Location-based technologies for learning

Emerging technologies for learning report - Article exploring location based technologies and their potential for educatio

Decoding learning: the proof, promise and potential of digital education

With hundreds of millions of pounds spent on digital technology for education every year – from interactive whiteboards to the rise of one–to–one tablet computers – every new technology seems to offer unlimited promise to learning. many sectors have benefitted immensely from harnessing innovative uses of technology. cloud computing, mobile communications and internet applications have changed the way manufacturing, finance, business services, the media and retailers operate. But key questions remain in education: has the range of technologies helped improve learners’ experiences and the standards they achieve? or is this investment just languishing as kit in the cupboard? and what more can decision makers, schools, teachers, parents and the technology industry do to ensure the full potential of innovative technology is exploited? There is no doubt that digital technologies have had a profound impact upon the management of learning. institutions can now recruit, register, monitor, and report on students with a new economy, efficiency, and (sometimes) creativity. yet, evidence of digital technologies producing real transformation in learning and teaching remains elusive. The education sector has invested heavily in digital technology; but this investment has not yet resulted in the radical improvements to learning experiences and educational attainment. in 2011, the Review of Education Capital found that maintained schools spent £487 million on icT equipment and services in 2009-2010. 1 since then, the education system has entered a state of flux with changes to the curriculum, shifts in funding, and increasing school autonomy. While ring-fenced funding for icT equipment and services has since ceased, a survey of 1,317 schools in July 2012 by the british educational suppliers association found they were assigning an increasing amount of their budget to technology. With greater freedom and enthusiasm towards technology in education, schools and teachers have become more discerning and are beginning to demand more evidence to justify their spending and strategies. This is both a challenge and an opportunity as it puts schools in greater charge of their spending and use of technolog

Data Narratives: Aesthetic Activation of Urban Space Through Augmented Reality

This chapter discusses Data Narratives, a commissioned augmented reality artwork resulting from a period as artist in residence with Dublin City Dashboard. Data Narratives focused on working with city data to create hybrid artistic representations of Dublin’s ongoing housing affordability crisis, acting both as activist artistic engagement with the socio-political-economic space of the city and aesthetic activation of urban space through augmented reality. As data describes and defines so much of our digital every day, the project and residency programme asked how it could be leveraged as a medium for artistic creation and how could art supply new insights into these data and the life worlds they describe? Additionally, the project explored collaborative methodologies working in AR, increasingly important for artists producing complex AR works with the latest generation AR toolkits. The chapter gives an account of this project detailing its ambition to utilize AR art to build AR prototypes that over-layered city neighbourhoods with a series of cell phone-based data-driven AR narratives. Contextual location-based narratives visualize and engage complex issues. The process of building an artistic AR layer built on civic data is detailed, and the paper discusses its provision of a contextual layer that promoted reflection, informed debate, supported decision making, while connecting city residents with their city through renditions of its data

ARTree. Designing & evaluating handheld augmented reality art

Augmented reality is a technology combining physical and virtual objects. This study aimes to explore the use of this technology in art. The prototype ARTree was developed through contributions from an artist, and consists of a physical tree and virtual objects representing the four seasons. A qualitative usability test was conducted where users were observed while interacting with ARTree, and expressed their thoughts and actions through the use of the think aloud technique. Findings from the evaluation were that users interact with AR art in an exploring way, experiencing it as a task. Findings also revealed that users find it more comfortable to interact with the paper markers that the 3D objects are connected to, than to move the tree and the branches.INFO390MASV-INF

The Impact of Augmented Reality Tools and Techniques on the Imaginative Thinking Routines of the Arts and Design Students, and its Relation to the Accuracy in Learning and Achievement Level

The paper in hand aims to examine and explore the effect of augmented reality tools and techniques on developing imaginative thinking behavior, across arts and design students, as well as its relation to the accuracy in learning and achievement levels. The study was conducted in the faculty of arts and design in Jordan University. This paper manifested the possibilities that augmented reality can offer to education. Not only that but also the suggestions which affect teaching and learning strategies; it also can cater to students’ educational needs and provide solutions, while the learners develop their designs. Such programs define innovation from a different perspective, and considers development as a mean to cope with the changes in the world. In order to achieve the aims and objectives of the study, the researcher developed imaginative thinking and achievement tests. (40) Students took the tests. As the researcher implemented descriptive quasi-experimental design for its appropriateness to the nature of the study. The results of the study demonstrate a statistical analytical significance in imaginative thinking sections, as well as the students’ success in the posttest achievement tests; this process was in favor for the experimental group. The experimental group members enjoyed learning as they received augmented reality techniques and developed designs digitally. Due to the high achievements and high scores of the experimental group, the researcher highly recommends the professors to include such programs in their teaching and learning processes. Key words: augmented reality techniques, imaginative thinking, and achievement level, learning accuracy, arts and interior design students. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-31-12 Publication date: November 30th 202

