A Reflection: How and Why

Teaching with AR: Final Project Reflection

Written by Deloris Penn to fulfill graduation requirements.

INTRODUCTION

TeachwithAR.com is an introduction to augmented reality (AR) for educators who want to implement this multimodal tool in their training materials, online courses, and in-person lectures.

The website introduces AR to educators in four modules:

Discover AR
Decide on AR
Create with AR
Check AR Usability

In this project, I provided the reader with resources to go from being a complete beginner to creating a simple AR experience. Throughout the beginner-level materials, I provided real-world examples of AR, a prototype of the ideal user interface, and a usability checklist.

The target audience is adult educators. I chose this broad term because it includes instructional designers, eLearning developers, corporate trainers, and college instructors interested in creating immersive educational content for adult learners.

My project’s primary goals are to help adult educators understand what AR is and how it differs from virtual reality. I also hope that educators can see the benefits of AR as a multimodal tool, increasing the adoption of its use for adult learners.

MY DESIGN PROCESS AND STRATEGY

I narrowed the scope of my project to focus on educators unfamiliar with AR. Initially, I started with two levels of content: Beginner and emerging AR designers. However, since AR is not yet widely adopted, and increasing the use of AR in teaching is one of my primary goals, I focused on creating more detailed content to help educators get started with AR. Once educators see the opportunities with the technology, I hope they will be inspired to create, share, and grow the community of AR creators.

Understanding my target audience’s current AR knowledge helped redefine the project’s content. I restructured the content to align with my project’s goals and my target audience’s current knowledge of AR. To decide on the content that seemed most relevant, I thought back to my research proposal defense and the recommendation that was provided to me by Dr. Nahrwold - “tell me why I should use AR.” And also, the recommendation provided by Dr. Harris - “tell me the difference between AR and virtual reality (VR).” During each scheduled meeting with Dr. Kuralt, I was provided valuable feedback, challenging me to provide “quick wins” for the learner and make the content more approachable.

Being a relatively new AR designer, I thought about my processes, considering questions I would run into, like:

How do I know when to use AR in educational materials?
What tools are most familiar, user-friendly, and consistent?
How will I ensure the AR experience is user-friendly in various environmental settings (i.e., indoor, outdoor, good/bad lighting conditions, etc.)?
What troubleshooting options do I provide to help the user if they encounter an issue?

The initial feedback was that the information read like an encyclopedia and was too technical. To make the content a micro-learning format, I reduced the eight-module website to four modules focusing on beginner-level AR creators. This shortened format appeals to more beginner-level creators and helps reach the project goal of increasing the use of AR in learning materials.

Considering an educator's busy and hectic schedule - especially after teaching a Composition I class this semester - I assumed the reader would be interested in AR but short on time. This may be a summer goal they want to accomplish, or they may want to implement something quickly for an already-prepared lesson. So, I made the material as concise as possible while maintaining clarity and ensured they could complete each module within about 30 minutes. For additional context, I provided resources the reader could use or bookmark to reference later.

I also made revisions to the content’s formatting after receiving valuable feedback from the committee regarding the website and content. After making the changes to the website, I hid the old home page with an option for beginner and emerging designers. However, all of the links had not been updated, and if someone tried to search for the home page as a direct URL link, it took them to the old home page. All of these have been updated so that anyone who searches for the home page - either through a link or direct URL search - will be redirected to the current home page.

Following Dr. Nahrwold’s suggestions, I created a style guide for the content to guide me as I create future content, ensuring the content was clear and concise.

Formatting changes that I implemented:

Created a version section with the date last updated on the home page
Updated the home page language to be more consistent with the forthcoming beginner-level content
Checked for parallelism throughout my headings, links, and directives. I made each H1 heading actionable (an instruction) instead of a title.

I appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into reviewing the website, helping me develop an overall more valuable product, and continuing to develop my eye as a professional writer and editor. These changes help make the content more approachable, and the consistency and cadence of the headings will help guide the reader with a more predictable flow.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE IMPROVEMENT

I will need to implement a mobile version. While I believe many educators will use this information in a desktop (personal computer or laptop) format, I also want to acknowledge that the mobile version should be as user-friendly and approachable as the desktop version. To accomplish this, I must fully consider how the information should be presented on a mobile device (smartphone and tablet), including the use of headings and titles. I will also consider if a video and PDF are needed or just a video.

