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Team Members: Jakia Sultana
Zao Ye
Qianxixi Min
Putri Ari Hendra Murti
Kiki Kots
Chujun Li
Commissioner: Blair van Pelt (Eetbare Academische Tuin)
Team coach: Marjan Wink
Wageningen, July 2013
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‘This report (product) is produced by students of Wageningen University as part of their MSc-program. It is not an official publication of Wageningen University or Wageningen UR and the content herein does not represent any formal position or representation by Wageningen University’
Copyright © 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
distributed in any form of by any means, without the prior consent of the authors.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank our coach, Marjan Wink, for all her support and good advice during the
execution of the project. Without her help we would never have successfully ended our project.
In addition, we would like to thank our commissioner, Blair van Pelt, for her help, understanding,
financial support and her inexhaustible enthusiasm. She was a great commissioner to us. We
would like to thank our expert, PJ Beers for his professional approach towards our project. We
are very grateful to Jappe Franke, Ron van Lammeren and Aldo Bergsma for their technical
support during the programming of the demo of EAT Layar App, with special thanks to Aldo
Bergsma for his help in developing demo.
We are very grateful to all interviewees for their time and patience during the interviews and all
the inspiration they gave us concerning the discussed subjects. We would like to express our full
support towards Project EAT; hopefully we can all enjoy the edible academic garden in the
future. Towards the students actively participating in the project: good luck in fighting for a
justified and sustainable garden on the campus!
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Summary: Recently, the Green Office of Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR) is developing
an Edible Academic Garden on the Campus through the Project Eetbare Academische Tuin (EAT).
The aim of Project EAT is to develop an edible academic garden on WUR campus. From this
garden the WUR community can learn about food production and sustainability.
One way to achieve this mission is by using the Layar App to enhance the users’ experience of
the garden. The users can use their smartphones to connect the garden (physical space) with the
digital educational materials in an efficient way by using the Layar App. It allows more
interaction between the users and the garden, in this way it gives them a different point of view
about their campus.
In order to give an overview of the applicability of Layar App to Project EAT, an academic
consultancy training project is commissioned. Our group is assigned to lay a foundation for the
future developers by providing a structured digital database with educational materials that can
be built directly into the Layar App.
In order to evaluate the opinion of the WUR community of Wageningen University involved in
the project, we conducted several semi-structured interviews. The interview data were
qualitatively analysed and collected on the basis of four different aspects. These are; the
attitude towards EAT, attitude towards using Layar App, the type of information and the way to
show the information. For this reason, we interviewed seven chair groups and the head of
Education Facilities. Three chair groups were from social science, three chair groups were from
environmental science and one chair group was from plant science. The findings of the interview
analysis were used to make a summary of recommendations and wishes of the interviewees
towards Project Eat and the use of Layar in the future EAT. To widen our own inspiration and
views on public gardens, we visited two gardens and summarized our findings in a short report.
Hereafter, we designed a structural data base on the basis of the garden design now existing of
EAT, the interview analysis and our personal view on the matter. Finally, we developed a demo
version of Layar App for EAT to visualize how Layar App can be connected with the garden in an
educational and attractive way.
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Contents Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................2
Summary: .........................................................................................................................................3
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................6
Academic Approach ..........................................................................................................................8
Methodology ................................................................................................................................8
Garden visits .............................................................................................................................8
Stakeholder interviews .............................................................................................................8
Student Surveys ........................................................................................................................9
Results ....................................................................................................................................... 11
The garden visits .................................................................................................................... 11
Interview analysis of the interview with the chair groups involved in EAT .......................... 15
Student Survey ...................................................................................................................... 19
Discussion and Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 20
The garden visits .................................................................................................................... 20
Interview analysis .................................................................................................................. 20
Surveys................................................................................................................................... 21
Structure of Database .................................................................................................................... 23
Introduction and methodology ................................................................................................. 23
Target groups............................................................................................................................. 24
Concept of design ...................................................................................................................... 25
General parts ............................................................................................................................. 25
Interactive art and learning space ............................................................................................. 26
Central Meeting Space .............................................................................................................. 27
Productive area ......................................................................................................................... 28
Agroforestry............................................................................................................................... 29
Water natural and aquaculture ................................................................................................. 29
Picking path ............................................................................................................................... 30
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 30
Demo ............................................................................................................................................. 32
Description ................................................................................................................................ 32
Target Group ............................................................................................................................. 32
Concept of Design...................................................................................................................... 32
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Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 35
Recommendation .......................................................................................................................... 37
References ..................................................................................................................................... 39
Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 40
Appendix I: Interview guideline (chair groups) ......................................................................... 40
Appendix II: Contact persons for interviews ............................................................................. 42
Appendix III: The summaries of the interviews with the contact persons ................................ 43
Interview with Fiona Morris .................................................................................................. 43
Interview with Paul Roncken ................................................................................................. 45
Interview with Harm Gooren ................................................................................................. 47
Interview with Aldo Bergsma ................................................................................................ 48
Interview with Ron van Lammeren ....................................................................................... 52
Interview with Walter Rossing .............................................................................................. 54
Interview with Arjen Wals ..................................................................................................... 56
Interview with Lenneke Vaandrager ..................................................................................... 59
Interview with Simona d’Amico ............................................................................................ 62
Interview with Petra Derkzen ................................................................................................ 64
Interview with Joris Fortuin ................................................................................................... 65
Appendix IV: the online student survey .................................................................................... 69
Appendix V: Structure of database ...................................................................................... 70
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Introduction In July 2012 Project Eetbare Academische Tuin (EAT) was initiated and a network of supporters
has since been created. The mission of Project EAT is to cultivate an edible academic garden at
the WUR campus where the WUR community can learn about food production, sustainability
and putting ecological design into practice. In addition, it raised the hope that the project will
increase the level of collaboration among chair groups. As an extension of classroom to nature,
Project EAT can serve as a living laboratory.
In order to achieve this mission lots of preparations have been done such as the setting up of an
organizational structure, all kinds of investigations and assessments; the setting up of a
communication plan and the search for potential of funding (Loopik et al., 2013). Another ACT
team analysed and compared 30 edible academic gardens from all over the world, which
provided a sound recommendation and a clear guideline for later establishment of an edible
academic garden in WUR (Van den Berg et al., 2012).
Project EAT is now in the participatory design phase. The vision of the Project EAT is “to be a
world leader in innovative academic gardens”. To achieve this vision, communicational and
educational functions of EAT are very important elements which need to be considered
thoroughly. One of the most important function of the garden will be to provide information to
visitors. The key challenge lies here in what and how information can be displayed in an
innovative and attractive way. Our project was commissioned to explore the possibilities of
using Layar App in EAT to establish such an innovative and attractive informative system in EAT,
that would increase the value and educational use of EAT.
Information in gardens is usually shown through signs or tour guides, which are lacking in
attractiveness and are inefficient in combining the landscape and background information. Layar
App is a mobile augmented reality (AR) application in smart phones, which allows you to view
augmented digital information in the real world (http://www.Layar.com/). Since the company
Layar has been established, it has already become the most popular application of AR and has
been applied in many ways. However, it was never applied as an educational system in an edible
academic garden. Layar could help in overcoming some of the weaknesses of the old fashioned
methods and could improve the interaction between users and the garden. Through Layar App
students can utilize their campus differently. This can range from plant identification to a guided
tour complete with videos and links to the research coming out of the various Wageningen UR
chair groups. However, the use of Layar App could also lead to limitations. Possible limitations
are; the percentage of the population that currently has a smart phone, Layar App can only be
applied in Android and iPhone iOS platforms up to now; the necessity of accessible wireless
internet in the garden; failures in tracking under suboptimal exposure in very dark or light
conditions and inaccuracy of the GPS signal.
This project was set into life to support our commissioner to design an attractive and innovative
educational system in EAT. The first knowledge gap we encountered here was, what kind of
information needs to be displayed in the future garden. The fact that the garden is not yet in
existence, made this knowledge gap extra challenging. We presumed that the people who have
the most ideas on this, are the people that are already involved or contacted by Project EAT.
