The resource pack consists of 10 resources that showcase applications across different subject areas as well as different uses of AR from simple ideas to more complex ones.
It is intended that the 10 resources prompt teachers and students to think about what potential there may be in the technology and what support they might need to exploit this to the maximum.
Using the resource is relatively simple. All the user requires are the paper marker shapes and a computer with a web cam and an internet connection.
The marker shapes
All the information about the 10 resources and all the markers are included in this resource pack. The markers are made available so schools can copy them to include in their own materials such as worksheets. You could also label the markers differently for each resource if required. There are 10 different markers used across the resources. Some resources require just one marker, others require all 10. To differentiate the markers and allow them to be used for different resources, they have been coloured – red, yellow, green, blue, orange, purple, turquoise, pink, black and grey.
Printing the marker shapes. The marker shapes can be printed on any paper but are best printed on matt paper as glossy paper can cause glare that makes the marker
harder to read. The markers work best when flat but will still work if slightly bent. For this reason if you are using the markers over and over it is best to print them on thick paper, card or stick them to pieces of card.
Although the marker shapes are identified by colours, they do not need to be printed in colour. The colour is used as a simple way of identifying the different shapes. Each marker has its colour word printed on it to ensure use of markers printed in black and white are
easily usable.
The marker shapes are intended to be flexible in their use. They could be worn by the user for some
applications, can be held up in front of the camera or could be used on a flat table top.
Lighting the area
The resource website has been optimised for use in the classroom or for students to use at home. A diffuse light is best. Too much light (e.g. from a desk lamp) can generate extra glare which makes the marker harder to read. You may wish to experiment to find the optimum lighting conditions for your area by closing blinds etc. As the webcam constantly checks the image for the marker shapes it will work best with simple backgrounds (i.e. those without moving people).
The learnAR resource
Introduction
The learnAR resource has been
created by the Specialist Schools
and Academies Trust to showcase
the potential of augmented reality
(AR) as a learning tool.
The camera
The resource will work with any camera that can be plugged into your computer. Mainly this is web cameras (webcams) but could also be a digital or video camera. Many laptops and netbooks include built-in cameras which work fine although the quality tends to be inferior to separate cameras. Different cameras behave in different ways but in general, once connected, they appear in the ‘My Computer’ section of your computer. Most cameras work simply by just plugging them in but occasionally they may need a special driver to allow them to work. Your technical support team will be able to assist with this.
Some cameras also allow their characteristics to be altered which can help fine tune the image to make sure it works as well as possible. The example below shows the Webcam Console utility for a Dell laptop with an in-built camera. The different settings can be altered to give the best image and recognition of the
marker shapes.
It may useful to explore flipping the image horizontally (an option in most webcams) as it is more obvious if moving a marker to the right results in the marker moving to the right on the screen.
Computer and internet connection What you will need to use the learnAR resources: A computer – any will work so there is no minimum specification but for best performance a reasonably fast machine is recommended (e.g. 2.4 Ghz, Duo core, 4 GB RAM).
A webcam – any will work but better results are achieved with better quality cameras. Factors that are important are the resolution of the camera (e.g. 1280 x 960) and the frame rate (e.g. 25 frames per second) Adobe Flash Player - the latest version of the free Adobe Flash Player (Flash Player 10 – January 2010) can be downloaded from http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
Using the resource
The resources are accessible through the
www.learnAR.org website which is open access so does not require any username or password.
Once at the home page, simply choose the resource you want to use from the list. You will get a prompt as the web page would like permission to use the webcam. Once you have agreed to this you see the web cam image on the screen and the resource is already
checking for any markers it can see. If the image freezes or the marker shape is not showing, cover the marker or tilt it to hide the shape for a second and the image should return to normal.
Markers
www.learnAR.org
Markers
www.learnAR.org
Markers
www.learnAR.org
Markers
www.learnAR.org
Markers
Curriculum links
Suitable for key stage 3 (KS3) science, key stage 4 PE (or as revision for key stage 4 or 5 biology).
Usage
This resource uses just two markers (red and yellow). The red marker is used with the arrows pointing left (triceps) to right (biceps). The yellow marker is used with the arrows pointing up (radius above the ulna). The markers demonstrate how the biceps and triceps muscles of the arm are used together to raise and lower the forearm.
