Presentation delivered at ARLIS UK & Ireland Conference, Bristol 2013

2. Matt Ramirez
Mimas AR Developer, University of Manchester
A Study in SCARLET
mimas.ac.uk

3. • Project Overview
• What is AR?
• Implementation of AR with Special Collections – SCARLET PROJECT
• DEMO
• Evaluation
• SCARLET+
• Other subject applications
• DEMO
Presentation Overview

4. mimas.ac.uk
GartnerHypeCycle

5. Mobile Usage
• Morgan Stanley forecast that by 2014 mobile internet usage will
overtake user access through traditional desktop means.
• “The way children use media through the day is also changing…
suggesting a push-button, on-demand culture, which is moving away
from scheduled television programmes.” – Childwise survey, children 7-
16, 2013
mimas.ac.uk

6. Introduction to AR
• Augmented Reality (AR) is a term for
superimposing computer graphics over a
live view of the real world
• Can be delivered on a desktop,
television, mobile device etc.
• Points of Interest (POI‟s) are the main
way of displaying AR information.
mimas.ac.uk

7. Types of Augmented Reality
• Marker based AR (e.g. natural feature tracking – 2D or 3D physical
objects)
• Markerless (without tracking using locational device sensors such as
GPS and/or accelerometer)
mimas.ac.uk

8. Dark Full page image Title
Markerless mimas.ac.uk

9. Dark Full page image Title
Marker based mimas.ac.uk

10. Examples of AR
Early use cases
• Military application on Heads up displays (HUDs)
• Provide visual cues to pilots relating to aircraft systems
such as altitude, airspeed and horizon line.
• Frequently used in unmanned drones, controlled
remotely with contextual targeting information on
screen
mimas.ac.uk

11. Examples of AR
Early use cases
• Manufacturing on production lines (e.g. BMW)
• Engineers quality assure alignment of components
using augmented models.
• Provide directions for assembly on HUD‟s
mimas.ac.uk

12. SCARLET Project
Aims
• Use AR to add value to the learner experience.
• Produce a methodology that other Special
Collections libraries can follow, making these
resources accessible for research, teaching
and learning.
Challenges
• Students must consult rare books within the
controlled conditions of library study rooms.
• The objects are isolated from the secondary,
supporting materials and the growing mass of
related digital assets.
• How does the use of AR enhance Learning &
Teaching?
• What application does AR have to the wider
audience?
mimas.ac.uk

13. AR Student Benefits
• Compliment physical learning spaces (e.g. clinical skills labs, libraries)
with leading-edge e-learning.
• Surround objects with interpretative and contextual material.
• Bridging the gap between specialist-mediated demonstrations and
independent learning.
• Using blended learning methodology.
• Users retain information when actively involved in a learning
experience.
• Abstract concepts or ideas that might otherwise be difficult for students
to comprehend can be explained through AR in situ.
mimas.ac.uk

14. Stakeholder Roles
mimas.ac.uk
Mimas
Project Management
and AR technology
Academics
Award winning academics to
develop and deliver content
John Rylands Library
Technical integration special collections.
Expert knowledge of special collections.
Student Voice
Undergraduate students leading
the development process

15. The courses and content
Dante’s Divine Comedy
10 key editions of the poem which are
particularly important in terms of the publishing
and or/intellectual history
All published between 1472 and 1555
UG course, Italian Studies, Beyond the Text: The
Book and its Body
mimas.ac.uk

16. The courses and content
Gospel of John papyri
The most famous piece of the Rylands
collection, the world-renowned oldest
fragment of the Gospel of John, on
permanent public display.
UG course, Classical Studies, Egypt in the
Graeco-Roman World
mimas.ac.uk

17. GLUE-ing information to images mimas.ac.uk

18. DEMOS
mimas.ac.uk
St John Fragment

19. Feedback - Positive
• Technology was easy to use.
• Provided a central reference to library systems and external resources.
• Beneficial for initial planning of essays and basic knowledge
acquisition.
• Video introductions related to specific objects were most valuable
asset in the delivery.
• “Makes learning fun”
• Enjoyed using the iPads working with peers.
• Give a more realistic perspective – puts you “in” the situation. Makes
learning more exciting and interactive
mimas.ac.uk

20. Feedback - Negative
• Some resources were already available online (Blackboard)
• Students felt divorced from physical object; linking to web app diluted
the experience
• Activity was prescribed and not aligned with some users research
methods consulting physical secondary texts.
mimas.ac.uk

21. Feedback – Lessons Learned
• Use of AR should be more contextual and linked to the object.
• Best used in short byte size learning chunks
• Must deliver unique learning values different from online support
(e.g.VLE).
• User should become less conscious of the technology and more
engaged with the learning/object.
• Users learn in different ways and AR may not be appropriate to all
students.
• Evaluation needed from other user groups and course areas.
mimas.ac.uk

22. http://youtu.be/FgLCyJ1KwTA?t=6m31s mimas.ac.uk

23. Award Winning
Our achievements
• Junaio certified
• Silver award for the Association for Learning
Technologists „Learning Technology of the Year‟ team
award
• Awarded „Innovation in Education‟ in the Higher
Education category at the inaugural Education
Innovation Conference
mimas.ac.uk

24. SCARLET+
Moving forward
Embedding the SCARLET methodology with two different
types of collections (mass observations and visual arts) at
the University of Sussex and the Craft Study Centre at the
University for the Creative Arts.
mimas.ac.uk

25. Dr. Lucy Robinson, lecturer in contemporary British history and University
of Sussex academic lead on Scarlet+ project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPHzSFR6yi8 mimas.ac.uk

26. Other subject applications
Library - Handing over the display cases…
• Year 6 pupils from local schools will choose objects to label and share their thoughts using AR
• Could include:
• maps to show where the objects come from
• videos of the pupils talking about the them
• 3D AR versions of the objects so they can be rotated and viewed from all angles.
mimas.ac.uk

27. Dark Full page image Title
Mock up of interface mimas.ac.uk

28. Other subject applications
Geology Field Trip
• The AR location based learning resource will
aim to enhance Geology field trip with audio,
images, 3d models and video.
• AR overlays highlight rock formations,
evolution of changing topology and fossil
beds
mimas.ac.uk

29. Other subject applications
Landmap
• UKMap AR App allows students to interact
with different mapping layers from the
UKMap database.
mimas.ac.uk

30. DEMOS
mimas.ac.uk
Landmap
Medical School

31. Selected Presentations
mimas.ac.uk
ELI 2012 Annual Meeting, Austin, US
UKSG 2012, Glasgow, UK
Electronic Resources and Libraries, Austin, US
CNI meeting, Baltimore, US
LILAC 2012, Glasgow, UK
ELAG, Palma, Spain
Publications
A Study in SCARLET – AR(t) Magazine, Issue 3
Augmented reality: a new vision for Special Collections. CILIP Update, February 2012
The SCARLET Project: Augmented Reality in special collections, SCONUL Focus 54
Augmented Reality in Education: The SCARLET+ Experience, Ariadne, Issue 71

32. The future is already here mimas.ac.uk

33. The Future is already here mimas.ac.uk

34. Thank you
Keep up to date
Detailed perspectives about AR in education
on our blog:
http://teamscarlet.wordpress.com
Twitter: @team_scarlet @ARdiscuss
Email list: ARDISCUSS@jiscmail.com
mimas.ac.uk
Want to do some AR work with us?
Email: laura.skilton@manchester.ac.uk
or matthew.ramirez@manchester.ac.uk