Abstract:

The objective of this paper is to present an application with Augmented Reality (AR) through the use of the FLARAS (Flash Augmented Reality Authoring System) software which was proposed as a tool to support the practical lessons of Histology.
The proposal of building an application with AR in this discipline is justified if we consider that the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) enable new approaches in teaching and learning, emerging as a complementary tool in this context by providing means to promote various approaches, beside the textual and visual, also the presence and distance, and considering that some disciplines, such as histology, require the use of special equipment and blades as well as skills that involve, for example, the understanding of an object in a three-dimensional visualization from the microscopic image in two dimensions, as well as the opportunity to access materials from a distance, with the explanation via audio on the subject displayed.
Thus, the application was developed with AR contemplating the theme skin and skin appendages, which was presented to 15 students of Histology of a medical school. After submitting the application, students answered a questionnaire in order to analyze some characteristics of the application, such as user interaction, interface, visual appearance and sound, and innovative features, such as immersion, presence in the application of video and 3D image of the object on the skin, and an area of activity that allows students to exercise the content exposed.
The results discussed here show a large potential contribution of this application as support material for teaching histology, since most aspects proposed and analyzed demonstrate good acceptance by students, especially regarding the ease of access and handling the visuals and sound, immersion and especially the innovative aspect enabled by the FLARAS software.

Keywords:

Augmented Reality, Histology Teaching, FLARAS.