Advice
The markers can be held in front of the camera or used flat on a table-top. The most impact could be had by wearing the markers by attaching them with tape or Velcro. Attach the red marker to the upper area of your left arm (arrows pointing left) and the yellow marker to the lower part of the same arm.
Markers
Red Yellow
Resource 1
The bones and muscles of the arm
Humerus Tricep
Bicep Radius
Resource 1 The bones and muscles of the arm
Curriculum links
Suitable for key stage 4 (KS4) science (or key stage 5 revision).
Usage
This resource uses all 10 marker shapes: Blue – silver Purple – magnesium Yellow – zinc Green – iron Red – lead Orange – copper
Pink – Copper sulphate solution
Turquoise – Magnesium sulphate solution Grey – Silver nitrate solution
Black – Lead sulphate solution
Simply move a metal marker and a solution marker together to see if there is a reaction. Results are shown on the screen.
Advice
A more reactive metal will displace a less reactive metal. When this happens the piece of metal will slightly
disappear and the colour may change. The activity allows users to test metals by adding them to a test tube of a solution and seeing if there is a reaction. For each successful reaction, an explanation of the reaction including the formula appears on the screen. ‘No reaction’ is also displayed in the same way.
Markers
Blue Purple Yellow Green RedResource 2
Chemistry: Reactivity series of metals
Orange Pink Turquoise Grey Black
Resource 2 Chemistry: Reactivity series of metals
Resource 2 Chemistry: Reactivity series of metals
Resource 2 Chemistry: Reactivity series of metals
Resource 2 Chemistry: Reactivity series of metals
Resource 2 Chemistry: Reactivity series of metals
Curriculum links
Suitable for key stage 3 (KS3) or key stage 4 science.
Usage
This resource uses just one marker (red). The marker shows the relative position of the organs of the upper body.
Advice
The marker can be held in front of the camera or used flat on a table-top. The most impact could be had by wearing the marker by attaching it to your chest with tape or Velcro. Attach the red marker to your chest with the arrows pointing upwards. The resource could be used by a teacher to show the major organs of the body in an exciting way. They could then explain the purpose and function of each. Students could use the resource for revision to practice identifying the different organs.
Markers
Red
Resource 3
Resource 3 Biology: Organs of the body
Curriculum links
Suitable for key stage 3 (KS3) or key stage 4 science.
Usage
This resource uses just one marker (red). The marker shows the heart and its main components.
Advice
The marker can be held in front of the camera or used flat on a table-top.
Markers
Red
Resource 4
Resource 4 Biology: The heart
Curriculum links
Suitable for key stage 4 (KS4) science.
Usage
Blue – a geiger counter Red – a sheet of paper
Yellow – a sheet of aluminium foil Pink - a sheet of lead
Green – an alpha radiation source Purple – a beta radiation source Orange – a gamma radiation source
The resource allows you to explore the characteristics of alpha, beta and gamma radiation by inserting pieces of paper, aluminium foil and lead between the source and the Geiger counter. The readout on the Geiger counter is shown as well as the audio to indicate the reading. (All markers should be used with the arrows pointing upwards or towards the camera if on a tabletop)
Advice
The markers can be held in front of the camera or used flat on a table-top. If holding the markers then you may need an extra person to hold a marker as 3 markers need to be held at any one time.
Markers
Blue Purple Yellow Green Red Orange PinkResource 5
Physics: Radioactivity
Resource 5 Physics: Radioactivity
Resource 5 Physics: Radioactivity
Resource 5 Physics: Radioactivity
Resource 5 Physics: Radioactivity
Curriculum links
Suitable for key stage 3 (KS4) and key stage 4 French.
Usage
This resource uses 5 markers: Blue – the character
Purple – answer ‘A’ Yellow – answer ‘B’ Green – answer ‘C’ Red – answer ‘D’
The resource allows you to test your vocabulary
concerning items of male clothing. It is set up as a quiz. Hold the character (blue marker) in front of the camera to start and an item of clothing will be added. Choose the correct French word for the clothing item by moving the appropriate marker in front of the webcam (arrows should point upwards). Correct and incorrect answers will be confirmed with an explanation.
Advice
The markers can be held in front of the camera or used flat on a table-top. There are 10 items and the resource records a mark out of 10.
