Carlos Carbonell Carrera

Augmented reality as a digital teaching environment to develop spatial thinking

ABSTRACTDigital three-dimensional (3D) cartography environments provide new ways of landscape visualization and topographic interpretation: digital terrain modeling (DTM) is added to the traditional cartographic technique, where relief interpretation skill is needed to interpret 3D topographic information from 2D representations. The emergence of augmented reality (AR) technology for DTM representation offers a new way to develop map-reading skills. It is in the representation of the landforms (hills, dunes, depths, valleys, mountains, shapes, slopes, and elevations) where the AR allows a new way to interact with the landscape representation. Once AR technology is combined with tablet computers, the manipulation of DTM can be done by finger gestures. This paper analyzes the potential of AR as an innovative teaching tool to improve relief interpretation skill based on the results of a workshop with 73 engineering students from La Laguna University, Spain. Participants performed exercises with 2D traditiona...ABSTRACT Digital three-dimensional (3D) cartography environments provide new ways of landscape visualization and topographic interpretation: digital terrain modeling (DTM) is added to the traditional cartographic technique, where relief interpretation skill is needed to interpret 3D topographic information from 2D representations. The emergence of augmented reality (AR) technology for DTM representation offers a new way to develop map-reading skills. It is in the representation of the landforms (hills, dunes, depths, valleys, mountains, shapes, slopes, and elevations) where the AR allows a new way to interact with the landscape representation. Once AR technology is combined with tablet computers, the manipulation of DTM can be done by finger gestures. This paper analyzes the potential of AR as an innovative teaching tool to improve relief interpretation skill based on the results of a workshop with 73 engineering students from La Laguna University, Spain. Participants performed exercises with 2D traditional techniques of relief representation and with AR. To compare the effect with and without AR, another group of 22 students conducted the workshop with only 2D relief representations. The gain was significantly better with the AR group; students who did not use AR had also a significantly better result, but their scores were still lower.

Landscape interpretation with augmented reality and maps to improve spatial orientation skill

AbstractLandscape interpretation is needed for navigating and determining an orientation: with traditional cartography, interpreting 3D topographic information from 2D landform representations to get self-location requires spatial orientation skill. Augmented reality technology allows a new way to interact with 3D landscape representation and thereby facilitate the orientation of oneself in respect to the environment to determine goal location. This paper analyses if AR spatial landform improves the learner’s spatial orientation skill measured with the perspective taking/spatial orientation test by paired sampled t-tests. A workshop was conducted with 123 university students (63 treatment group, 60 control group) in which students had to identify locations and routes based on the interpretation of the relief, represented by AR. Results of the workshop showed an improvement in spatial orientation skill of 20.14 degrees average gain in the treatment group. Students who were not subject to the workshop (cont...Abstract Landscape interpretation is needed for navigating and determining an orientation: with traditional cartography, interpreting 3D topographic information from 2D landform representations to get self-location requires spatial orientation skill. Augmented reality technology allows a new way to interact with 3D landscape representation and thereby facilitate the orientation of oneself in respect to the environment to determine goal location. This paper analyses if AR spatial landform improves the learner’s spatial orientation skill measured with the perspective taking/spatial orientation test by paired sampled t-tests. A workshop was conducted with 123 university students (63 treatment group, 60 control group) in which students had to identify locations and routes based on the interpretation of the relief, represented by AR. Results of the workshop showed an improvement in spatial orientation skill of 20.14 degrees average gain in the treatment group. Students who were not subject to the workshop (control group) did not improve their spatial orientation skill. The possibility of using free AR three-dimensional applications and exploit the potential of tablets and smart phones, which are widespread today, makes it possible to design and implement strategies for the development of spatial skills in formal teaching in the scope of Geography in higher education.

Teaching with AR as a tool for relief visualization: usability and motivation study

ABSTRACT In the field of geographical and environmental education, maps and geo-referenced information are frequently used, in which the earths surfaces are represented in a two-dimensional (2D) way. Students have difficulty interpreting the relief representation and switching between 2D and 3D scenarios. Digital terrain modelling is added to the traditional cartographic techniques to represent the landforms, and the AR technology provides a new 3D and mapping human–machine interaction. In the 2015–2016 course, an educational experiment using AR on a tablet with 63 students from La Laguna University was performed covering three steps: academic improvement, usability of this technology to interpret the relief, and if it is motivating for the students. This paper presents the results in usability and motivation. A usability study in terms of efficiency, efficacy and satisfaction is presented. To assess student motivation, the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory motivational model with six dimensions is adopted. Results about AR on tablets in the interpretation of terrain relief show a great usability of this technology, which serves as a motivational tool for the 3D visualization.

Pokémon GO and Improvement in Spatial Orientation Skills

Abstract Cartographic interpretation requires accurate spatial orientation. Two main sources of spatial knowledge acquisition inform spatial orientation ability: map-like perspective (map reading), and ground level perspective (wayfinding). The Pokémon GO game incorporates both types as players use a map to orient themselves while also moving around in the environment. This article presents research with university students in which the impact of Pokémon GO on spatial orientation is measured. The Pokémon GO application can offer great possibilities for planning workshops for improving spatial orientation.

ENTORNOS GRÁFICOS 3D AVANZADOS PARA LA REPRESENTACIÓN DEL RELIEVE CARTOGRÁFICO

The use of cartographic representations for the relief representation is frequent in engineering projects. The interpretation of the relief, therefore, is a competence to be developed by the engineers. This paper assesses the potential of four 3D technologies (two digital and two tangible) for the improvement of spatial perception: augmented reality, 3D mesh viewers, digital terrain models printed in 3D and mock-ups built by stacked sections. A workshop was conducted with engineering students in which they obtained a statistically significant increase in their ability to interpret the relief of 6.19 points, measured by the Topographic Map Assessment test, higher than that obtained using traditional 2D representations (2, 22 points). Participants believe that tangible models help them to understand the concepts of contour lines, maximum slope line and longitudinal profile better than digital versions. Keywords: 3d printing, augmented reality, 3d mesh viewer, mock-ups, spatial perception.