Field Test: Notes

[geyerbri]

A few notes from testing an activated template:

First, really cool! I already see a whole host of other applications for this beyond location-based storytelling, including university-wide tours with an AR application for visitors' phones (we saw several tours taking place on campus this afternoon).

The "$horticulture" point is in the middle of a fenced-off area where a construction company has set up a kind of on-site office. I'd suggest using 42.731973, -84.478518 instead. The "$benefactorsplaza" is in the middle of some bushes and, depending on the size of the buffer radius, people may have an issue finding it. I'd recommend moving it to 42.731785, -84.477802. I think the $natscience point would be fine, but I never was able to find it (see next comment).

The game itself is a little difficult to use when "calibrating the scanner" because it doesn't tell the user what lat, lon they're are currently at. The user has no way of knowing whether their 'calibration' worked for their location, or whether the location data isn't making it to the browser (which I discovered after 'resetting' the game and finding the start location was set to "0 and 0"). If it were me, I'd put "Currently you are at $Location.latitude and $Location.longitude" on every passage so the user can confirm that the browser is registering their movements. This seems like something that would help the template, rather than something each student might decide to do on their own.

Finally, the students might find using a tablet a bit easier for display of all of each passage's text, but the ones we have in LEADR probably won't work out in the plaza (they aren't on any cell service plans).

Other than these few things, this application really got me excited for its possibilities!

[shawngraham]

Thanks. I've made changes accordingly!