Mixed Reality Books: Applying Augmented and Virtual Reality in Mining Engineering Education

This chapter deals with the integration of Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) elements into academic mining education. The focus lies on the didactical approach within the EU-funded MiReBooks (Mixed Reality Books) project. The project aims to develop a series of AR- and VR-based interactive mining manuals as a new digital standard for higher education across European engineering education. By combining AR and VR technologies, it is possible to address current challenges in mining education in an innovative way. These virtual applications should make otherwise impossible and dangerous situations accessible to students. Classical paper-based teaching materials are enriched with AR content and translated into pedagogically and didactically coherent manuals for integrative use in the classroom. The authors explore how AR and VR instruments can be effectively integrated into teaching. The results of a broad evaluation of AR/VR-based lectures are presented and discussed in this chapter. The experiences and findings are summarized in a decision matrix for the use of AR/VR-based technologies in teaching.