Real-World Oriented Smartphone AR Supported Learning System Based on Planetarium Contents for Seasonal Constellation Observation

Abstract

A popular astronomical concept covered by projection learning programs in the planetarium is seasonal constellation. However, a planetarium’s learning environment is limited to virtual scenes, where learners can observe seasonal constellations, but there is a significant difference between reality and the learners’ imagination regarding constellations. It is important to create a real-world oriented observation learning environment for observing seasonal constellations. Augmented reality has proved to be a powerful tool for astronomical observation learning. In this paper, augmented reality (AR) contents and 2D contents are used to develop a smartphone-based learning system called the Real-World Oriented Smartphone AR Learning System (R-WOSARLS) for seasonal constellation observation, which is based on the planetarium contents of the planetarium of the Nagoya City Science Museum, for seasonal constellation learning. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the usefulness, usability, and learner satisfaction of our system in university and junior high school, respectively. The results show that R-WOSARLS is an effective learning tool for constellation observation and learning, and it enhances learners’ motivation to pursue seasonal constellation learning. Moreover, R-WOSARLS could be a teaching tool not only to help students learn more than with traditional instruction, but also to stimulate their interest in astronomical phenomena outside of school.