virtual Interactive Teaching Environment (VITE) using XML and Augmented Reality, The International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, 38(4): 316-329, October (2001). ISSN: 0020-7209. Pdf

Web3D and Augmented Reality in Engineering Education

To explore the potential benefits of Web3D and augmented reality technologies in engineering education and learning a generic educational application is presented that allows users to interact with 3D web content using virtual and augmented reality. Users of this interface can view multimedia content, to support a lecturers traditional delivery, either locally or over the Internet and in a table-top augmented reality environment.

A three-tier architecture was implemented composed of an XML data repository, a server based on Apache tomcat and Java Servlets, and a client visualisation application called ARIFLite. In this paper we illustrate our architecture configured to deliver multimedia content presented as four themes designed to support the teaching of mechanical engineering concepts such as machines, vehicles, platonic solids and tools.

• Liarokapis, F., Mourkoussis, N., White, M., Darcy, J., Sifniotis, M., Petridis, P., Basu, A., Lister, P.F., Web3D and Augmented Reality to support Engineering Education, World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education, UICEE, 3(1): 11-14, (2004). ISSN: 1446-2257. Pdf

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