These people will have had a chance to think of the possibilities that this garden offers to them
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or their research group. Next to the question of what information needs to be showed in the
garden, there is also the question of how this information can be displayed best in the garden.
Here, we mainly focused on the possibility to develop this educational system in Layar App.
All together this led to our main research question:
What are the possibilities for a well-founded basis for the development of an educational Layar
App for Project EAT?
This main research question can be split in four sub-questions, which form the basis for the
structure of our report.
1. What information should be displayed in EAT according to the chair groups? (The group used for the interviews will be further defined in Methodology)
2. What is the attitude of chair groups towards using Layar App in Project EAT?
3. What structure should the database behind educational system in EAT have to make it as efficient as possible?
4. What possibilities can be offered by Layar App for an educational/information system in EAT?
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the possibilities of using Layar App as an attractive and
innovative system to display information in EAT. We will interview all chair groups that are at
this moment interested and aware of Project EAT, to get as many ideas on this as possible. At
the end of this project, we hope to provide our commissioner with a useful primary structure of
database for the later development of Layar App in EAT. In addition, we will produce a demo of
the EAT Layar App that visualises some of the possibilities. We hope that this information and an
included recommendation to the use of Layar App in EAT will help our commissioner in defining
the final educational structure in EAT.
This report is one of our three final products and it will offer support to our two other final
products (the database structure and the demo). In this report we will firstly show the results
from our excursions and the interviews with the different stakeholders. Secondly, we will
explain our database and the demo. Finally, we will give some recommendations for future
actions and activities for Project EAT.
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Academic Approach
Methodology
Garden visits
To get a better insight in other public gardens in the Netherlands, we selected two gardens for
excursions. These gardens were the Botanical Garden of Utrecht University and garden ‘de Lage
Oorsprong’ in Oosterbeek.
We have several goals for the garden visit,
To see what kind of elements are there in the garden.
To find out how the information system behind the garden is organized and the way they
display the information to the visitors.
To get information and inspiration that can enrich our structure of database, especially
from educational and edible points of view.
To achieve these goals, we chose two gardens. Firstly, we visited the Botanical garden of Utrecht
University. This garden is an example of well-established academic garden with a main function
in education and research. Secondly, we visited garden ‘de Lage Oorsprong’ in Oosterbeek. This
garden is an example of a relatively young garden with edible and social elements integrated in
the garden.
During the garden visits we gathered inspiration and information by making pictures of
elements in the garden that appealed to us. In addition, a summary of the information gained
from each garden was written after the garden visit.
Stakeholder interviews
In order to get inspiration and a foundation for an informational database for EAT, we
performed a qualitative analysis. A total of eleven persons were interviewed following a semi-
structured interview with the purpose of gaining more information on their attitude towards
Project EAT and what kind of information they would like to see displayed in the edible
academic garden.
Participants
Previously, another group tried to get similar information from chair groups and departments
from Wageningen University (Loopik et al., 2013). They performed a survey by sending out
questionnaires to more or less randomly chosen persons in all chair groups. This resulted in a
very low response from the chair groups. In order to obtain more information from chair groups
we changed our strategy. We used the contact persons that Project EAT has in different chair
groups, these people are enthusiastic to have the garden, because they see a definite advantage
that the development of EAT could have for their chair group. These people function as a link
between Project EAT and the chair groups, therefore, they can spread the ideas further in their
chair groups and will probably be the main users of the garden. As future users, they form an
important group of stakeholders, especially concerning the information to be displayed in the
garden. Our goal is to gather these kinds of information as sources to build our structure of
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database. In this way the interviews can not only serve as a link between Project EAT and
interested chair groups, but also as important source of information.
Procedure
The interviews were conducted with the help of a semi-structured interviewing guideline. This
guideline covered four different topics:
1) The attitude of the interviewee towards EAT.
2) What information/activities would the interviewee like to see presented in EAT?
3) The attitude of the interviewee towards the use of Layar App as an
educational/informative system in EAT.
4) The attitude of the interviewee towards a Eat Layar App prototype
The detailed interview guideline used can be found in Appendix I. This guideline was used as a
backbone for the interview, but was not followed that strictly. Reason for this is that the
interviewees have different backgrounds (social science, plant science, educational facilities, etc.)
which needed a slightly different approach per topic. All contact persons were each individually
contacted and interviewed. The interviews were conducted by two persons; one person made
notes and one person asked the questions. The interview was also recorded, in case the notes
did not supply enough data.
Analysis
The analysis of the interview results was performed according to Hermans et al. (2010). Relevant
sentences were underlined, cut out and divided in different boxes according to topics:
1) Attitude towards EAT
2) Information and activities linked to EAT
3) Attitude towards Layar App
4) How to show information in EAT?
The information was cut in relevant segments and placed in different boxes according to the
method of open coding (Strauss and Corbin, 1990). These were re-evaluated the next day.
Information under each topic was classified according to different attitude/type of information.
This led to a general view on the attitude of the interviewees towards Project EAT and the use of
Layar App in EAT. It also gave us an overview on the information and activities the involved
contact persons would like to see displayed in EAT.
Student Surveys
In order to explore the needs and wishes in EAT of the target group students of Wageningen
University, an online survey was designed.
Participants
The survey was designed for students of Wageningen University. This group would make a part
of the future visitors to the garden and this makes them important stakeholders in the project.
The group of interviewed students should contain both students already aware of Project EAT as
well as students unaware of Project EAT.
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Procedure
The survey contains both open and closed questions. The topics that the survey covers can be
divided in four main parts:
1) Questions about their background as future garden users.
2) Questions about their attitude and interest in Project EAT.
3) Questions about their familiarity with Layar App.
4) Questions about their preference of information that would be provided in Layar App.
The version was made in the online program SurveyMonkey (http://nl.surveymonkey.com/) and
the final survey is included in Appendix IV.
Analysis
The online program SurveyMonkey automatically performs an analysis on the interview.
Unfortunately, we did not had the time to do a full student survey, let alone interpretation of
results. We did launch it on Facebook to get an idea of the data that could be obtained from the
survey.
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Results
The garden visits
Utrecht Botanical Garden
Date : 18 May 2013 Time : 11.00 – 16.00 Aim : To explore the educational system present in the garden Elements in the garden : Social meeting space, educational elements, productivity elements,
evolutionary classification display, tropical elements, information display, water elements, insect biodiversity.
Background
The foundation of ‘the Botanical Garden of Utrecht University’ was established in 1639 and
therefore the garden belongs to the oldest botanical gardens of the Netherlands. Located
around ‘Fort Hoofddijk’ in Utrecht, it is a unique natural treasure consisting of thousands of
plant. Over 6,000 plant species have been gathered for scientific research over a period of more
than 350 years. The seeds are traded with other botanical gardens all over the world. They are
trying hard to preserve plants that are rare or have already become extinct in nature. Over the
past centuries the function of the garden changed, however the primary function is still focused
on education and research. In addition, the public function of the garden gained a lot of terrain
in the past decades. The garden regularly organises special theme events such as the Orchid
weekend, the Sow and Grow weekend and the Tropical Butterfly Festival. Guided tours are
available on request. (http://www.uu.nl/NL/BotanischeTuinen/Pages/default.aspx)
Information display
The garden provides information in the garden to the visitors by using
three different kinds of media. These three media are; hard copy signs,
audio tours and online information behind QR-codes. Most of the
information in the garden is provided by signs next to the topic of interest
(example in Figure 2). These signs give basic information about plants
(species, etc.), information on usage and special qualities of plants,
information about pollinators and special fauna in the garden. The
organization of the garden offers visitors the possibility to follow an audio
tour through the garden. This audio tour can be downloaded for free from
the website of the garden and is therefore for everybody accessible.
Different information points in the audio tour are shown in the garden by
small signs. Unfortunately, this information is entirely in Dutch and
therefore not suitable for international visitors of the garden.
Occasionally, some small signs containing a QR-bar code can be spotted in
the garden (Figure 1). These QR codes link you through to an internet page
with more information on a particular plant species. In these links no other
media than text and images are used and therefore these signs for a kind of
extension of the hard copy files in the garden.
