AR flashcards for non-native Chinese learners
There are more than 40 million foreigners studying Chinese around the world, and their biggest challenge lies in reading and writing the characters. Chinese characters are rich in symbols and meanings deeply rooted in Chinese history. Sadly, this cultural wealth within each character often eludes non-native learners, leading to a dry and tiresome learning experience.
Augmented Reality has shown promise in enhancing learning by engaging multiple senses in the brain. This project aims to reinterpret Chinese pictographs as a captivating aesthetic journey, enriching classroom teaching and self-tutoring experiences.
Skills
AR Prototyping
Graphic Design
Animation
Tools
Spark AR
Illustrator
After Effects
Photoshop
Independent
Academy Xi
Mixed Reality Elevate Course Final Project
Substantial
Chinese contains over 47,000 characters, with even the commonly-used group totaling over one thousand.
Cultural
The cultural richness behind characters is lost, making the learning experience unenjoyable.
Pictographic
Hard to memorize the look and the meaning of characters.
Challenge
Struggle with the correct stroke order for writing
Challenges of learning Chinese characters
Pictograph research & design interpretation
Ancient characters from the Oracle Bone Script represent the earliest known form of Chinese writing. The graphics are created based on this script to make the cards more engaging for others to explore the hidden meanings.
Design iteration
The flashcards are suitable for both classroom teaching and self-tutoring scenarios. First, the user makes a guess about the graphic, then scans the card with the camera of a mobile device or tablet. An AR animation will play, showing the stroke order and explaining its meaning.
Based on testing feedback, the following improvements are made:
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The AR animation now appears vertically at an angle, allowing people to comfortably watch it, rather than horizontally overlaying on the card.
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Environment sounds have been added to the animation to engage multiple senses, thereby deepening the impression.
Future work
Finish: Complete the remaining basic pictographic characters.
Interaction: SparkAR only allows for one-time target-based experiences, requiring a unique URL or QR code to trigger the Facebook camera for a specific animation. Developing an independent app can optimize the process and significantly improve the overall experience.
Serialize: Expand the project to include Chinese idioms, known as Chengyu, which foreign learners often find most interesting. Idioms consist of four characters and often tell a story.
For example, the image below depicts 狐假虎威 (Hú jiǎ hǔ wēi)—a fox borrowing the tiger’s fierceness to scare and threaten others. We use this Chengyu to indicate someone who is using the power of influential people to bully or pressure others.