Page 16 - ELG1903 Mar-Apr Issue 464

RESEARCH NEWS .

AR may intensify emotions

in educational games

By Gillian Ragsdale
‘What’s this?’; blue cards present Both groups significantly the game again, as it was too
Olga Lantovou and George challenges, e.g. ‘Do you like improved their vocabulary test frustrating. The authors noted that
Fesakis from the University of spaghetti?’ or ‘Sing the alphabet’; scores but there was no significant children expressed ‘bitterness at
the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece and green cards command pupils affect of adding AR to the game. not winning the game and not their
added augmented reality (AR) to to ‘Name four’, i.e. four related A larger scale study would be assessment of the game’.
a board game for young English English words. needed to explore this further, but This has useful implications for
language learners to see how Two versions of the game were clearly gamification in both cases designing games using AR that
gamification in general, and AR offered – one conventional board did lead to a positive learning may evoke different emotional
in particular, affect the emotional game and one with cards using outcome. responses than more conventional
and cognitive components of the AR. The ‘auras’ augmenting the Despite eagerly competing to games. There is support here for
learning experience. cards were placed using an app use the AR version of the game, advocates of more co-operative
Motivating students to revise freely available to educators, HP however, some children expressed (rather than competitive)
vocabulary is not easy, and reveal (which was previously significant negative feelings about gamification in the classroom –
motivating younger learners known as Aurasma). The images their experience after playing. an approach which could also
can be especially challenging. were also freely obtained either as A detailed analysis of both support social and emotional
Lontovou and Fesakis designed clip art or from the HP library of the questionnaires and video learning strategies – surely a win-
and handmade a board game 3D images. of the game-playing revealed win all round.
called ‘Pirates ARrrrgh!’aiming The children were especially that this was due to increased
to help Greek 8-year-olds learn keen to play the AR version and competitiveness when playing the REFRENCE
and revise English vocabulary. competed to be in that group. For AR version – especially for boys. ■ Lantovou, O & Fesakis, G.
In this game, Miss Spell is trying the pilot, 26, 8-year-olds were The increased competitiveness (2018) The effect of an augmented
to get her young pirates to use put into two mixed groups of 13 led to more intense feelings reality board game on English
English vocabulary by playing for and tested on their attitudes, generally and some feelings of anger, vocabulary development.’ In
hidden treasures found on four experiences and vocabulary especially when facing set-backs Ciussi, M (ed) Proceedings of the
sets of cards: yellow cards ask before and after playing one such as ‘Return to Start’. The boys 12th European Conference on Games
pupils to Spell it! (translate, spell version of the game for around 40 asked that this setback be removed Based Learning (EGBL 2018) UK,
and pronounce); red cards ask minutes. from the AR version before playing ACPIL, pp. 316-324.

Using AR in ELT materials: a case study

Could Augmented Reality transform ELT materials?

By Ron Ragsdale “How do you effectively short tasters CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
It is not yet a standard feature, communicate the depth of of content,
but one publisher, as a proof of content within a Learning and there is
concept, has started to use AR in Management System in an old- a simple one-
their newest catalogue. fashioned print catalogue? How click menu
“We’re trying to do something do you convey the rich content of interviews
different. As the business and detailed functionality, the with authors,
is evolving from one that is user experience?” or sample
dominated by print products, “We’ve been looking at Virtual videos.
trying to get digital products Reality and Augmented Reality In future
in front of a customer is a big tools to help us. AR is a really ELT material,
challenge, especially with a print simple way to get people to open we could see
catalogue,” Rupert Daniels, Global the world of digital quickly and the same kind
Marketing Director at Cambridge easily.” of technology,
University Press told us. A quick demonstration of the where you
In many ways, catalogues AR app shows how simple it is. just hover
have been lagging behind course Could this be a foretaste of the over the page, AR imagery jumps off the page.
materials in their use of digital kind of things that you could find then click to
media. For the past few years, in the next generation of learning play audio or content on your mobile device,
most publishers have been materials? video, or display other supporting linked to specific content on the
limited to using interactive After downloading the app, you content. page, whether that’s a catalogue
PDFs, websites with embedded just hit start, and then wherever For a few years now, QR for now, or a coursebook in the
videos and detailed, static there is an AR code on the page, codes have been increasingly future.
information to promote digital you hover the device over the used in products. With a QR AR will clearly improve the
products. This has often fallen whole page, and it uses image code, you can get the audio files users’ experience of the material.
short of giving the customer recognition software to link you immediately on your phone. But the question remains:
the actual digital experience, immediately to the animated and With AR, you could have a will it improve their learning
Daniels argues. multi-media content. Users get whole range of multi-media outcomes?

16 March/April 2019