Increasing student engagement using Augmented Reality

Abstract

This paper will highlight the development and implementation of Augmented Reality (AR) at the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) using Aurasma, an augmented reality platform. A combination of multimedia information, including images, textual information, videos, animation and sound can be superimposed on printed material.AR was used through two approaches: to engage visitors at an Open Day at the University and to enable students to highlight their skills at the Graduate Art Show. Engagement with visitors and students provided an immersive media-based experience of using AR to blur the line between what is real and what is computer-generated by enhancing the real world.The majority of visitors at the Open Day (85%) indicated that this was their first use of AR and student feedback about the experience was very positive. This successful use of AR has led to a proposal for the development of an Open Day app for visitors. Using AR at the Graduate Art Show to create a visual online presence to enhance graduate employability resulted in the development of an ARCV, a product superior to the traditional CV. Further development of the ARCV, to achieve greater interaction with the viewer than previously and to include three-dimensional content, is to follow.