AR Expeditions

Client

UF Lastinger Center for Learning

SERVICES

Application Development, Instructional Design

PARTNER

The Web & App Development and Instructional Design teams partnered Nigel Newbutt, Ph.D. (Emerging Technologies Teaching Lab), Elizabeth McConney (New Worlds Reading Initiative), P.K.Yonge Developmental Research School

Instructor sits cross-legged on a classroom floor, leading a discussion with children; an interactive whiteboard displays a lesson behind them, with shelves

In collaboration with the University of Florida College of Education, New Worlds Reading has released a free mobile application designed to inspire young readers to engage more deeply with books they receive through the statewide book distribution program. AR Expeditions uses the immersive power of augmented reality (AR) to transform reading into an interactive experience where children can build virtual environments, play games and go on themed adventures, all while interacting with expert-reviewed literary content.

OBJECTIVE

To create a mobile application that makes reading for young children fun and interactive, breaking down barriers for reluctant readers and building a deeper connection to literacy.

Child holding a tablet in a classroom, viewing an augmented reality scene where a brown, seal-like animal is overlaid on a curved white table with orange

Read about our 'mini researchers'

The Challenge

Signed into law in June 2021, New Worlds Reading was created to support Florida’s striving readers by strengthening literacy skills, boosting reading confidence and fostering a lifelong love of reading. Eligible children receive a free book each month during the school year, tailored to their interests and accompanied by activities for caregivers and children to use together. However, simply receiving books does not guarantee that students will engage with them. This presents a key challenge: how to motivate children, especially those reading below grade level, to pick up these books and read them.

The Solution

To bridge this engagement gap the team developed AR Expeditions, a free and accessible mobile app that combines interactive storytelling with the latest in augmented reality. Designed around common themes found in the distributed books, the app features four immersive expeditions that integrate age-appropriate vocabulary and literary concepts in a gamified format.

The app was developed in-house by our advanced learning technologies team, with literacy alignment led by instructional designers from both ETC and New Worlds Reading. Co-design sessions with Nigel Newbutt, Ph.D., and elementary students and faculty helped shape gameplay mechanics and content that resonate with our target audience. The result is a playful, research-informed experience that brings reading to life into the hands of children across Florida.

Hands hold a tablet outdoors, tapping an educational AR game screen that reads “Level 4: Select the animals that live in the ocean,” with floating bubbles labeled bull shark, sperm whale, clownfish, seahorse, and mangrove.