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This paper explores educational and professional uses of augmented learning environment concerned with issues of training and entertainment. We analyze the state-of-art research of some scenarios based on augmented reality. Some examples for the purpose of education and simulation are described. These applications show that augmented reality can be means of enhancing, motivating and stimulating learners' understanding of certain events, especially those for which the traditional notion of instructional learning have proven inappropriate or difficult. Furthermore, the students can learn in a quick mode by interacting on the augmented environments.

Virtual reality captures people's attention. This technology has been applied in many sectors such as medicine, industry, education, video games, or tourism. Perhaps its biggest area of interest has been leisure and entertainment. Regardless the sector, the introduction of virtual or augmented reality had several constraints: it was expensive, it had poor ergonomics, or implied too much work to create contents. Recent technological innovations, including the rapid adoption of smartphones by society, have facilitated the access to virtual reality and augmented reality of anyone. In addition, several large companies like Apple, Facebook, Samsung, and Magic Leap, among others, have increased their investment to make these technologies to improve their accessibility within the next few years. Educational institutions will benefit from better accessibility to virtual technologies; this will make it possible to teach in virtual environments that are impossible to visualize in physical classrooms, like accessing into virtual laboratories, visualizing machines, industrial plants, or even medical scenarios. The huge possibilities of accessible virtual technologies will make it possible to break the boundaries of formal education.

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has become more popular in higher education over the past several years. It has proven to be effective in engineering education to increase students' motivation and the acquisition of skills required by the labour market and today's society. However, even when PBL is gradually introduced at an institution alongside traditional teaching, it is not perceived by students as an easy way to learn, especially when ill-structured, real problems are first introduced. Students can feel stressed, often because of their lack of both skills and previous knowledge, and they often prefer to focus their efforts on the final result and on passing their exams rather than the problem-solving process. To identify the difficulties that students have during PBL and to re-design instruction to increase students' motivation, this study used the MUSIC™ Model of Motivation as a conceptual framework. This paper analyses students' motivation when PBL is introduced in a traditional-teaching institution, and discusses the main adjustments needed to increase students' motivation, engagement, and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The learning scenarios described in this work reach further than any previous approach. The connections between augmented reality (AR) and traditional learning based on textbooks through the well-known augmented books also known as “magic books,” are already there. However, they are restricted to just a few isolated uses that commonly take place on a PC showing 3D information with few actions in higher education. In a collaborative and autonomous way, this work combines every learning process from the electrical machines course in the electrical engineering degree. It allows interactive and autonomous studying as well as collaborative performance of laboratory practices with other students and without a teacher’s assistance. Tools presented in this work achieve a connection between the theoretical explanations and the laboratory practices using augmented reality as a nexus. Students feel comfortable about it and consider that tools are nice, easy, and useful, according to the goal of learning contents, training on performance, and design of installations and machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engineering profession, in its various branches, is developed around the design, planning, construction, maintenance, etc. of products, equipment and services that are characterized by three-dimensional realities. Consequently, one of the skills that all engineering professionals must develop extensively during their training is the mental handling of this three-dimensional reality. This competence is called a Spatial Skill, a cognitive skill that, with the proper training, may be improved. Teachers of Graphic design must therefore develop a series of learning activities that enable students to acquire, develop and improve their spatial skill levels. For this purpose, we have developed training using several technologies, such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and PDF3D. In this paper we have compared these three technologies with the intention of finding which one(s) of them yields the best results as a training tool and improves the academic results of students in the subject of Engineering Graphics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineers are required to have good levels of spatial skills in order to operate in a professional environment. Consequently, we may state that spatial skills are a professional skill which engineers must acquire. In this work, a methodology based on 3D virtual technologies and tools have been implemented in terms of the curriculum of the subject of Engineering Graphics. The experimental study has been carried out with different groups of students from several engineering degrees who studied that subject, using different 3D virtual technologies. Once the subject is completed, the results indicate that there is a significant difference between the spatial ability levels acquired by the groups which had 3D technology support compared with those which didn't. Regardless of the technology used, the improvement is quite similar over both groups, without any significant differences. The academic performance of the students is much better on the part of those groups using these technologies compared with those who complete the course following traditional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper offers a broad vision of the potential benefits which virtual worlds may provide for improving learning, collaboration, motivation and therefore, the improvement in academic performance of students. The paper underlines how virtual worlds may offer new experimental platforms through new interactions perceiving the changeable nature of technology. The article is based on the results of the experience developed in the mainframe of the educational innovation project performed at La Laguna University during the 2012-2013 academic courses. The technological infrastructure has been created already and the 3D graphic modelling was designed using open source software aiming for creation of the ‘La Laguna Virtual University’ virtual world. Teachers have given ubiquitous classes in this virtual environment interacting with students. All feedback from teachers and students has already been gathered in this experience. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article presents a pilot study with architecture students, in which the effects of descriptive geometry, taught conventionally and using a three-dimensional dynamic tool designed for the purpose, on the improvement of spatial abilities are compared and analysed. In relation with previous works, the main contribution of this research is the development of a three-dimensional viewer (Diedro-3D) to support the teaching process, encouraging autonomous learning. The Diedro-3D application tries to overcome the main obstacle that student face when using a descriptive geometry textbook: static 2D illustrations of high complexity. This is achieved by providing a series of construction steps and supporting a 3D visualisation environment where the student can freely change the point of view. It is important to note that students show a high degree of satisfaction with the learning experience using Diedro-3D as usability analysis confirms. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 21: 8-25, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of research that explores the social impacts and benefits of using digital visualization technologies, which include Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Quick Response codes (QR codes). The target group for this study was senior citizens in an adult day care centre. This group was selected for two reasons: firstly, for belonging to a generation that has not grown up surrounded by digital technologies; and secondly, for therefore being at a disadvantage when it comes to adopting and using modern day information and communication technologies. Research was focused on the potential benefits of digital technologies and also on how senior citizens responded towards them, in particular how they felt these technologies were improving their social and personal well-being. Digital technologies were introduced into the day-to-day lives of senior citizens, providing them with a variety of alternative ways to access social media, communication tools or cultural content. Using digital technologies, they were also asked to perform activities related to their own personal and social well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]