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Embedding Augmented Reality Applications into Learning Management

Systems

Conference Paper  in  Lecture Notes in Computer Science · July 2017

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-62392-4_42

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 Embedding augmented reality applications
into learning management systems

Marcelo de Paiva Guimarães1,2 Bruno Alves2,Valéria Farinazzo Martins3, Luiz

Soares dos Santos Baglie4, José Remo Brega4, Diego Colombo Dias5
1Open University of Brazil (UAB), UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil
2Faccamp's Master Program, FACCAMP, Campo Limpo Paulista, Brazil
3
Faculty of Computing and Informatics, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, Brazil
4
Computer Science Department - São Paulo State University, UNESP, Bauru, SP, Brazil
5
Federal University of São João Del Rei, São João Del Rei, Brazil

marcelodepaiva@gmail.com, bruno_finus@hotmail.com, {valfarinazzo, luizssb.biz, remobrega

diegocolombo.dias}@gmail.com

Abstract. A tool is proposed to reduce the disparity between the state of the art
of technologies and the time of maturity required for effective implementation,
facilitating the insertion of augmented reality content into learning
management systems. This tool uses didactic material based on augmented
reality in the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) that is a
learning object standard. We tested this tool, generating a learning object
based on augmented reality and sharing it to the Moodle platform. We also
tested and shared this object to the repository SCORM Cloud.

Keywords: Augmented Reality, Learning Objects, SCORM, Moodle.

1. Introduction

Recently, computational technologies have provided tools to modify traditional

teaching-learning methods, resulting in effective, fun, and interactive learning
experiences. In this new context, some technologies are not yet widely used, due to
their peculiarities. In a general analysis, this lack of use is due to the disparity
between the state of the art of these technologies and the time of maturity required for
effective implementation. One possible technology that can be used as a learning tool
technology is augmented reality (AR). AR technology works by superimposing
virtual information on top of the real world, supplementing the user's reality instead of
replacing it as other technologies (such as virtual reality) would [2]. AR applications
can usually be visualized through a computer monitor, mobile device, or head-
mounted display.
Many studies have been made of AR as a learning tool (i.e., [5-7,9,15]), resulting
in the conclusion that it has a positive impact on student motivation [7] and that it
allows practical experimentation with a theoretical subject [5], possibly improving the
application of learned knowledge [6].
Much of the investment made in the production of learning tools targets them to
highly specific audiences [13]. However, it is desirable that learning materials (such
as AR applications) be designed to be reusable and shareable by diverse educators and
in different contexts. This approach is aligned with the aims of open educational
resources [4], which can be understood as freely accessible and openly licensed
documents, media, and applications that can be used and/or adapted by third parties
for teaching, learning, and assessing. Open educational resource content can be
distributed by packaging it as a learning object (LO), which is a set of didactic
material with the following features: reusability (it can be adapted); interoperability (it
can be supported by any hardware and software platform); accessibility (it can easily
be stored and retrieved); and manageability (it can be updated over time) [16] [13].
LO repositories are databases that provide the means for educators to discover,
exchange, and reuse the objects [13]. LOs are produced and distributed in standards
defined by organizations [12], such as the Learning Technology Standards Committee
(IEEE-LTSC)1, the Alliance of Remote Instructional Authoring and Distribution
Network for Europe (ARIADNE)2, the IMS Global Learning Consortium3, and the
Advanced Distributed Learning4 (ADL) initiative.
For educators to properly use LOs, they must use learning management systems
(LMS) (e.g., Moodle, Blackboard, Edmodo, Skillsoft, Desire2Learn, and Schoology).
According to Mahnegar [11], an LMS "is software used for delivering, tracking and
managing training/education. LMSs range from systems for managing
training/educational records to software for distributing courses over the Internet and
offering features for online collaboration." With an LMS, the educator can track
grades, attendance, and time spent by the students, and students can keep track of
their grades and assignments and also submit homework and access course
information [11].
This paper presents a tool that packages AR applications such as the Sharable
Content Object Reference Model (SCORM), an LO standard, to be used within LMSs
and/or be stored in repositories. We also demonstrate a case study that used our tool
to embed an AR application to the SCORM standard and deploy it into Moodle. We
also tested and shared this object to the repository SCORM Cloud. The AR
application was developed using the authoring tool Flaras5.
The major contributions presented in this paper are:
• a tool that packages AR applications into SCORM standard;
• the fact that a teacher can easily import LO based in AR to LMSs;
• the fact that AR content can easily be shared into LO repositories;
• the fact that AR applications in LMSs provide a valuable didactic material;