Figure 2: One of the signs in the Botanic garden of Utrecht
Figure 1: One of the QR-codes in the Botanical garden of Utrecht
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Educational elements
Some parts of the garden represent a theme. In these parts there are signs that give explanation
on topics like; climate, fruiting bodies, plant defence mechanisms and natural habitats (Figure 3).
Different classification of plants according to habitat and evolution is widely covered in this
garden. There is for example a rock garden, a tropical green house, a system garden and theme
gardens emphasizing plants with special functions and insects living in the garden.
The rock garden is an artificial mountain build of rocks, which contains over 1,600 plant species
which are common in the higher altitudes of Europe. This mountain creates different landforms
in the garden. The tropical greenhouse shows many tropical plant species. A large part of the
collection present here has been gathered for research on a specific family or species. For
example, there is a large collection of Bromeliads from South America.
A clear link between the garden and research was
made in the system garden. Here, the idea of
“millions of years in a nutshell” aims to provide
the visitors with an idea of evolution of plants till
now. This part of the garden also tries to give a
real live example of plant breeding instead of
textbook information (Figure 4). The hybridization
of plants is shown in a vivid way that explains the
relationship between parental plants and their
offspring. Visitors could clearly see the differences
between the two generations.
Several areas of the garden are dedicated to special themes, where the visitors can find the
different aspects of plant life in a funny way. For example, it is amazing that there is an area that
the plants are classified by pollination strategies, namely,plant that pollinated by wind,
butterflies and so on (Figure 5). Apart from that, plant classifications according to the smell of
plants, defence mechanisms, medical use of plants can be found in the garden as well.
Figure 3: Signs that explain different topics in the Botanic garden of Utrecht
Figure 4: Real life example of plant breeding
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Next to information about plants, the garden also offers information about other living animals
that are of importance for the ecology of the garden. For example, there is an area with nesting
opportunity for solitary bees and beehives (Figure 6). Signs giving information about the insect
wildlife can be found everywhere in the garden. There are for example signs with information on
bees, butterflies, damselflies, etc.
Overall this garden showed a well-developed education system, showing many different elements and aspect of the garden.
Garden “de Lage Oorsprong”, Oosterbeek
Date : 5 June 2013 Time : 14.00 – 17.00 Aim : To learn about the edible and social elements that can be implemented in a
garden and to see the informational system a garden as such provides. Type of Elements : Social meeting space, fruit garden, historical elements, flower beds, artistic
elements.
Background
In 2004 the foundation for garden “de Lage Oorsprong” was established. This foundation aims to
restore and redesign the garden to make it attractive for people once more and to make an
open and sustainable management of the garden. The fundaments of this garden go back a long
Figure 5: Signs that indicate different pollination strategies
Figure 6: Beehives in the Utrecht University Garden
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way. It was designed in 1921 by the landscape architect Leonard Springer. The private owner
could not maintain the garden and in 1956 the garden was sold to the municipality of Renkum.
Over the years people forgot about the garden and it fell in decay. After the historical ‘fruit wall’
was in danger of either being sold or broken up, the local community came into action to
preserve this special garden. In 2008 the garden opened the gates for the first time in decades
to the public. Some years later there were new elements added to the garden, like the labyrinth
and the amphitheatre. Presently, the foundation is working on a plan to restore some of the
buildings on the property. (http://www.tuindelageoorsprong.nl/)
Different elements in the garden
The garden is divided into several areas with vegetables, flowers, fruits, labyrinth, pond,
amphitheatre and many places to relax and enjoy the garden. The garden itself is rather small,
however they made good use of the space. Since our garden is very small as well, this garden
can be a very good example for us.
The garden combines production area with food and flowers (Figure 7) with social and
entertainment function. The “Groene Forum” (amphitheatre) area is the area in the garden,
which enables people to enjoy art performances or to interact with others (Figure 8). The garden
also provides a waterfall and a pond where the children can play with boats.
The information provided in the garden is limited. There is the possibility to get small booklets
with information on the plant species in the garden and there are small signs placed next to the
plants with a picture and the name of the plant. It is a relatively young garden with only basic
Figure 7: Productive area in the garden “de Lage Oorsprong”
Figure 8: Panorama picture of the “Groene Forum” (amphitheatre) area in garden “de Lage Oorsprong”
15
information for visitors. During the development of the garden there was great care to make the
project sustainable and let the garden have a social function as well.
The garden gives us a good example of a garden where the local community is closely involved
in the development of the garden. It is a point that we can learn from the garden. In EAT, a
social space can be created in order to serve both on campus staffs and people from
Wageningen neighbourhood. Therefore, it is possible to create additional information into the
structure of database for EAT that is less scientific, which is suitable for target group of the
neighbourhood.
Although the garden is relatively young, there are also historical elements present in the garden.
The best example of this is the fruit wall. This wall is situated thus in the garden that it catches
the sunlight and reflects it back to the fruits hanging in front of the wall. In this way they are
able to let fruit ripen faster, even in a climate like that of the Netherlands. This idea can be put
in EAT. First, since our garden area is limiting, it is a space-saving way to grow fruit. Second, it is
a nice traditional method that we can bring back to the cultivation system. This energy-saving
method is accordant with sustainable concepts of EAT, besides, we can tell nice stories of the
history of the Netherlands in EAT as well.
Interview analysis of the interview with the chair groups involved in EAT To get an idea of the opinions of the chair groups involved in the development of Project EAT we
performed several interviews. Nearly all subjects of the interviews are people that are the
contact persons between Project EAT and the chair groups, only the chair group of Geo
information science was completely unfamiliar with Project EAT. The interviews could roughly
be divided in four parts; the attitude towards Project EAT, what information they would like to
see in EAT and what their attitude is towards the use of Layar App to show this information, and
the attitude towards EAT Layar App prototype. One person we interviewed did not belong to a
chair group, but to the educational facilities of Wageningen UR. This person is responsible for
the use of facilities on the campus for educational purposes. For this interview analysis, we used
a qualitative method, therefore, we do not show any quantitative results.
Attitude towards EAT
Firstly, we tried to get an idea of the interviewees’ familiarity with Project EAT and how they
thought that their chair group and the rest of Wageningen UR community could benefit from
EAT. Here, the interviewees showed different interests. Offer a green area to the university, was
found a very important aspect. They believe that “these green areas give people a friendly
environment to play and to have fun, to move better, to develop better”. Another view is more
focused on the educational opportunities that EAT can offer. They believed that “the garden is a
good instrument for the university to fuse academic theoretical skills and practical skills”.
The people interviewed by us could be divided into three categories. First, in some chair groups
people are enthusiastic about EAT, but not all of them are feeling involved in EAT. Second, in
some chair groups, most people are familiar with EAT and like it. Beside this, some chair groups
are hardly aware of the EAT and only heard about it recently.
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Information and activities linked to EAT
One of the purposes of the interviews was to find out the information that the chair groups
would like to show in the edible academic garden. Several information types were found among
the chair groups by analysing all the interview transcriptions, namely, information related to
social function, landscape, food, education and plants.
General and social information
The most popular idea of using the garden is to integrate education, practice and social functions. In this part, detailed information associated with social functions is summarized. When the garden is build, it will become a central meeting space for both people from Wageningen and visitors. In this sense, interviewed people thought it will be a perfect place to show their profiles. Therefore, the information such as the department’s introduction, the undergoing researches and projects can be put in the garden. The information could either be readily available in the App or linked to the chair groups’ websites. For example, one of the chair group representatives mentioned that their Blog and lecture video database can be an input in the information system. In addition, it can not only be a promotion of the Wageningen University, but it can also establish collaborations among chair groups.
