Page 161 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Open Collaboration and Exploration

As the cards are rearranged,
the activity builds knowledge
about various components
including the wire, battery,
switch, bulbs, resistor, and
conductor (Figure 6.5). The
various parts can be placed
together to turn on a bulb
using the right components.
The user can dim the bulb by
adjusting the resistance and
the battery voltage. Figure 6.5
AR Circuits App

In addition to exploring the cards, the exploratory play within the app builds
knowledge about each of the components. When a required component is missing,
it’s clear that the bulb is not receiving electricity. The activities allow the user to
receive immediate feedback by testing out the various combinations of components
and seeing the results. The combinations are seen through the mobile device in aug-
mented reality and either present no light, a dim light, or a fully lit light.
One of the main reasons AR Circuits is so fun is because it requires problem
solving. The mystery of finding out how to turn on the light is just the beginning.
Determining how many lights a battery can power or what happens when adding
resistance were some of the explorations I went on when first playing with the app.
Having no background with circuits, I jumped at the opportunity to learn in a safe
environment without feeling foolish if I didn’t know the answer or chose incorrect
combinations. In addition, I didn’t have to buy a kit or find the tools to create light.
The AR Circuits app provides the learning without the worry of the dangers such as
broken bulbs and burns.
The flexibility to explore the app on paper was helpful but printing out the trigger
image cards may not always be an option. The virtual cards are a convenient way
to explore the app with all the components available. The cards easily align against
one another without overlapping. I found it difficult to line up the paper cards as
they can easily slide on top of each other.

One of the ways to align the trigger image cards more easily is by printing out the
cards on a net that folds up to cubes similar to the 4D Elements. The cubes make
it easy to align the components without the pieces of paper sliding on top of one

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