1 IEEE-LTSC: http://www.ieeeltsc.org
2 Ariadne: http://www.ariadne-eu.org
3 IMS Global Learning Consortium: http://www.imsglobal.org
4 ADL: https://www.adlnet.gov
5 FLARAS: http://ckirner.com/faras2/
 • the fact that the packaging of LOs based on AR applications promotes the
distribution and sharing of this content; and
• a case study illustrating an AR application developed with Flaras and
running in Moodle;
• a case study illustrating an LO based on AR application stored into a
repository.
This study is structured as follows. Section 2 discusses work related to this
research. Section 3 presents the way to embed an LO based on AR into an LMS and
also shows the developed packaging tool. Section 4 presents a case study of our
packaging tool. Section 5 presents the conclusion and suggests future work.

2. Related Work

Baptista et al. [3] developed a tool that packages 3D content in the COLLADA6
format to the SCORM package for use within Moodle. They used the Three.js7
JavaScript library to embed the 3D content into an HTML document. Although their
solution results in an LO based on 3D models, it is not AR content.
In [8], Gonen and Basaran dealt with the difficulty of teaching problem-solving
skills in distance physics education. They created whiteboard math (WBM) movies
that were packaged as SCORM packages and used within Moodle. A WBM movie is
a screen recording of writing along with voice/text explaining a mathematical concept
or solving a problem. In the end, they concluded, among other things, that the use of
an LMS and SCORM improves content distribution capabilities and costs as well as
the monitoring and evaluation of the students. However, it does not support AR
content.
Liu, Tan, and Chu [10] developed the Handheld English Language Learning
Organization (HELLO), a set of two systems designed to support English language
learning. One of the systems is their own LMS that handles the learning content and
offers a forum for discussion. The other is an AR application for PDAs that displays
the content and allows students to perform the assignments; it also shows an AR
virtual learning partner on top of the device's camera feed. The authors conducted a
survey that indicated that AR is useful for providing context-aware experiences in
learning activities. However, the insertion of the AR content they have created is
compatible just with their own LMS.
Also related to the usage of AR with an LMS, de la Torre et al. [14] used the
Easy Java Simulations8 (EJS) tool to develop a virtual and/or remote laboratory
(VRL) called Ball and Beam, which they later imported into Moodle using a
packaging tool they also developed, called EJSApp. They also developed other tools
to allow for more collaboration during experiments. The Ball and Beam VRL has an
AR functionality that superimposes a graphical representation of the virtual system's

6 COLLADA: https://collada.org/
7 Three.js: http://threejs.org/
8 Easy Java Simulations: http://www.um.es/fem/EjsWiki/index.php/
behavior on top of a webcam feed of the real laboratory. They conducted an
observational study that revealed a positive impact on students' learning when using
the VRL and Moodle. However, although they inserted an AR application into
Moodle, the solution does not promote content sharing.