Apart from the students and staff of the university, the interviewees also want the local community of Wageningen to benefit from and feel involved in the garden. For example, information can be used in a way that local high school students can get a general idea about the studies in Wageningen. Besides, knowledge about food, which is closely related to people’s daily life, can be provided in the garden vividly. Therefore, people can learn about food production and the social part of the food movement in a natural green space with other people. Then they can bring back inspirations to use at their own home garden and gradually pay more attention to their choice of food. Furthermore, information about nutrients and health can be blended in the garden, both in sense of everyday knowledge and social issues. On the other hand, such activities can offer students from social science groups an opportunity to do research on social interactions in the garden.
Another point of view from a social aspect is that we can combine personal emotions with the garden, to get people attached by telling the story behind the plants, artworks or other components in the garden.
Finally, EAT can also has a public relation function, where we can show what we know and what we do in Wageningen UR. For example, we can show the official visitors from the government about what we do and what we know through the garden.
Landscape information
Interviewees mentioned that the background knowledge related to design as well as the
different stages of design process could be shown in the garden. The garden should also become
an outdoor example, where teacher can show/ explain knowledge of analysing and design of
farming system in a small scale. For instance, different cultivable structures; landscape
architecture; space utilization and management; garden construction; planting engineering.
From the interview data, hidden layers below ground is another type of information
interviewees would like to see. For example, soil structure, water flow stream and plant
immigration. Last but not least, history of landscape would also be interesting for visitors; future
users would like to see how the garden looks like as time goes by.
17
To intertwine the garden in peoples’ daily life is highly recommended by interviewees. This
could include the production, harvesting and preparation of food as well as the way of
consumption and dispersal. For instance, integrated pest management; plant’s edible parts, nice
recipes; food processing and storage. In addition, food and health is another hot topic which
indicates not only nutritional aspects but also interaction between environment and health. The
edible garden should be created as a nice area for people to eat the local food while enjoying
their visit. From the interview data, energy equivalent is also mentioned as possible information
to display. For example, how much manure is needed to grow 100 kg of crop.
Educational Materials
The edible academic garden is expected to become a learning laboratory, where students of Wageningen University can practice what they have learnt and at the same time the garden can be a study subject for the students. In addition, the students can participate in the design phase, where they can give their own idea about garden design. The garden could later on be used as a showroom to present student research or work performed by the chair groups to the outside world. EAT can also be used as a test area. For example if there is a group developing a method to gain electricity from plants, they can do it in the garden.
Moreover, the use of the garden can go beyond the WUR community. Students from outside
Wageningen University, such as primary school students, can use this garden to learn about
food. This may connect with the school curriculum of the primary school.
The garden can be used as a place to do measurement, for example soil moisture content, rainfall, evaporation of plants, or reaction of soil and plants to events like rainfall. The results of these measurements could directly be shown in the garden, possibly with the use of the Layar App. This would provide a dynamic way of getting people familiar with research of different chair groups.
Information on plants
The contact persons of the chair groups would find it interesting to see information about plants. This can include basic information such as the family, genus, and species/variety of the plant, the Latin name, where does it originate from, or even history of the plant; this information can be very beneficial for the users. Other information related to plants could be; information about techniques to grow plants, production technology, production system, agronomy, harvesting time. This could be useful especially for the users that want to make their own garden at home. Other than as an education material for student in plant science, the information may also be useful for students or people from other chair group, non-plant science related.
To make the information become interesting, some of the information could be visualized in a cycle-based. For example, the information shows where the plant comes from and where it goes to eventually (from farm to fork). This information may help to increase users’ awareness.
Attitude towards Layar App
One of the purposes of the interviews was to find out the attitude of chair groups towards
applying Layar App in the edible academic garden. The interviewees can be divided into three
groups of attitude towards Layar, namely, not or less interested in Layar, interested with a
critical attitude towards Layar and interested in Layar without a critical attitude towards Layar.
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The interviewees that were interested in Layar were interested mainly, because it is an
innovative technology to share information and they thought it is a nice way to promote the
department. The interviewees without a critical attitude usually had never heard of Layar before.
Because of this, they never thought about the advantages and disadvantages of using Layar App.
The interviewees that were interested, but that had a critical attitude usually mentioned several
conditions for using Layar in EAT. For example that the Layar App should be easy to use and easy
to access. However, this group of interviewees did thought that Layar had the potential of being
a nice way to show information and that it could be useful in the educational perspectives, if it
would be well designed. The interviewees from the chair group of Landscape Architecture were
interested in the App, because it could be an interesting way to show space, how people use
space and how it is constructed. In their case it could also be a nice tool for the chair group to
learn how to combine different elements in the garden. What’s more, the attitude of the Layar
experts we interviewed is worth mentioning. They were quite enthusiastic about the application
of the app in the campus, while they pointed out several limitations as well. The most important
one is that the GPS is not accurate enough to be used in a small plot like the garden, and they
gave us alternative choices such as sensors underground
However, some interviewees were less interested in using Layar App. These people focused
more on the risks of using Layar App. According to one interviewee’s opinion, it is mainly
interesting for young people who haven’t any practical experiences, because they spend too
much time on technology. He states that “sometimes these technologies are more part of
problem than of the solution”. When more people use a smart phone, then that will lead to a lot
of e-waste. Most of the apps are used for entertainment. Sometime this is a part of problem.
One interviewee’s opinion was there should be more apps developed that will encourage people
to live their life in a more sustainable way. That can be done, for example, by making apps that
help people to make a better food choice, make carpooling easier or can help us to save energy.
Some interviewees were against using Layar App, because they thought it would be too
expensive and time consuming. It would be a waste of money and time, especially if the App
was not used very often after publication. Some interviewees were afraid that the App would
lead to an information overload to the visitors of the garden and that the app would not be user
friendly, because you need a smart phone to access the information.
At the moment, there still more than half of people in the Netherlands who don’t have a smart
phone. (http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/insights/emea/library/studies/our-mobile-
planet-Netherlands/). For this reason, we assumed that there need to be more research about
enthusiasm for Layar App among university staff and students before starting to use Layar app in
the garden.
The way to show information
The other purpose of the interviews was to identify the way to show information in the edible
academic garden. According to the interviews of chair groups there are several possibilities to
show information. These are videos, photography, professional videos, short movies, slides,
animations, internet, diagrams, cross sections and graphs with data.
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Since the future users of the garden will be various, the information should be divided into
several depth levels based on the types of the visitors. For example, primary school students
visitors would like to see information in more attractive or fun way; the government officials
would like to see more about general information; and the university students more likely to get
technical information within the garden.
Attitude towards prototype
In order to visualize the structure of the database behind the Edible Academic Garden, the
prototype of Layer app will become one of the most important parts of our final product.
Therefore, we asked the chair groups about their attitude towards receiving the prototype.
Our interviewees show interests in the prototype in several levels; very interested, interested,
less interested and hardly interested.
Their willingness to offer information for the prototype also differed greatly; interested to offer
information, maybe interested in offer information and not interested to offer information.
Overall, it is their familiarity with the project which accounts for the willingness to provide
information.
Student Survey
Students are the main target group for our project, since they are the future users of this garden
and of the Layar App. The purpose of our survey was to know the attitude of students towards
Layar App and to find out the information they want to see in garden. For this reason, we
outlined a survey but we did not have time enough to perform a complete student survey. We
did launch it on Facebook to see what kind of results our survey would have. To this, 36 people
started the survey and 18 people finished the survey. The student number in Wageningen in
2012-2013 was 7.933 (http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/wageningen-university/About-
Wageningen-University/Facts-and-figures-1.htm). If we use this number to calculate the number
we need for the survey to have a representation of the entire student population of
Wageningen UR, we need about 263 students to fulfil the survey. We calculated this according
to Survey Random Sample Calculator (http://www.custominsight.com/articles/random-sample-
calculator.asp) with a standard error of 5% with a 90% confidence.
We also had some unofficial lunch meeting with students involved in Project EAT. During the
lunch meetings we got some important ideas from them, because each student had his or her
own idea on how the garden should be in the future. These ideas did also help us to make
decisions during the development of the database structure.
However, as to extra information/inspiration for our database, we did not get many new ideas
from them.