Markers
Blue Purple Yellow Green RedResource 6
Resource 6 Items of clothing in French
Resource 6 Items of clothing in French
Resource 6 Items of clothing in French
Curriculum links
Suitable for key stage 3 (KS3) and key stage 4 Spanish.
Usage
This resource works in the same way as the French resource by using 5 markers:
Blue – the character Purple – answer ‘A’ Yellow – answer ‘B’ Green – answer ‘C’ Red – answer ‘D’
The resource allows you to test your vocabulary
concerning items of male clothing. It is set up as a quiz. Hold the character (blue marker) in front of the camera to start and an item of clothing will be added. Choose the correct Spanish word for the clothing item by moving the appropriate marker in front of the webcam (arrows should point upwards). Correct and incorrect answers will be confirmed with an explanation.
Advice
The markers can be held in front of the camera or used flat on a table-top. There are 10 items and the resource records a mark out of 10.
Markers
Blue Purple Yellow Green RedResource 7
Resource 7 Items of clothing in Spanish
Resource 7 Items of clothing in Spanish
Resource 7 Items of clothing in Spanish
Curriculum links
Suitable for key stage 3 (KS3) or key stage 4 English/literature.
Usage
This resource works as a quiz in similar way to the French and Spanish resources. It uses by using 4 markers:
Blue – the word Red – answer ‘noun’ Yellow – answer ‘verb’ Green – answer ‘adjective’
The resource allows you to test your knowledge of words and is set up as a quiz. Hold the question word (blue marker) in front of the camera to start and a word will appear (arrows should point up or away from the camera). Choose whether the word is a noun, verb or adjective by moving the appropriate coloured marker onto the screen (again with arrows pointing up). Correct and incorrect answers will be highlighted with an explanation.
Advice
The markers can be held in front of the camera or used flat on a table-top. The quizlasts for 20 words, which are taken from a bank of almost 600. A mark out of 20 is totalled in the top right corner.
Markers
Blue Yellow Green RedResource 8
Resource 8 English: nouns, verbs and adjectives
Resource 8 English: nouns, verbs and adjectives
Curriculum links
Suitable for GCSE religious studies, key stage 3 (KS3) religious education.
Usage
This resource allows you to explore the five ‘K’s of Sikhism by adding each item to a character. Adding an item puts the item on the character, shows the word and a description of it and its significance. The resource uses 6 markers:
Blue – the character Green – the sword (Kirpan) Purple – the hair (Kesh) Yellow – the comb (Kanga) Red – the bracelet (Kara) Pink – the shorts (Kaccha)
Add the 5 items by introducing the appropriate markers with the arrows pointing away (or upwards) from the camera. Each marker shows the item and information about its significance to the wearer.
Advice
The markers can be held in front of the camera or used flat on a table-top. The quizlasts for 20 words, which are taken from a bank of almost 600. A mark out of 20 is totalled in the top right corner.
Markers
Blue Purple Yellow Green Red PinkResource 9
Resource 9 Religious education: The 5 Ks of Sikhism
Resource 9 Religious education: The 5 Ks of Sikhism
Resource 9 Religious education: The 5 Ks of Sikhism
Curriculum links
Suitable for key stage 3 (KS3) or 4 maths.
Usage
This resource uses 5 markers: Blue – the 3D shape
Purple – answer ‘A’ Yellow – answer ‘B’ Green – answer ‘C’ Red – answer ‘D’
The resource allows you to test your skills in calculating surface area and volume of different three dimensional shapes. Hold the blue marker in front of the camera to reveal the shape and its dimensions. The shape can be turned through 360° and closer or further away from the camera so all dimensions can be viewed. The question will be about calculating surface area or volume.
Complete the calculation (the formula is shown for assistance) and offer your answer by moving the appropriate coloured marker onto the screen. The resource will show whether you are correct or incorrect before moving on to the next shape.
The shapes are randomly generated and a score out of 10 is totalled on the screen.
Advice
The markers can be held in front of the camera or used flat on a table-top. Pay attention to whether the question is asking for surface area or volume.
Markers
Blue Purple Yellow Green RedResource 10
Maths: 3D shapes
Resource 10 Maths: 3D shapes
Resource 10 Maths: 3D shapes
Resource 10 Maths: 3D shapes
