Meridian, Parallels, and Map Projection: Educational Application of Augmented Reality Technology

摘要

Augmented reality (AR) projects virtual objects into the real world and enables users to gather additional information from the scene. AR offers further learning through animations, audio files, and interactional games, each of which helps users to better understand complex concepts or see otherwise invisible scenes. Compared with 3D animation, AR offers enhanced interaction that engages users through hands-on experience. These characteristics make AR technology suitable for educational purposes. As AR technology continues to advance, academic research on AR education has also experienced growth. AR has been widely utilized in the disciplines of biology, geography, and Earth science. Within the field of geography, cartography is one of the optimal subjects for employing AR, as many cartographic concepts are perceived as abstract to students. This research aims to create an AR package for teaching and learning meridians, parallels, and map projection. Meridians, parallels, and map projection are considered among some of the most intangible concepts to high school students. Both graticule (latitude and longitude lines) and types of projection (such as cylindrical and conic) are difficult to illustrate from a solid sphere to a picture in a plane. With the understanding that AR can allow students to observe the transformation of a 3D globe to a plain map, we develop an AR system that demonstrates the various concepts of map projection. Integrating user interaction and dynamic illustrations, this system allows students to understand concepts of projection by playing with concrete images. We expect this application to help students learn geographic concepts more effectively.