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Discussion and Conclusions
The garden visits
The garden visits proofed a useful source of inspiration and information to us. The two gardens
we visited were very different and together covered the topics of edible and academic garden
nicely. Because we went to visit the gardens as a group, it led to a greater bondage in the group.
It also helped to develop our ideas more in the same direction. Altogether the garden visits
greatly improved our functioning as a group.
The Botanical garden of Utrecht University is a nice example of a well-established garden with a
well-developed informational system behind it. Here we saw a similar system as is now being
developed for the EAT; different area’s which give information on different topics. However, the
information offered in this garden is very focussed on the academic part. The edible and
sustainability topic should have more attention in EAT than it had in the Utrecht garden.
Garden ‘de Lage Oorsprong’ was in many ways entirely different from the Utrecht garden. This is
a relatively young garden, on a small plot of land, focussed both on a production and on a social
function. The informative function of the garden was small and basic; it only consisted on some
history on the garden and the names of some plants. Still, we think we learned a lot from this
garden visit. It had a very nice and clever design, disguising the limited size of the garden very
well. We were very impressed by the amphitheatre space in the garden; it was a very nice place
to sit and talk with each other, but it would also be very nice to see a performance (or lecture).
In both gardens, all or nearly all information provided was in Dutch. In the Utrecht garden there
were some signs that contained a small part of information in English. This information was a
small summary of the information given in Dutch. If the edible academic garden would be built
on Wageningen campus, we think that it should have all the information also in English. This
would greatly help the university to reinforce its reputation as an international university. This
conclusion is also based on the Layar App now present for our campus. Even though part of the
information in this App is in English, it still contains a lot of information (text and audio) that is
only present in Dutch.
Interview analysis
We managed to contact and interview representatives of all chair groups that are now in
contact with the commissioner. We added one chair group to this list, Geo information
department, because their name came up in other interviews as being useful to us. Looking at
the attitude of the interviewed chair groups towards Project EAT, we found that in general chair
groups are interested in Project EAT. Main reason for this is that they can see clear benefits for
the chair group in participating in such a project. In most chair groups interviewed the feeling of
involvement in the project was rather low; only one or two people of the chair group are seen as
contact persons between Project EAT and the chair group. Some persons also expressed their
worries on the feasibility of the project. The overall attitude towards Project EAT is positive
though.
The interviews with the chair groups formed a very important source of information for the
database. The chair groups had all different ideas of the information in EAT both useful for their
own chair group as well as seen from the students’ perspective. The view that most
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interviewees have of the future garden is that it should be a system were education, practice
and social interaction are combined. The interviewees all thought the edible academic garden
an excellent opportunity to promote their own chair group and to show some information about
the chair group.
Information that was mentioned by the interviewees as informative about topics like plants, soil,
water, etc., was taken up in our database and can be found there. Next to this, ‘direct’
information there were also a lot of ideas about how the garden should provide information to
the visitors. Here we found a great interest of the interviewees. Striking is that many had their
own philosophy on how the garden was to change people’s lives. This shows how very much the
interviewees are enthusiastic about the project. The philosophies concerning EAT could be
summarized in that the interviewees thought that the edible academic garden should be entirely
different from any garden now existing; it should be a model for innovativeness and modern
gardening. A way to give more strength to this is to show the process of making the garden,
since this in particular was done in a very non-conservative way. Especially the interviewees
from social science chair groups, thought it very important that the garden should contribute to
people’s awareness of the importance of having a sustainable lifestyle.
Some educational involved interviewees advised us to research our target groups closely. It
might even be necessary to have more informational systems present in the garden for different
target groups. One target group might need different information and a different approach of
displaying information than another target group (e.g. primary school children and university
students). We discuss the needs and wants of our target group in another part of our report
(Structure of Database, target groups).
Interviewees that were familiar with Layar App, were mostly critical on the use of such an app in
EAT. However, these critical people also saw a lot of possibilities if such system was used in a
correct way. The main advice that we got here was that the information should be shown in an
attractive, but academic way. Also the information in the App should be dynamic, so it would be
worth it to use the App more than once in the garden without getting bored with it. Finally, the
App would be even more valuable to use in the garden if it would make people live their life in a
more sustainable way.
However, many of the interviewees were not aware of the existence of an App like Layar and of
the people interviewed many did not have a smartphone. The number of people that have a
smart phone on Wageningen campus might be the biggest limitation to the use of an
educational system in the edible academic garden. By using Layar App as only information
system in the garden the information might only be available to a small percentage of the WUR
population. Therefore, many interviewees did mention that there should be another
information system next to Layar that should be more accessible to a wide public.
Most of the people we interviewed were enthusiastic about the prototype and were very
curious to see the final result of our project.
Surveys
Based on the individual interviews we had with some students involved in Project EAT, we
concluded that it is not worth the time and effort to fulfil the survey with student not involved in
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EAT. Students already involved in the project were enthusiastic about the project, however did
not add a great many new ideas to our database. Therefore, we decided not to do a complete
interview survey with many students. We concluded that for our project the survey did not add
any value. However, it is ready to use for anybody who wants to use it.
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Structure of Database
Introduction and methodology Layar App is a way to increase the attractiveness and educational use of edible academic garden
(EAT), because it can connect the garden (physical space) with the digital materials in a very
efficient way. Nowadays, Layar App is widely used as a mobile augmented reality (AR)
application in smart phones, offering of lot of different possibilities to present data to the public.
At present, there is no educational database of EAT that can be directly put in Layar. Therefore,
our mission is to explore the possibilities of information and then to build a structured database
that can be used in Layar.
First, we decided to make the basic structure of the database according to the region division in
the blueprint of EAT. There are mainly six parts: Interactive art and learning space, central
meeting space, productive area, agroforestry, water natural and aquaculture and picking path.
In addition, a general information part was added to give an overview of the garden (Figure 9).
Such a way of information classification is convenient for the users in the garden. They can
immediately get information about what they are experiencing right now at the right place.
Since the Layar App here is to serve as a newly educational approach, it is important to know
what kind of information the chair groups would like to show to the users, such as students via
the app. In order to get the ideas for the educational information, we conducted interviews with
several chair groups. Based on the results, we summarized the types of information they
provided us and further developed the second level of the structure (Figure 10).
Apart from the information obtained from the chair groups, we did brainstorm ourselves to get
more ideas in the perspective of the users. We started the structure by doing each individually a
brainstorm on the topic. This was to make sure that no information was lost by overruling of
others. Then a group discussion was carried out to share the ideas and add new ideas to others’
parts. In this way, we maximized our creativity and came up with many new possibilities.
Figure 9: Basic structure of database
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Hereafter, we combined all the information of the individual brainstorm and assigned one
person per area to make a detailed summary of the information to be displayed in that area.
Besides, we did interview some students involved in Project EAT, aiming to gain ideas in the
designers’ point of view. They also could give us professional information to enrich our structure
because some of them are expertized in certain subjects related to the garden.
Combining all the possibilities, we created the final structure for the database (Appendix V).
As mentioned before, we classified the information according to the areas in the garden. Within
each area, we included several important elements instead of providing all kinds of information.
Therefore, information overload could be effectively avoided. For example, we put detailed
information on plants and cultivation methods under the category of productive area, while the
information on water system just briefly added in. However, in the category of Water natural
and aquaculture, knowledge of water system is structured in a disciplined way.
Target groups Target groups of our project are students and staff members of Wageningen University including:
Project EAT members, the chair groups and later users of the garden. In our project, the main
target group of structural data base is student of Wageningen University. The future users of the
garden are also part of our target group. The future user may be primary school children,
secondary school children, local community or visitors from elsewhere. For every target group
the way of use of database is different. For this reason, our structured data base is mostly
related to the future users with an academic background. Different chair groups should be
benefited from this database in different way. For example, chair group from Landscape
Architecture will be used this database for way to show space, how people use space and how it
is constructed. By using this database every chair group represent their department in a nice
Figure 10: Second version of structure
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way. For students of primary school the data base should be structured in an attractive way for
example short movie of butterfly. Student of secondary school and visitors should be used this
data base for gaining knowledge. Local community also would be used this for inspiration to
build up a garden.
