Walking and Talking as a Group

To better understand the use of mobile digital technology for place-based language learning, and more generally as a factor in human interaction, this paper describes the methods used by small groups to accomplish quest-type tasks in an augmented reality (AR) game. The ARIS game (arisgames.org) was available on mobile devices (iPhones) and played outside the classroom. Video-recordings of each group were made using two head-mounted cameras and one hand-held camera. Analysis focused on the groups’ orientation to the device as they accomplished game activity. Results show that the device and the holder of the device were frequently oriented to for instruction and leadership via verbal and non-verbal communication. We outline communicative practices used by the groups, how participants made information from the game publicly available to one another, and how they interfaced cartographic resources and the physical environment in way finding activity.