New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

Field Play is an augmented reality educational and experiential tool for the geosciences built to run on Android-based mobile devices. Free and easy to use, Field Play enriches learning on many levels as users are able to customize the breadth and depth of content to accommodate their interest and experience levels ranging from K-12 through college level students, the general public, or professional geoscientists. The goal of the Field Play application is to promote scientific education in a way that is personal, interesting, relevant, and accessible.

The Field Play system is based around augmented reality geologic field trips that overlay educational data with the physical world. The New Mexico Geological Society (NMGS) will incorporate Field Play into its Fall Field Conference (FFC) by adding a downloadable augmented field trip and associated content to its traditional guidebook format. While at the FFC, users can explore their location relative to the predetermined route as well as geologic features, terrain, and active content using the embedded GPS unit in their mobile device. When a user enters an area of active content as part of the NMGS FFC, they are guided through the field trip via audio tour. At FFC stops, users are given the opportunity to explore interactive submodules, including augmented reality binoculars, informational text, topographic and geologic maps, and short video (YouTube) lessons. The Field Play YouTube channel offers educational videos in 5-10 minute segments discussing key locations, terminology, and concepts. These educational videos incorporate interviews by topical experts, animations, photographs, and video, allowing the user to expand their knowledge on related topics.

Content from the 2014 NMGS FFC can also be accessed from home when not in an area of active content via web browser; thus, trips and content can be re-visited by users via internet or upon returning to field locations any time after download. Field Play virtual field trip content can be accessed and searched (e.g., by regional location or topic of interest) online or on a mobile device, and content can be combined by users to create their own personal trip, providing a useful for both informal and formal geoscience education.