Another opportunity to improve the content is making my videos more instructional with voiceover and using screencasts and GIFs. I also need to incorporate closed captioning with the voiceover. Adding knowledge checks helps learners understand what they should learn from that module. This self-check provides the learner confidence that they successfully “passed” the module and should move on to the next. This project may evolve into a workshop-style format where the learner has a product (AR experience) to share after completing each level. It could even be gamified with badges, progress bars, and avatars for those who want to dive deeper into the content (as it develops).

In my next content development phase, I will add an emerging designers section focusing on advanced usability and design features and implementing AR in an enterprise environment. Continuing to scaffold the learners keeps me on my toes and abreast of the most recent and relevant AR content.

RELEVANT COURSEWORK

I have taken various courses in the MA-PTW program that, along with my work experience, equipped me to create this project.

Usability

As part of a team, I completed a usability study on Dr. Carter’s EyeGuide application. We conducted virtual usability tests via Zoom, created user personas, and completed a usability test plan. Key components of our test plan were methodology, roles, usability tasks, usability metrics, usability goals, problem severity, and results report. After taking Dr. Carter’s class, I was inspired to learn more about usability testing, so I purchased the book User and Task Analysis for Interface Design by Hackos and Redish. Although published in 1998, I found it helpful when designing my project website.

While completing a usability test on my website was not within the scope of my project, I did include a “Check AR Usability” section, which was influenced by my coursework in Usability. Whether it is an AR experience or another application, checking for usability is essential and should not be overlooked, especially with AR. If the experience is not user-friendly, adult learners will not see the technology's benefit.

It was also important to ensure my website was user-friendly for my adult learners - the educators who visit to learn about AR. I referenced a discussion from week 4 of class where we compared website usability - using studies from Agarwal and Kantner. Agarwal suggests a heuristic evaluation approach utilizing the Microsoft Usability Guidelines (MUG), while Kantner references Nielsen’s heuristics.

Kantner states, “Organizations serious about performing heuristic evaluation normally start with the Nielsen list and then create more specific checklists that address the issues specific to their products." This process was my approach when developing the usability checklist and making it specific to an educational AR experience for an adult learner in Module Four.

Software Documentation

In Software Documentation, we focused on creating technical documentation that is concise, clear, and consistent. Throughout this project, I have used lessons learned from my coursework and in my professional career as a technical writer and instructional designer.

In the class, I created a step-by-step guide showing how to storyboard in Articulate Storyline, a software for eLearning developers. Through detailed feedback and conferences with Dr. Kuralt, I went through several revisions, ensuring the instructions were clear and concise.

And for my final project in the class, I created a help website with video and PDF tutorials for Microsoft PowerPoint and Zoom. I completed a video recording of a PowerPoint tutorial with voiceover and closed captioning. For Zoom, I created a quick-start tutorial hosted as a PDF document on my website. I also studied accessibility standards and the importance of compliance with W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines and best practices.

I carried over what I learned from my classes when creating my project. When designing the procedures, I referenced the Microsoft Style Guide to ensure the steps were concise and consistent. Referencing the Four Components of a Procedure, a study by Meij and Gellevij, I included screenshots in my procedures for additional context. When designing the website, I referenced the 5 E’s of usability, which according to Whitney Quesenbery, include being effective, efficient, engaging, error tolerant, and easy to learn.

Technical Editing

In Technical Editing, I created a style guide for my employer, Legacy FM. The company is a start-up that needed a branding identity. The style guide is both a branding guide and an editorial style guide for all instructional content. Since creating this initial style guide, I have evolved it to include standards and guidelines for all the eLearning content (computer-based and instructor-led), including usability standards such as optimal colors, text sizes, and alignment.

In class, we also had an editing partner with whom we collaborated on suggested changes and recommendations for improving our respective style guide projects. Through this collaborative experience, I saw things my partner implemented that may work for my style guide. This is a lesson that I have used since then - using what others have done well, building upon it, and putting my spin on it.

I thought about the same consistencies when creating my website, so I implemented a style sheet as part of my feedback and revisions for the project. This will serve as a checklist to ensure the best user experience. I also referenced the Handbook of Technical Writing when creating standards for the style sheet and website, and it will continue to serve as a reference as I develop more content.

