Date of Award

Spring 2003

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Human Factors & Systems

Department

Human Factors and Systems

Committee Chair

Dennis A. Vincenzi, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Stephen Hall, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Sathya N. Ganghadaran, Ph. D.

Committee Member

Anthony Majoros, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Shawn Doherty, Ph.D.

Abstract

Currently today there are many types of media that can help individuals learn and excel in the on going effort to acquire knowledge for a specific trait or function in a workplace, laboratory, or learning facility. Technology has advanced in the fields of transportation, information gathering, and education. The need for better recall of information is in demand in a wide variety of areas. Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that may help meet this demand. AR is a hybrid of reality and virtual reality (VR) that uses the three-dimensional location viewed through a video or optical see-through media to capture the object's coordinates and add virtual images, objects, or text superimposed on the scene (Azuma, 1997).

The purpose of this research is to investigate four different modes of presentation and the effect of those modes on learning and recall of information using monitor-based Augmented Reality. The four modes of presentation are Select, Observe, Interact and Print modes. Each mode possesses different attributes that may affect learning and recall. The Select mode can be described as a mode of presentation that allows movement of the work piece in front of the tracking camera. The Observe mode involves information presentation using a pre-recorded video scene presented with no interaction with the work piece. The Interact mode allows the user to view a pre-recorded video scene that allows the user to point and click on the component of the work piece with a computer mouse on the monitor. The Print mode consists of printed material of each work piece component.

It was hypothesized that the Select mode would provide the user with the richest presentation of information due to information access capabilities helping to decrease work time, reduce the amount of error likelihood during usage, enhance the user's motivation for learning tasks, and increase concurrent learning and performances due to recall and retention. It was predicted that the Select mode would result in trainees that would recall the greatest amount of information even after extended periods of time had elapsed. This hypothesis was not supported. No significant differences between the four groups were found.

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