3. Embedding LOs based on RA into an LMS

The activity of developing teaching materials to support the teaching/learning

process is a challenge for both educators and learners when it comes to novelties and
techniques that result in a gain of learning. Included among the attempts to make this
task easier is the LOs, which favor the development and reuse of didactic contents.
However, some resources do not fully exercise the proposed role of teaching/learning
support, due to difficulties such as the lack of a tool to help in the generation of LOs.
When the practice of e-learning on the web started to take over the use of
educational compact discs, a set of standards (i.e., SCORM) was developed by the
ADL initiative of the United States government with the purpose of addressing the
challenges of the interoperability, reusability, and durability of educational content.
At that time, each vendor/LMS used its own unique set of standards, which meant that
organizations using these systems were forced to continue using them, or else they
would have to produce all their content again from scratch.
SCORM allows the usage and distribution of educational content, according to
the concept of “reusable, accessible, interoperable, durable” [3]:
• “reusable” implies the possibility of being used and modified by different
tools;
• “accessible” implies the availability to meet the different needs of customers;
• “interoperable” implies support for different web browsers and operating
systems; and
• “durable” implies not requiring changes in order to work with newer
versions of software.
In order to insert didactic material based on AR into LMSs, a packaging tool was
developed that packages an AR application into SCORM [1]. Figure 1 depicts the
workflow proposed to create and deploy an LO based on AR into LMs or into a
repository.
 Phase 1: Developing the augmented reality application based on web
technologies

Phase 2: Packaging the application into a learning object standard

Phase 3: Storing the learning object in a repository

and/or
Importing the learning object directly to a learning management system

Phase 4: Running the learning object in the learning management system

Fig. 1. Creation, packaging, and visualization of AR content.

In the first phase, an AR authoring tool is used to create the AR application to be

compatible with web technologies (i.e., HTML5, JavaScript, WebGL). This
compatibility is necessary, because LMSs usually run on web browsers, avoiding
portability problems. However, this is not a restriction, because advances in hardware
and software technologies have enabled web browsers to run complex content, even
3D scenes in real time. Traditional web applications generally contain scripts, HTML,
CSS files, and other media, such as video, images, and audio. However, if the
application is also an AR application, it includes other files, such as 3D models and
animations. Our solution also contains files referring to the configuration of the LO
(i.e., XML, or eXtensible Markup Language, files). All files are packaged as an LO
that is embedded into the LMS.
The second phase consists of packaging the AR application into an LO standard.
As input, the application receives the application files and adds and updates files
according to the LO standard adopted; it ends up generating an object that can be
shared via repositories or be imported directly by LMSs. Our packaging tool was
designed to accomplish this step. Figure 2 shows the user interface of our tool. The
user specifies the path of the AR application (magnifying glass icon) and the destiny
path to the LO (the text field below). The floppy disk icon creates the LO package in
SCORM. The door icon closes the tool. This tool does not alter the application
content; however, it adds some files, such the metadata file imsmanifest.xml, which
describes the logical structure of the LO (i.e., it contains links to every piece of
content inside the LO). This file also contains information about the cataloging and
searching of the object, the tracking of ownership and attribution information, and the
handling of rights management issues. So the imsmanifest.xml file ensures that the
object will work according to the LO standards. The final product of the packaging
tool is a single compacted file with the extensions “.pkzip” or “.pif.”

Fig. 2. User interface of the packaging tool.

The tool itself was developed based on NetBeans 8.0.2 for Java 7. The class
diagram in Figure 3 shows the main classes and methods involved in the packaging.
The Main class is initialized by the runtime and builds the user interface. It uses the
FileManager class to add files to the package and set their internal values (i.e., the
names of the links used in the imsmanifest.xml file). The Compresser class is used to
generate and validate the LO package file.

Fig. 3. Class diagram: packaging tool.

The third phase receives the LOs as input, and then the user can directly start step
four or share the objects in repositories. In general, when the user is importing an LO
file into a repository, it is necessary to describe their identifiers (i.e., audience, key
words, hardware software requirements). These descriptions are important because
they will be what the educator uses during a search. Normally, the repositories offer
the means for searching by topic, author, and so on.
Finally, in the fourth phase, the educator can import and publish the LO into an
LMS.