Document Design

In Document Design, I learned about “page design” and how “web pages serve as a frame and define a visual field,” (Kimball et al. 115) and how design principles like proximity, alignment, enclosure, order, similarity, and contrast help guide the reader's eye.

After completing various class assignments, my document design skills evolved, and I gained greater confidence in sharing my designs with others. I was also introduced to The Non-Designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams, which inspired me to learn more about graphic design and how aesthetics impact usability. My design skills have continued to evolve through various work projects, including creating 3D graphics and AR experiences.

Building upon what I learned when creating this website, I used a minimalist style aesthetic with plenty of white space. Considering the target audience and the rhetorical situation. I used specific tips from Robin Williams’ book, such as creating contrast using font sizes, styles, and weights (Williams 190-192) and making the version text on the home page smaller than the other fonts (Williams 187).

Rhetorical Theory

In Rhetorical Theory, we learned to examine our rhetorical situation. Aristotle defines rhetoric as the ability to see the means of persuasion in each particular case. One of the concepts I wrote about was the rhetorical triangle (ethos, logos, and pathos) and how it relates to the power of persuasion. I used this concept in my final project - ensuring my project appealed to the audience’s logic and reasoning while establishing credibility.

I completed a rhetorical analysis on the Dropbox help center website for my final paper in Rhetorical Theory. I focused on the website's ethos, logos, and pathos. I analyzed organizational design, interface design, visual design, and color psychology. Researching and writing about the Dropbox help center helped me analyze and identify choices for my website based on the rhetorical situation.

Understanding the psychology of how rhetoric influences our decisions on whom we trust as an authoritative figure helped guide me on design choices and instructional strategies.

Writing on the Web

In Writing on the Web, I earned my HTML and CSS certifications through Codecademy and used those skills to create a Twine “story” or website. I learned the importance of information hierarchy, navigation, and usability when designing my Twine website. We posted our projects to the discussion board and received feedback from classmates. Most of my feedback was positive regarding aesthetics, but my classmates felt the website was hard to navigate. I had not given the user a way to navigate back to the home page or provided a menu of navigation options.

When I completed the final iteration of my website, I created a menu with links that helped the user navigate through the nodes (or web pages) without getting lost and created an option to revisit the home page throughout the website.

I used the lessons learned from creating the website when I completed this website. I provided a sidebar labeled “Contents” to help users navigate the website. I also provided a link to the home page on each web page by clicking the logo.

TECHNICAL WRITING MA PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Understanding the history and theory of the profession

As stated in my proposal defense, I wanted to create a project to show that I could put the theory and research I have learned throughout the MA program into practice. When creating this website, I referenced several materials (books, journals, web pages) I have read and analyzed during my graduate studies. Through this project, I have shown that I can apply those principles in theory and create a project that shows mastery of scholarly research and synthesizing information for real-world use.

Analyzing various rhetorical situations

While creating and iterating this project, I narrowed my audience to adult educators. I arrived at this particular audience because I saw a need for AR content beyond a K-12 audience. I found this gap exists in the edtech space because I was looking for an authoritative voice who could help guide me on issues like AR usability and design choices for adult learners.

Not only did I define the audience for my website, but I also had to define the audience for their potential audience (adult learners) to provide the proper guidance and instruction. To do this, I created user personas - like the avatar, Addie, a college Composition instructor. I needed to consider why they would visit the website, how to keep their attention, and what information they need as concisely as possible.

Conducting primary and secondary research

I referenced various scholarly materials to build and design this website. Most materials used I was introduced to through my MA program, and they are referenced throughout this reflection and in my Works Cited.

Inspired by what I had learned in my classes, I also conducted additional research. I purchased several books, including:

3D User Interface: Theory and Practice
Design for How People Learn
Colour in User Interface Design
Designing Immersive 3D Experiences: A Designer’s Guide to Creating Realistic 3D Experiences for Extended Reality
Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works
User Task Analysis for Interface Design

These resources taught me the importance of making design choices that impact the user experience and the overall aesthetics. Beyond the books, I also took online courses to expand my augmented reality knowledge to establish credibility with my audience as an authoritative voice.

Using ethical and appropriate rhetorical strategies to develop arguments

I used document design as visual rhetoric when communicating my information and ideas on the website. The design includes the website layout, typography, colors, and headings used to enhance the information’s persuasive power and engage the audience meaningfully.

