Using ARIS to Create Interactive, Multimedia Enhanced Field Trips by Wes Molyneaux

These are my notes from Wes Molyneaux‘s breakout session, “Using ARIS to Create Interactive, Multimedia Enhanced Field Trips” at the 2012 Mobile Learning Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 11, 2012. MY THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS ARE IN ALL CAPS. The official conference session description was:

ARIS is a powerful tool for making location based games; however its true power lies when it is combined with ?eld trips and location based learning. Teachers can author their own “games” creating virtual characters or items like videos and awards that can be picked up and viewed by students using their iPhones, iPod touches and iPads. During the ?rst half of the session participants will experience, hands on, the power of ARIS with a demo tour around the Sheridan Hotel. During the second half of the session, participants will learn how to create their own interactive ?eld trips. Before attending this session, please download the ARIS app from the App Store. Note that the editor used to create ARIS ?eld trips are Flashbased and thus require either a Mac or PC.

I’m an anatomy and physiology teacher and also a technology staff developer / technology coach
– I’m not a game maker, programmer, or technology specialist
– not even an avid gamer
– I love integrating technology in my classroom and helping others integrate

ARIS is a wonderful opportunity to create GPS-based games and experiences using links and media
– open source platform

iPhones are the perfect platform/tool for ARIS because of the GPS aspect

App lets you upload pictures into a teacher database
– see the pictures kids took and the location where they took them
– see characters
– create vast and complicated games, or really simple things that popup on your screen
– could be link to Google Form
– so many things!

Simple ARIS Game I created for a Marine Biology teacher
– Chicago Shedd Aquarium
– Open ARIS App
– Create username/password
– Search “Shedd”

All of things on plaques at She’d aquarium are not designed for high school kids who have been studying marine biology all year
– more designed at the elementary level
– we designed this app to provide access to higher level content for students

For all the characters I’ve created in this game, they are marine characters
– since we are

I’m using the app Reflection that turns my Macbook into an AppleTV for $14.99
– works well but you have to be on the same network

After people read or view a ‘conversation’ in your ARIS game, you can put conditions that specify things like “show this video”

THE ONE WES CREATED IS PRETTY BASIC, ESSENTIALLY IT’S A WAY FOR STUDENTS TO ACCESS AND CONSUME DIFFERENT BLOCKS OF TEXT WITH ASSOCIATED IMAGES THAT ARE GPS-TRIGGERED

People who created the ARIS app made the “Dow Day Example”
– much more complicated game, a good example to view
– you meet characters, as you meet them it asks you to go t

I’M THINKING YOU COULD MAKE SOME PRETTY SWEET ‘GHOST TOUR’ APPS/GAMES WITH ARIS!

How do we start creating games with ARIS?

What can ARIS do?
– scavenger hunts
– simulations
– historic
– economic
– math/money
– gathering data/images/video
– enhance field trips with media

Advance ARIS requirements
– has/has not met a character
– uploaded image/media
– has acquired a number of an item
– has visited a website

To create your own ARIS game, go to arisgames.org/alphaeditor and create a new userID

I AM THINKING IT WOULD BE GREAT TO USE A BRANCHING, VISUAL TOOL TO BUILD YOUR GAME TOGETHER
– PROBABLY YOU COULD JUST DO THIS KIND OF PLANNING DOCUMENT WELL ON A WIKI
– THIS COULD BE FUN AT A SCHOOL FOR A ‘MEET THE STAFF’ CHALLENGE… YOU COULD GET CLUES ABOUT A MEMBER OF THE STAFF, AND THEN WHEN YOU GO TO THAT TEACHER’S CLASSROOM YOU’D MEET ANOTHER CHARACTER THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE NEXT CLUE

Pictures that people take who are playing a game you create are ONLY visible to the game creator

MY QUESTION: CAN YOU MAKE A GAME A TEMPLATE?
– answer: yes, you can duplicate games you’ve created and share editing rights to other people

Are good training videos on http://arisgames.org/make/training-videos/

Authoring Basic Objects

Using Requirements and Doing Simple Data Collection Activities

From Chris Thompson is @ctceismc:
Scvngr.com is a commercial company/app for creating scavenger hunts, limited free features before you pay
– 7Scenes is another option

Technorati Tags: edtech, education, mobile, multimedia, technology, tour, field, trip, aris, interactive, geography

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On this day..

• Visualizing Off-Planet Habitats – 2024
• STEM, iPad & Google Workshops in June 2015 – 2015
• Technology & Innovation in Education by Jaime Casap – 2012
• Why Every Teacher Should Become an App Creator by Chris Thompson – 2012
• Blended, Continuous Learning in the 21st Century Military – 2011
• Finger Puppet Videography with the iPad2: Lessons Learned – 2011
• Celebrate National Library Week with Fabrarians: Freeze-n-Read! – 2010
• Wilson Rawls: Author of Where the Red Fern Grows – 2010
• Who Will Save Journalism? We will! – 2009
• Google Sites as a classroom learning portal – 2008