ARSafari: An Augmented Reality Tool for Learning Philippine Endemic Flora and Fauna Species

Lead Researcher(s): Angel S. Estaño and Demelo M. Lao
Status: Published

Abstract/summary: Raising awareness and learning of Philippine endemic flora and fauna, which are threatened by habitat loss, climate change, and limited public knowledge, is a challenge in the educational setting. Traditional teaching methods often lack the interactivity needed to engage students and foster appreciation for these unique species. To this end, an augmented reality (AR) mobile application software (ARSafari) was developed to provide interactive and engaging learning experience about Philippine endemic species. ARSafari incorporates both marker-based and marker-less AR functionalities, showcasing 3D models, animations, and comprehensive information on ten plant and four animal species. Heuristic evaluation by experienced software developers showed generally good user interface design, with potential for improvements in areas such as waiting times for camera-related features and error handling. While system usability (SU) and user engagement (UE) levels were assessed by high school science teachers and college biology professors, which revealed high usability for both educator-groups (SU Scale: Mean = 85−86, SD = 7−7.3) with equivalent adjectival rating of “Excellent Usability” and positive overall engagement experience (UE Scale: Mean = 4.2−4.3, SD = 0.6−0.8). However, no large numerical difference in mean perceived usability was observed between educator-group cohorts, suggesting that the application equally offers positive user experience and user-friendliness to both cohorts. Thus, this paper shows ARSafari’s potential as a tool for learning Philippine endemic flora and fauna species, which also contributes to the existing (Philippine) literature of AR-enabled mobile applications that features both marker-based and marker-less AR, while simultaneously increasing awareness and promoting its conservation among the youth in a pedagogical setting.

Keywords:

• Augmented Reality
• Market-based AR
• Marker-less AR