Concept of design In this project, we designed a database of Layar App for EAT. We divided the structural database
of Layar App for EAT into different parts according to the design now present for the future
garden. These are general, interactive art and learning space, general meeting space, productive
space, agroforestry, water (natural & aquaculture) and picking path. The detailed information
about the structure of data base is prepared for every part of garden, because it would influence
the efficiency of Layar App and for development of sustainable Apps for EAT that makes our
food choice better or can help us conserving energy. We tried to develop a database of Layar
App for the future user of garden focussing on the sustainability of the garden. A garden can be
sustainable when it protects, restore and enhance the ecosystem services that is beneficial to
humans and other organisms. That means, incorporate recycled materials and resource-minded
practices that are earth-friendly. Some of our group members joined some of the workshops of
Project EAT. Here, we picked up some ideas that Project EAT would like to use in the garden.
These ideas included:
• Managing of water effectively by rain –water harvesting
• Use of wormeries for composting, to obtain natural fertilizer for the garden
• Encouraging wildlife in the garden by introducing beehives and more nesting
opportunities for birds.
• Use green space in such a way to make it more inviting for pollinators and other
beneficial insects.
• Producing own green fertilizer by growing suitable plants (willows).
• Using physical and biological pest control instead of chemicals
To emphasize the sustainability wanted in the garden, we tried to implement these subjects in
our App as well.
General parts In the general part, it is worth mentioning the idea of
special points for Geo Layer (Figure 11). First, the stars
indicate where users can find the corresponding spots
to get the information. Second, we select information
that is most important and attractive to users to put in
these special points, namely, special point of
information, garden design, artwork, soil, water,
irrigation system and beehive. It seems that these Figure 11: Special points in general part
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categories are overlapping with those of other areas. However, the information here focuses on
the overview of the garden while the information on the same category in each area give more
specific knowledge. For instance, in general parts, information of soil system category gives an
overview of soil conditions from the large world scale then zoom in to our tiny garden. In the
productive area, information about soil is just focused on the soil-plant interaction, which is far
more specific than the information provided in the general part.
Apart from the information on natural science, it is interesting to see the artwork and garden
design as well. The artworks scattered over the garden and therefore it is better to integrate all
of them in one artwork Geo Layer. Thus visitors who prefer to see all about the artworks can be
benefit from it. In case of individual piece of artwork, information is shown using scanning
function of Layar.
As to the garden design, chair group of landscape architecture would like to use it as an example
to show the students the process of garden design. So, we created a series of pictures in
chronological order to show parts of the process in more detail. In this way, a vivid visualization
of the garden development is presented to the visitors.
Last but not least, most of the chair groups would like the garden be a platform to show their
profile and undergoing research to both the students and visitor outside Wageningen University
(Figure 12). This kind of promotional information is therefore included in the structure.
Interactive art and learning space According to the original design of the garden, this area mainly used to grow forgotten
vegetables and put beehives in it. For this reason, information supporting those two elements is
the main component in the structure. Furthermore, information under category of Fauna was
selected on the basis of the most popular issues (Figure 22; Figure 24). For example, wormery is
a newly-method of composing and the topic of edible insects is nowadays in fashion all over the
world. We combined ecological concept into the information system, by offering information
such as the principle of wormeries and how to create your own worm box at home.
Figure 12: Information of university and chair groups' profile
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The bee, as one of the most important pollinators, will be specially highlighted. As a special
point in general part, detailed information will be shown near beehives. To be more attractive, a
webcam could be put in the beehive and linked to Layar. As input of the information, a real-time
movie inside the beehive can be seen through your
phone.
Considering pests and pathogens would be
anywhere in the garden, information focusing on
plant protection could be gained through scanning
a model plant. IPM* (integrated pest management)
is the topic shown in Figure 13. Under this branch
common pests and diseases, as well as their life
cycle/disease cycle are introduced. Biological
control methods should be highlighted here and
other control methods (chemical, physical, etc.) are
also worth mentioning.
Finally, there is a special category of common insects called Taxa of common insects. It can be
used to identify insects in the garden by providing a list of pictures combined with related
introduction. In this way, even school children can use it to get information about insect. It
would be especially interesting for people who want to know the name of species. This concept
is used in the productive area for the plants as well.
Central Meeting Space It will be the main gathering area for people in the garden, where information on what is going
on in the garden can be effectively delivered. So, the agenda is occupying the majority of the
structures here. In the agenda, except for the regular information such as the time table for the
activities, we created another calendar of flowering time and picking time of the fruit in the
garden. It can increase the added value of our garden by attracting more people come for some
Figure 13: Information on IPM
Figure 14: Second level of Fauna category
* Integrated Pest Management (IPM) “aims at the management of pest populations below economic thresholds by a mixture of chemical control and a suite of alternative control measures” (Deguine et al., 2008).
28
special purposes.
Productive area Plants play the most important role in the productive area. The information structure of this
area is mostly based on the concept of edible plants. For example, the information of vegetables
is classified according to the edible parts, namely, the root vegetable, stem vegetable and so on.
Detailed information about the plants including basic introduction like plant ID (Identity of the
plant containing information like: plant name, family, species, etc.) and morphology, and also
special information on EAT, such as the nutrient content, recipes of cooking.
The other big part of the structure is plant-related information, which focuses on the cultivation
methods. Innovative cultivation methods like keyhole culture and Hugelkultur are used in the
garden which might be unfamiliar to most of the people. So, the explicit information is
structured in an orderly way here (Figure 16).
Figure 15: Second level of Central meeting space
Figure 16: Example of information structure on cultivation method
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Agroforestry According to the original design of project EAT, the agroforestry part will be used for plants of
different functions which is the key point of the message delivered to the audiences. So, we
structured the information of plants according to their functions. Fruit trees, medicinal trees,
and plants for green fertilizer and hedgerows are included .Detailed information of specific plant
such as plant ID, origin, cultural technique and favourable environment will be included.
In this area there is information highlighted for birds, because they are important habitants.
Detailed information of birds like bird ID, life cycle, type of nest, favourable environment, etc.
will be provided.
Finally, plant biology is included here as a special element. In this part, knowledge on plant
internal biology is structured in an attractive way. The information will be presented in a video
related to detailed information (Figure 17), for example evaporation, transpiration, xylem and
phloem function.
Water natural and aquaculture In this part, knowledge on water and water ecosystem are structured in a very disciplinary way.
When you enter this area, you can find an overview of water cycle in the garden. The
information will be presented in combining the real picture of the area with animation of water
cycle and also in audio (Figure 18). Another kind of information in the water area could be the
surface water, which includes the rain water harvesting systems and pond. Moreover, the
information about fauna in the pond will also be available for the users, for example information
about their life cycle and their role in the pond ecosystem.
Figure 17: Visualization of information on Agroforestry
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The rainwater harvesting system will focus on the structure of the ground water and rock
catchment system and also the function of the system. The information about ground water
flow within the garden and the water interaction with soil will also be provided. Moreover, this
part will be linked to “water system” in the General Part. The irrigation and drainage system
information are also included, for example how the general irrigation and drainage system work
in the garden.
A very interesting part in this area is the measurement on water quality. This may increase the
practical use of the garden in education. The water measurement includes measurement on
ground water level, water temperature, pH, nutrient content, toxic substance, water turbidity,
and bacteria content.
Picking path The information structure for picking path is more or less same as that of the plant in productive
area. However, the information that is offered here is more focused on the fruits.
Conclusion The big challenge that we were facing in designing this database structure is that there is no
final design for the future garden. This also gave us the opportunity to come up with a creative
design, since a well-developed structure would limit our creativity. To get a better idea of what
the design team was planning in the future garden, we visited several of the design workshops.
Based on this we decided to organize the information in the garden according to the different
areas in it. The information that should be provided in each of these areas was then further
expanded and described in more detail. In this process we were helped by the interviewees
from different chair groups and some of the students that were involved in Project EAT. During
the designing of the structure we tried to interconnect data with the concept of sustainability.
