AR-supported Teaching Plattform

The research project AR-supported Teaching presents solutions for integrating augmented reality (AR) into teaching to illustrate three-dimensional problems more comprehensibly. The main goal of the research project is to provide teachers with easier access to AR. To this end, the project team developed a new AR platform that makes it possible to create interactive AR content without any programming knowledge.

This website shows the current status, including description and operation: Website AR-supported Teaching, opens an external URL in a new window

2D teaching materials and AR project solutions

Current teaching materials are limited to 2-dimensional representation. Descriptions of content are therefore mainly auditory or reduced to 2D illustrations. This status also limits interaction with teaching materials. For learners, this has a negative impact on the spatial perception of teaching materials. In face-to-face teaching, teachers compensate for this by explaining the content in direct interaction with students. Teachers can clarify ambiguities and misunderstandings. Distance learning has been increasingly used since the beginning of the Corona crisis. However, this interaction is limited.

Most AR solutions are currently "project solutions", i.e., created specifically for a task. If new models or other work steps are to be generated for teaching, these usually have to be done by a person with programming skills. This state of affairs leads to two major problems:

• Independent creation of AR teaching material by teaching staff is not possible or very difficult (a multiplication effect of AR teaching material is thus hindered)
• High dependence on external software companies

Proposed solution and requirement for the project

In the interdisciplinary Master's thesis "AR Training Application and Authoring Tool for 3D BIM Visualization", opens an external URL in a new window, awarded by the research unit Digital Building Process and supervised together with Prof. Kaufmann (Computer Science, E193-02 Computer Graphics), Konstantin Höbart developed an AR prototype for use in teaching in civil engineering. This AR teaching platform consists of two applications: an AR editor and an AR app for mobile devices. The editor is intended to be operated by teaching staff without in-depth computer science knowledge and to enable the simple and flexible creation of specific scenes/teaching content. The students then access the AR teaching content via smartphone or tablet. The goal of this project was the further development of the prototype teaching platform and its implementation in teaching, including evaluation of the teaching impact.

Scientific publications

Buildings, Vol. 12, Issue 4, 391, opens an external URL in a new window
Augmented Reality in AEC Education: A Case Study, opens a file in a new window (pdf)

Video: AR-supported Teaching

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