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by Brendan O'Keefe

Mobile Game Design & Augmented Reality for Educators

April 18, 2012 in augmented reality, Design, Games, Teaching

I’m in the final stages of setting up two half day hands on workshops where we expore the key elements of any good learning game. I show you how to design a game for your students and you’ll learn to Augmented the classroom/Library using the latest open source and low cost software and apps. These workshops will take place in June and July 2012 in Melbourne.

Perfect for Librarians, teachers, ICT staff and even media students who want to contribute to a richer learning experience for the entire school community.

Limited to 10 educators as participants are encouraged to bring a student to learn with them and then assist with peer learning and game development back at school. Total 10 places per workshop. Requires  a lap top/netbook and that you bring an iPhone or iPod Touch or Android smart phone with you.

What you will learn to:

  • Make a game people love to play
  • Understand game mechanics
  • Design learning games with brain teasers, storytelling, strategy, adventure, team work
  • Mock up and prototype your game
  • Work with QR codes and reference images inside and outside school
  • Use AR Augmented Reality in education
  • Apply game-based learning to educational outcomes
  • Use the latest location based game building tools and AR builders
  • Work with achievements, leader boards and badges
  • Get buy-in from administrators and parents

For more information contact Brendan at the Curiosity Lab

Curiosity Lab

Flickr. Some rights reserved by flickingerbrad. Thank you.

 

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Avatar of Brendan O'Keefe

by Brendan O'Keefe

31 Interesting ways to use mobiles in class

March 10, 2012 in Games, General, Teaching

Here is a presentation I found on Slideshare today from GBLA’s member Brendan Jones. Enjoy.

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Avatar of Brendan O'Keefe

by Brendan O'Keefe

Game characters come to life

March 3, 2012 in augmented reality, Design, Games, Quests

It’s been a while since I have posted. I’ve been busy at work for Telstra and have also redesigned Curiosity Lab website and branding. With the huge growth of smart-phones, tablets and iPads, and the fact that I’m developing games for mobiles,  I decided to make sure this version of the Curiosity Lab was responsive and would work well on all mobile devices.

The past 2 weeks I’ve been concentrating on the characters for the location based and augmented reality games I’m developing. I’ve been using BuildAR.com now and will blog more on that later. Read the rest of this entry →

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Avatar of Brendan O'Keefe

by Brendan O'Keefe

Build augmented reality with junaio GLUE

January 28, 2012 in augmented reality, General

 

I’ve been setting up Elastic Learning Network channels in all the major augmented reality (AR) providers. I’m pleased they all support both Android and IOS for their apps.

My first Augmented Reality attempt

So far the best in AR I’ve found is junaio. The features are rich and documentation is well written. One thing I have only recently realised is there are several ways to use AR in educational settings. One is to work with locations and the other is to use QR and other special markers.

In fact, junaio supports QR, and markers but also enhanced images. This means now almost anything can be used to trigger and AR experience and the images can be triggered from wherever you place them. This work well indoors where GPS is often unreliable.

As they mention on their website,  “junaio GLUE (or SCAN) describes junaio’s capabilities to recognize images and enhance images and pictures with virtual content without the need of using special markers. This is also called 2D Natural Feature Tracking (NFT).

junaio GLUE is available for free for every developer and can be integrated in your channels and be made available for all junaio users. To enrich flyers, packaging, books, magazines, etc. with junaio, you have to have an image of the surface to be enriched with virtual content, which can be used as reference or “pattern”. junaio GLUE has been set up to work with 3D models (see 3D content (link)) or as trigger. Have a look at the Quickstarts to learn how to create your own GLUE Channel.”

I’ll be launching the ELN junaio GLUE Channel in the coming weeks.

I’f you’re interested in using AR is your teaching or work with young people then I suggest you start by visiting Augmented Planet and download the junaio app for your smartphone.

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