Augmenting the landscape scene: students as participatory evaluators of mobile geospatial technologies

Priestnall, Gary; FitzGerald, Elizabeth; Meek, Sam; Sharples, Mike; Polmear, Gemma

Abstract

This paper provides a two-phase study to compare alternative techniques for augmenting landscape scenes on geography fieldtrips. The techniques were: a pre-prepared acetate overlay; a custom-designed mobile field guide; a locative media app on a smartphone; a virtual globe on a tablet PC; a head-mounted virtual reality display, and a geo-wand style mobile app. In one field exercise the first five techniques were compared through analysis of interviews and student video diaries, combined with direct observation. This identified a particular challenge of how to direct user attention correctly to relevant information in the field of view. To explore this issue in more detail, a second field exercise deployed “Zapp”, a bespoke geo-wand-style app capable of retrieving information about distant landscape features. This was evaluated using first-person video and spatial logging of in-field interactions. This paper reflects upon the relative merits of these approaches and highlights particular challenges of using technology to mimic a human field guide in pointing out specific aspects of the landscape scene. We also explore the role of students acting as design informants and research co-participants, which can be mutually beneficial in promoting a critical appreciation of the role of technology to support learning about the landscape.

Citation

Priestnall, G., FitzGerald, E., Meek, S., Sharples, M., & Polmear, G. (2019). Augmenting the landscape scene: students as participatory evaluators of mobile geospatial technologies. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 43(2), 131-154. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2019.1599332

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 16, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Apr 2, 2019
• Publication Date: Apr 2, 2019
• Deposit Date: Jun 13, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 3, 2020
• Journal: Journal of Geography in Higher Education
• Print ISSN: 0309-8265
• Electronic ISSN: 1466-1845
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 131-154
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2019.1599332
• Keywords: Mobile geospatial computing; Location-aware mobile computing; Augmented reality; Mobile visitor guides; Fieldwork; Critical incident analysis
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2183267
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03098265.2019.1599332
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Geography in Higher Education on 02/04/2019, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/03098265.2019.1599332