Introduction: Walking in the Digital City

The editors introduce the special issue, 'Walking in the Digital City"

Developing the New Zealand Soundmap: An exploration of soundmap practice, site listening, locative media and the sound environment

This text is an exegesis written in accompaniment to the development of the New Zealand Soundmap. The origin and development of soundmap practice and the emergence and development of related environmental sound practices are detailed. The exegesis concludes with an exposition of the development of the New Zealand Soundmap itself. Soundmap practice emerged from the sonic explorations of the World Soundscape Project, who coming out of Simon Fraser University of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, pioneered the first soundmaps in the early 1970’s. From its origins soundmap practice has spread and developed into its current form as a new media practice. This thesis deals with the development of a regional web-based soundmap for New Zealand. Various discursive strains from media studies, sonic arts, and phenomenological philosophy are woven together to explain the impetus, and value of soundmap practice and related environmental sound practices such as soundwalks and site-listening. The thesis ends with a critical analysis of successes and failures of the project towards its stated goal: to facilitate awareness of an engagement with the local sound environment

Personalization in cultural heritage: the road travelled and the one ahead

Over the last 20 years, cultural heritage has been a favored domain for personalization research. For years, researchers have experimented with the cutting edge technology of the day; now, with the convergence of internet and wireless technology, and the increasing adoption of the Web as a platform for the publication of information, the visitor is able to exploit cultural heritage material before, during and after the visit, having different goals and requirements in each phase. However, cultural heritage sites have a huge amount of information to present, which must be filtered and personalized in order to enable the individual user to easily access it. Personalization of cultural heritage information requires a system that is able to model the user (e.g., interest, knowledge and other personal characteristics), as well as contextual aspects, select the most appropriate content, and deliver it in the most suitable way. It should be noted that achieving this result is extremely challenging in the case of first-time users, such as tourists who visit a cultural heritage site for the first time (and maybe the only time in their life). In addition, as tourism is a social activity, adapting to the individual is not enough because groups and communities have to be modeled and supported as well, taking into account their mutual interests, previous mutual experience, and requirements. How to model and represent the user(s) and the context of the visit and how to reason with regard to the information that is available are the challenges faced by researchers in personalization of cultural heritage. Notwithstanding the effort invested so far, a definite solution is far from being reached, mainly because new technology and new aspects of personalization are constantly being introduced. This article surveys the research in this area. Starting from the earlier systems, which presented cultural heritage information in kiosks, it summarizes the evolution of personalization techniques in museum web sites, virtual collections and mobile guides, until recent extension of cultural heritage toward the semantic and social web. The paper concludes with current challenges and points out areas where future research is needed

2018: Art & Mobilities Network Inaugural Symposium Instant Journal (Peter Scott Gallery)

"Mobilities has been gaining momentum through networks, conferences, books, special issues, exhibitions and in the practices of artists, writers and curators. In recognition of this activity we are forming an Art & Mobilities network through which to consolidate, celebrate and develop this work.Inspired by the recent foregrounding of Mobility and the Humanities (Pearce & Merriman, 2018) and drawing on last November's successful Mobile Utopia Exhibition amongst others, the Centre for Mobilities Research (CEMORE) at Lancaster University are pleased to hold a UK Art & Mobilities Network Inaugural Symposium 2018 on the 3rd of July 2018. The aim of the symposium is to bring together people in the UK who are active in the field of mobilities and art in order to discuss the distinctive contribution that art makes to mobilities research and vice versa. We would be delighted if you can join us for this one-day event to help shape the network, particularly in the context of a fast-changing world, not just socio-politically but in terms of the place of art in the academy and vice versa. There are nearly 30 key international artists and researchers gathered on this day both locally and via Skype. We invite all participants in the symposium to bring with them an artwork, artefact, written statement or quote that can be displayed as a ‘pop up’ exhibition. These artefacts will be used during the day to focus discussion around different facets of mobilities and art." (Jen Southern, Kai Syng Tan, Emma Rose, Linda O'Keeffe Editors