Horticulture Instruction with “Augmented Reality”.

Teaching horticulture in Minnesota presents many challenges.  For some instructors, the ideal method of teaching is to bring students outdoors so they can learn while seeing and experiencing plants and landscapes.  Unfortunately, much of the academic year in Minnesota is not suitable for this type of learning and unpredictability of weather can hamper planned outside activities during the fall and spring.  One solution to this problem is through the use of augmented reality.  Augmented reality (AR) consists of virtual overlays of information displayed on smartphones and other mobile computing devices. This can be done on a student's own time without the instructor being present; more importantly, this type of learning could increase student engagement and learning.  In this study, we provided students with opportunities to actively learn horticulture through field experiences enhanced by AR.  We investigated the impact of two AR field experiences on learning.  These AR experiences were delivered using the ARIS platform on iOS handheld devices.   The first experience guided students through a series of steps that taught them about important plant structures in a field setting.  After reviewing survey results from the first experience, a second experience was developed that used ARIS to help students learn about experimental design in a greenhouse.  Our results showed that students found the AR experiences very helpful in learning course content. While many students found the AR experiences very helpful and engaging, glitches and unreliable internet connections detracted from the experiences. We are currently working on improving the experiences based on student feedback for delivery in future semesters.