4. Case study

To validate the packaging tool, we developed an educational AR activity,

depicted in Figure 4. It was embedded into Moodle 3.5.1. After the upload, Moodle
was accessed, using the Mozilla Firefox9 web browser and Chromium10, in four
operating systems: Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 (the 32-bit and 64-bit
editions). The activity related to the LO was focused on aiding the process of
teaching-learning with respect to the classification system used to identify animals for
preschool education (mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects). The user’s interaction
with the LO is based on fiducial markers. The student points the camera at the
underlying marker, and only after the marker is recognized (i.e., while acquiring
camera data) is the three-dimensional bird shown by the application. Users can also
use a mouse to interact with the RA content.

Fig. 4. Learning object based on augmented reality embedded into Moodle.

The AR application was developed using Flaras (the Flash Augmented Reality
Authoring System), an authoring tool created using Adobe Air. This free open-source

9 Mozilla Firefox: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/_refox/new/

10 Chromium https://www.chromium.org/
tool includes support for diverse media such as images, sounds, animations, and 3D
objects. This tool was designed to assist nonexpert users with AR application
development. It allows teachers to develop AR applications for the web with no
programming knowledge. Thus, teachers can focus on content development rather
than on the technology aspects. Flaras also includes tutorials based on texts and
videos, FAQs, an e-book, and various examples accompanied by their respective
projects. The AR application created with this tool can be run on users' web browsers
through Adobe Flash11; it was designed to be simple enough so that lay people can
use it by downloading 3D objects from 3D Warehouse12 and importing them into their
own applications.
After the full activity was developed with Flaras, it was packaged as an LO, using
our packaging tool. Figure 5 depicts its content. The root contains the files related to
the SCORM standard, the main html page, and subfolders that contain Flaras files
(i.e., sounds, images, textures, 3D files, and java scripts).

Flaras files
(i.e., 3D objects, images, textures, icons)

SCORM files

Main html page

LO configuration
Flash file
Fig. 5. Content of the SCORM based on AR application developed with Flaras.

Validation and execution of the created LO were also published and tested in the
repository SCORM Cloud (trial version), which is an online learning environment
focused on storing and distributing e-learning content. It allowed the LO to be
uploaded without any incident. Figure 6 depicts our LO deployed and running in the
SCORM Cloud. If the LO is altered, all LMSs have it automatically updated; it does
not require that13 individual updates be sent to everyone who uses the content. This
repository also tracks how much the LO content is being used, no matter which LMS
the LO is stored in. SCORM Cloud is integrated with Moodle, so it is possible to use
a LO based on AR within Moodle courses.

11 Adobe Flash: https://get.adobe.com/ashplayer/

12 3D Warehouse: https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/index.html
13 SCORM Cloud: http://scorm.com/scorm-solved/scorm-cloud-features/
 Fig. 6. The LO stored in the repository SCORM Cloud.

5. Conclusions

Until now significant effort has been made aiming to promote the reuse of
didactic material. Even though there are several educational content repositories
available, sharing material among educators still remains an open issue. Didactic
material that follows an LO standard is a possible solution.
This paper presented a solution that allows the embedding of AR into LMSs. It
can assist teachers using AR content to improve their classes, helping the students to
understand the subjects. This proposal is based on LOs, which are didactic material
projects designed to be reusable, interoperable, accessible, and manageable. We
described a packaging tool based on SCORM, which is an LO standard.
We also introduced a case study that used our tool to create an LO based on AR
and import it into Moodle. Using this tool, students can explore content in several
different ways, allowing them to practice what they are studying in their own way.
Students can use a marker and mouse to interact with the RA content. The LO
developed was also deployed into and tested in the repository SCORM Cloud. We
believe that the use of repositories can promote the shareability of educational
content.
From the observed results, we can conclude that our tool has achieved its
purpose. As future work, we intend to improve our packaging tool interface to support
other LO standards (i.e., Tin Can API, AICC). We also aim to create AR applications
with different authoring tools and package them using our solution.
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