Abstract:
In this paper, we describe an experiment to study the effect of mobile
Augmented Reality (AR) on learning in art museum contexts. We created six
original paintings and placed them in a mini art museum. We then created an
AR application on the iPad to enable the artist to visually augment each
painting by introducing animation. We then measured the ability of the
visitors to remember the appearance of the paintings after 24 hours, as well
as their ability to objectify the paintings. Experiment results show that
while AR does improve retention and transfer of such art information, the
benefits of AR are mediated by other factors such as interference from other
elements of the exhibition, as well as subjects' own prior art experience and
training. The use of AR may also produce unexpected benefits, such as
providing users with a new perspective of the artwork, as well as increasing
their curiosity and encouraging them to experiment with the technology. Such
benefits may potentially improve the chances for learning and analytical
activities to take place.