Considering my target audience, I made the design as straightforward as possible - keeping them on the same menu page throughout the four modules. I used white space in the materials to avoid overwhelming the reader, as this was already a technical topic, and I used visuals to enhance the text.

The fonts and colors were strategic choices. I used the mauve color scheme because it was soothing. I wanted to create this calming effect while introducing the highly technical topic. I also chose fonts that were sans serif and easy to read on a computer screen but would also be suitable for mobile devices.

Exploring and experimenting with technologies

In Software Documentation, we were introduced to content development platforms to host instructional materials. In that class, I chose Wix to host PowerPoint instructional videos and a PDF on Zoom and chose the same platform for this website because it is familiar and easy to use.

I also used other technologies, like Adobe Aero, to create an AR experience. To document how to use Adobe Aero to create an interactive AR menu, I created an interactive instructor’s guide in PowerPoint.

Learning various technologies throughout my graduate school career has been insightful and enjoyable. I appreciate how technical writers enhance technology’s usability. I have found a niche at the junction of technology, writing, and design that I hope to continue to explore and share with our writing community.

Attending to editorial detail and citation

This project went through several iterations to reach its current state. It started as just an idea that I wanted to bring to life with the support of my professors - the experts. I chose my committee carefully because each brought a different perspective and would challenge me differently.

With each revision, the project has gotten better and closer to what I envisioned as an end product. Reimagining something that was once just an idea takes work. I implemented a style sheet to help standardize the website’s content.

I acknowledge that this will continue to be an iterative process as I reach out to more professionals to review and provide feedback. AR is also a fluid topic. I provided a space for collaboration and comments from others in the field or interested in AR to ask questions or provide constructive feedback.

Acting as professionals in and outside the classroom

This project started as a proposal for an idea for a project that I wanted to create. It took much work to articulate what I wanted to accomplish with the project and narrow my focus. During the proposal defense for the project, I used PowerPoint slides to help me stay on track and thoroughly convey my ideas. I used visual aids to help me explain what I hoped to accomplish to a non-technical audience.

For my project defense, I feel much more confident. I have experience speaking in front of a classroom of Composition I students, and I have a final project that I know I put a lot of time and effort into, and I am proud of the work I was able to accomplish.

Participating in the profession outside the classroom

I wanted to join like-minded professionals who are also passionate about immersive edtech, so I joined the ARVR association and have attended two virtual conferences. I am also a student member of the Association of Talent Development, where I can network with other professionals implementing AR in courses for the workforce.

Jaime Donally (ARVRinEDU.com) is an authoritative voice on using AR and VR in K-12 education. Although we have different target audiences, I still connect with her on social media to stay abreast of new edtech uses.

Along with my MA-PTW coursework, I have also completed the following certifications:

Unity: Essentials Pathway

Coursera: Introduction to Augmented Reality and ARCore

Unity: Creative Core Track

Udemy: Autodesk Maya 3D Modeling and Animation

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

Through an iterative process, I produced a tangible product that I can continue to develop. Although I narrowed the project's focus, I am excited about the direction and feel more confident about providing a product that helps accomplish my primary goals. I learned that taking a step back to consider the target audience’s needs and adequately scaffolding them is more important than providing the information I think they need right now. This goes hand-in-hand with probably the most important lesson I have learned throughout my graduate school career - start somewhere; revise everywhere.

WORKS CITED

Alred, Gerald J., et al. Handbook of Technical Writing. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2020.

Kantner, L., et al. “Structured Heuristic Evaluation of Online Documentation.” Proceedings.

IEEE International Professional Communication Conference, https://doi.org/10.1109/ipcc.2002.1049115.

Kimball, Miles A., and Ann R. Hawkins. Document Design: A Guide for Technical

Communicators. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008.

Pallep. “Welcome - Microsoft Style Guide.” Microsoft Style Guide | Microsoft Learn, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/style-guide/welcome/.

Williams, Robin. The Non-Designer's Design Book. Peachpit Press, 2014.

VanderMeij, H., and M. Gellevij. “The Four Components of a Procedure.” IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, vol. 47, no. 1, 2004, pp. 5–14., https://doi.org/10.1109/tpc.2004.824292.