Abstract:

In the past years, virtual reality developed into a promising technology for military training, for product engineering and for entertainment purposes. The range of applications has continuously grown since then, as the necessary devices have improved in their performance and their user-friendliness, while at the same time decreasing in price. Today, not only virtual reality (VR), but also augmented reality (AR) are renowned technologies that draw attention also in the private sector and in education [1]. In education, especially the immersive and contextual experience that AR/VR can provide are considered promising with regards to authentic and scalable learning environments [2].

This paper introduces the ARSuL Project (Augmented Reality Based Support for Learning in the HVAC Industry), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of the Federal Republic of Germany, which focuses on the use of AR/VR in the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning industry. The three-year project aims to develop a system that assists artisans on site and during their vocational and further education by means of E-Learning, AR, and VR. We outline the prototypes and demonstrators that we developed based on a requirements analysis [3]. These prototypes and demonstrators are currently being tested and evaluated to better understand their potential, their shortcomings, and especially the user experience they create. Further, as literature does not provide a proven holistic and integrated evaluation framework for AR / VR trainings, we present the integrated evaluation concept that we developed for ARSuL, including usability, learner satisfaction, motivational aspects, and technology acceptance.

In a second paper, which we also submitted as an abstract to INTED2019, we will provide and discuss the according evaluation results from our test runs and derive necessary improvements for the prototypes. We thereby combine the evaluation feedback that we received with the recommendations of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), to make sure that our solutions contain as few barriers as possible [4, 5].

References:
[1] A. Sag, CES 2018: Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality Get Another Shot, Forbes, 25 Januar 2018. Accessed 28 November, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/moorinsights/2018/01/25/ces-2018-virtual-reality-and-augmented-reality-get-another-shot/#45983c5aab04.
[2] L. Johnson, S. Adams-Becker, and M. Cummins, The NMC Horizon Report: 2016 Higher Education Edition. Toronto, ON, CA: New Media Consortium, 2016.
[3] J. Beckmann, K. Menke, and P. Weber, “AR and VR meet Boiler Suits: Deriving Design Elements for AR / VR Trainings in the HVAC Industry,” in Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning 2018, pp. 1533–1542, 2018.
[4] J. Beckmann, K. Menke, and P. Weber, “Universal Design for Learning in Augmented and Virtual Reality Trainings,” in Universal Access Through Inclusive Instructional Design: International Perspectives on UDL (S. L. Gronseth and E. M. Dalton, eds), London: Routledge, accepted and forthcoming in 2019.
[5] CAST, Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Accessed 28 November 2018, Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org.

Keywords:

Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Training Evaluation, Further Education, Apprenticeship.