We did this, since one of the most important targets of Project EAT is to provide a platform for
increasing awareness on this topic among students. In addition, we tried to link the information
to the target group. The target group that the future garden focuses on is mainly formed by the
students of Wageningen University. However, we tried the design the structure in such a way
that information for other target groups, like school children, can be easily implemented. Overall,
Figure 18: Visualization of information on water cycle
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we hope we created a structure that is logical and shows the same multidisciplinary approach as
the design of the garden itself, where information can easily be altered to keep the appearance
of the garden, and the information in it, innovative and attractive.
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Demo
Description As a promoting material, we provided the demo of using Layar App in the EAT. The demo
version of the EAT Layar App will help to visualize the future garden and the future Layar App to
the chair groups and future users of the garden who are not familiar to the App. Moreover, the
demo will also help to show some possibilities and attractiveness of using Layar App in EAT. We
hope the demo will alter some of the negative opinions from stakeholders.
Target Group We made this demo for our commissioner so she can use it to promote Project EAT with the
target groups of EAT. As we have mentioned the target group is a group of people that is
targeted for any work of a product. The target group of the demo version of the EAT Layar App
are the students and staff members of Wageningen University, the chair groups, and the future
users of EAT. The future users are also includes the school students, local community, or other
visitors.
Concept of Design Through the demo, we want show to the future users about the future garden from different
points. These six points are located in different areas provided in the garden: “future garden”
(point A); “soil” (point B); “water cycle” (point C); beehive (point D); plant (point E); edible insect
(point F). The demo of EAT Layar App contains two different ways to display the information; via
Geo Layer and via Scan Layer. The Geo Layer contains information that is linked to certain GPS
coordinates. The department of Geo Information Systems helped us to program three Geo
Layers; the future garden, the soil system and the water cycle. In the Scan Layer, information is
linked to certain pictures that reveal their information after scanning with Layar App. We
included three published Scan Layer signs in the report. These are indicated with “scan me with
Layar” and show the hidden layers with clickable icons and information after scanning with
Layar App.
From point A, the future Productive and Water area of the garden can be shown through the
screen. The users will be shown the crops in the pergola, a vegetables area, examples of
Hugelkultur, a lake, the keyhole garden and trees, etc. The idea underline is that visitors can see
not only the garden at that moment but also the past and the future of garden. In addition,
visitors can have experience of walking through the garden in different seasons.
33
From point B, we will show soil information; this will be presented both in animation and real
pictures. The soil information contains material about soil layers, the soil measurement and the
dynamic result of soil measurement. The users can do soil measurement in the garden and the
result can immediately be uploaded in Layar App. Unfortunately this is not yet possible in our
demo, however, some chair groups are very interested in this and we hope that they are willing
to cooperate to develop this part of the EAT Layar App.
Point C will show the water cycle in the garden. The water cycle will be displayed in animation
with supporting information through audio.
Figure 19: Point A; a futuristic view on the edible academic garden
Figure 20: Point B; an example of how the soil information could look.
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Point D shows information related to bees. The sign (Figure 22) should be somewhere near or on
a beehive in the future garden. The beehive will be an important element in the garden. In the
final Layar App we imagine that after scanning the sign, the background of the information will
be formed by images obtained from a webcam in the beehive. In this way the background shows
the activities that take place at that moment in the beehive and thus providing a real time
background in Layar (as the background of Figure 22). When visitors scan this sign with Layar,
icons are provided on the screen (try it in Layar). These icons give information on the bees’ ID,
life cycle, society structure, honey, pollination and there is an emergency button for when you
got stung by a bee.
Point E is about information of plants. Our idea is that signs similar as Figure 23, will be provided
near different kinds of plants. The icons that are visible after scanning with Layar are clickable
and contain information such as plant ID, mophology, cultivation method, recipes, cross section
of the fruit, video, etc. Figure 23 below is already working.
(Scan me with Layar)
Figure 21: Point C; an example of how to display the water cycle in the App
Figure 22: point D; an example of how the bee information could look like
35
Point F shows a hot issue: edible insects. Sign as Figure 24 would be found in future garden;
visitors can scan the sign and get picture of a delicious dish and by sliding you can change to
anohter dish. In addition, related information such as the insect used; origin; recipes, etc. would
be shown.
Conclusion The main reason for creating the demo version of the EAT Layar App was that we wanted to
provide Project EAT with something that they could use directly for promoting purposes. The
other products we produced are all theoretical (report, database structure). However, the demo
of the EAT Layar App is ready to use and demonstrate to other people. The demo is only there to
give people an idea of some of the possibilities of Layar App and because of this it is a relatively
simple App. Of course the future EAT Layar App will contain much more advanced technology
and will show information more sophisticated, since the future App will be programmed by
professionals and the progressing technology will offer more possibilities by then. Nevertheless,
we think that our simple demo can help Project EAT to show for example the University board,
(Scan me with Layar)
(Scan me with Layar)
Figure 23: point E; an example of plant information display
Figure 24: point F; an example of information about edible insect
36
what kind of innovativeness they would like to see in the campus. In addition the real life
example of modern technology will interest many people and is able to almost speak for itself.
37
Recommendation As a group appointed to do a temporary project on EAT, we can offer a view on the project as
outsiders. Therefore we think we can offer our commissioner useful information on next steps
to take in the project or point in the execution of the different parts of the project.
During the time we worked on the project and mainly during the interviews that we performed,
we noticed that the awareness of Project EAT is far from optimal. This means that we spoke to
many persons that were or would be interested in a project like this, but that had never heard of
Project EAT before. We also got the idea here that Project EAT is mainly working in a small group
of interested people and that that group does not expand that much in time as it might have
done by now. Therefore, we advise Project EAT to work on a higher awareness of Project EAT
throughout Wageningen UR. This would not only increase the networking abilities of Project EAT,
but it would also improve the position of Project EAT in negotiations with the University Board.
Some of the interviewees, belonging to the network of Blair van Pelt, indicated that they would
like to be kept more up to date on the developments concerning Project EAT. These included,
Harm Gooren and Lenneke Vaandrager. One of the interviewees even stated: “I talked to Blair
that I am very interested in it and I’d love to be involved, but I never heard from her again”. So,
it would be nice to develop something like a weekly/monthly newsletter for contact persons of
Project EAT to keep these persons connected to the project and up-to-date about activities
concerning Project EAT. We think it is essential that Project EAT keeps in regular contact with
interested people.
Next to maintaining the existing network, we would also like to propose to add another chair
group to the list of interested chair groups, namely the laboratory of geo-information science
and remote sensing. We were advised to talk to members of this chair group by other members
of the network of Project EAT and during conversations with two members of this chair group it
became clear that they are very interested in the possibilities that Project EAT could offer to
their chair group. Hence, we strongly advice Blair van Pelt to talk to the members of this chair
group. Next to having another ally in the realizing of EAT, the group of geo-information can offer
useful input and experience to (development of) the garden that are beneficial for both Project
EAT as well as the chair group.
Our group explored the possibilities of using Layar App in EAT. An important reason for using an
app like that in EAT was that you would have less signs in the garden. The best way of showing
information in the garden without the use of any signs would be by using Geo Layer, so we
looked for possibilities for using Geo Layer in EAT. During this process we found that the current
GPS accuracy would lead to problems if we would like to use Geo Layer in the garden to show
information. If the GPS accuracy stays on the same level the coming years, then we would advise
the people making the final EAT App not to use too many Geo Layer information in the garden,
but to show the information linked to scanning Layar via small signs. However, during the
interviews we performed we did stumble on a method that would enable the use of Geo Layer
with much higher accuracy. To do so, it would be necessary to build a grid of sensors in the
garden that are linked to a network and thus providing accurate locations to smartphones in the
garden. For further details on these methods, we advise our commissioner, again, to have a talk
with the people from the Geo-information chair group.
