REFF book as a Mode-2 learning platform

Abstract

This paper explores augmented reality as a set of technologies and processes that weave hypermedial content into printed publications thus fostering new educational practices. The idea was to implement a platform fostering what has been defined as 'Mode-2' knowledge production practice. This is a practice that involves multi-disciplinary teams, brought together for short periods of time to work on specific, complex problems in the real world. In particular this paper focuses on augmented reality as a bridge to extend traditional hypermediality to paper-based educational tools, analyzing as case study a book recently released by the Italian publisher FakePress. The book addresses the concept of remix as a political and educational practice and is based on an extensive use of QR codes and fiduciary markers that act as triggers to retrieve and show additional content published by both authors and readers through an open CMS (Content Management System). The QR codes and the fiduciary markers work as links to hypermedial remixes that extend the limits of traditional educational text books.

Keywords

• augmented reality
• enhanced learning
• on-line collaboration
• Mode-2 knowledge production