38
When we tested the demo, we met some difficulties which are worth mentioning. Frist, the
accessibility of internet. Layar is an online App, information cannot be analysed and downloaded
without internet. However, Wi-Fi is not accessible in the Garden at this moment and to
experience Layar in the Garden phones should be able to connect to internet. Secondly, GPS
should be able to tell the differences of altitude. However, GPS does not recognise the
difference of altitude within an area as flat as the Netherlands. As a result, the perspective of
pictures we put in the demo cannot change according to the altitude, and sometimes it seems
floating in the sky.
During the project our group did not evaluate all target groups of the future edible academic
garden to perfection. To provide the right information to the right groups in the garden it might
be necessary to split some of the information according to target group. If there were to be a
follow up project than we would advise that project to have a better look at this and to
differentiate target groups of the edible academic garden. For the gathering of the information
we advise our commissioner to wait for Project EAT to become granted. To do the gathering of
information successfully, it is necessary to know exactly what will be in the garden in the future.
After the project is granted and the structure of the garden is defined in detail, a team of
students can be appointed to start gathering the information that needs to be displayed in the
garden, for example from the chair groups. After the detailed information for the garden has
been gathered, the commissioner should appoint an expert to program the final EAT Layar App.
From the commissioners point of view, we think, the final version of the EAT Layar App will be
most useful. We hope that this demo will help our commissioner to visualize the information
system in EAT. As a group, we think that Layar App has a great potential as an information
system in EAT, which has many possibilities of showing information/data in an attractive and
innovative way. Nevertheless, the database structure that we developed can also be used to
build in a different kind of information system. So, if the Layar App should turn out to be not the
most elegant medium for our commissioner to show information in the garden, the structure
can still be used for a different system. However, if our commissioner would decide to use Layar
App as information system in the garden, she could keep using the Scan layer in the demo in her
promotion of the Edible Academic Garden towards the entire University.
39
References Deguine, J., Ferron, P., & Russell, D. (2008). Sustainable pest management for cotton
production. A review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 28; p. 113–137
Hermans, F., Horlings, I., Beers, P.J., & Mommaas, H. (2010). The Contested Redefinition of a Sustainable Countryside: Revisiting Frouws’ Rurality Discourses. Sociologica Ruralis, Vol 50, Number 1; p. 46 – 63.
Loopik K., Drakopoulos D., Novotny I., Langousi I., Beah A. (2013).Final Steps towards Implementation of the Edible Academic Garden (EAT).
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing rounded theory (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks,CA: Sage.
Van der Bergh W., Lv Y., Polydoropoulou P., Pothoff R., Salm L., Sánchez R.F. (2012).Global Assessment of Academic Gardens for Implementation by the EAT ME Project.
Websites:
http://www.custominsight.com/articles/random-sample-calculator.asp
http://www.Layar.com/
http://nl.surveymonkey.com/
http://www.tuindelageoorsprong.nl/
http://www.uu.nl/NL/BotanischeTuinen/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/wageningen-university/About-Wageningen-University/Facts-and-figures-1.htm
http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/insights/emea/library/studies/our-mobile-
planet-Netherlands/
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Appendices
Appendix I: Interview guideline (chair groups)
Introduction
Introduction of the interviewer.
-The interview is about the development of Layar App for the future Edible Academic Garden.
We are ACT group 1183 working on the development of Layar App for the Edible Academic
Garden (EAT) on Wageningen campus. With this interview we like to gain inside on
information chair groups would like to display in the EAT. Together this information should
form a multimedia experience in the garden.
-The interview will take 20-30 min.
-We would like to record the interview. (Ask for permission). During the interview, the
interviewer will take notes. All information gathered in the interview will be summarized and
a copy will be sent to interviewees for approval. All information will be treated confidentially.
-Ask the interviewees if they have questions.
Main and follow-up questions
Part One: General questions
Information about the interviewee
•What is your name?
•Which chair group do you belong to?
Part Two: specific questions
1. Have you heard about the Edible Academic Garden (EAT)?
If yes, what do you think/feel about EAT, could you please give us a brief
description? Also give a short description
If no, give a short introduction, what do you think/feel about EAT?
Is the rest of your chair group also aware of Project EAT?
How do they feel about EAT?
2. Can you name activities from your chair group that might benefit from the
project EAT?
Can you name some educational activities?
Can you name some research activities?
Can you name some public relations activities?
41
3. You mention some activities like ..., so, could you talk about the benefits.
4. If the garden can offer a platform for educational/research/scientific/public
relation activities purpose, in which way you will use it
5. From the activities you mentioned before (education/research/public
relation/...), What information would you like to show via EAT.
Within the information you mention above, what information you want to
show via multimedia (think of text/articles, audio files, video files, pictures
a.o.).
Which kind of information you think is helpful to achieve your goal.
6. Are you familiar with Layar App?
If no, Explain and show example: Layar is an application which projects a layer
on the real world through your smartphone containing extra information
(if yes) Are you interested in Layar?
- E.g. it was easy to use
- E.g. it was difficult to use
How do you feel about using Layar App?
7. How do you think that Layar App can be applied in an edible academic garden
to provide information to visitors?
8. Would you be interested in a prototype of Layar App in an edible academic
garden to visualize possibilities?
a) Would you be willing to provide information for the development of such a
prototype?
Ending
Thank you so much for your time, your answers are very valuable to us. The information
provided by you in this interview will help us to evaluate the attitude towards Layar App and
Project EAT. Next to this ideas on implementation of information in EAT will be stored in a
database that will later be used to develop the final EAT Layar App. Do you have any questions
for us? (show appreciation again and good bye, Have a nice day, etc.)
42
Appendix II: Contact persons for interviews Chair group/
Department Contact person Interview summary
included
Environmental science Landscape Architecture Fiona Morris Yes
Group Paul Roncken Yes
Department of Soil Quality
Harm Gooren Yes
Laboratory of Geo-information Science
Aldo Bergsma Yes
and Remote Sensing Ron van Lammeren Yes
Plant science Farming Systems Ecology Group
Walter Rossing Yes
Social science Education and Competence Studies Group
Arjen Wals Yes
Health and Society Lenneke Vaandrager Yes
Rural Sociology Group Simona d’Amico Yes
Petra Derkzen Yes
Facilities and Services Education Facilities Joris Fortuin Yes
Alterra Earth Informatics Jappe Franke No
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Appendix III: The summaries of the interviews with the contact persons
Interview with Fiona Morris Part One: General questions
•What is your name?
Fiona Morris
•Which chair group do you belong to?
Landscape Architecture groups for 6 months as part time research assistant for two projects
Part Two: specific questions
9. Have you heard about the Edible Academic Garden (EAT)?
Most of them do and known I am involved, but not everyone. Most of them are curious about
the project.
10. Can you name activities from your chair group that might benefit from the project EAT?
a. Can you name some educational activities?
It is very interesting for students if it will really happen. They will have access to information
about how the garden happened. For design students to know all different stage of process, if
there is a garden, it is very interesting to know all the materials used how people use space. I
think there are lots of theoretical courses for bachelor students in which they are definitely
working on materials. I think for bachelor student will get more out of it directly. But generally
knowing the landscape department has had an influence on the campus would be interesting
and inspiring. (EDU)
b. Can you name some research activities?
Well, there might be. Here the department is focused on very large scale landscapes. So, there
are aspects of how we design this garden that might be interesting to research. I’m not sure
about this, I’m not familiar with this specific course, and I’m most familiar with master courses.
(Research)
c. Can you name some public relations activities?
Everybody likes good space, good ideas, fun things to see in the garden, and probably landscape.
(SOCIAL)
11. You mention some activities like ..., so, could you talk about the benefits.
It is nice to take students out and show them the real thing. So, in this way you can use is as a
sort of field trip. Next to this the garden might be interesting for people to use as set up for a
study.
There is a big thing in land scape architecture between very artistic, and something that is much
centred on what people need, and then there is also the ecological design where people think of
it as lots of nature green and lots of habitat. There would be aspect of studies you could actually
go and see the different influences of the landscape architecture. So, you can use it as mini field
trip. The way they want to use it is also dependent on the tutor, but I think it is useful space.
44
12. If the garden can offer a platform for educational/research/scientific/public relation activities
purpose, in which way you will use it
You can use it as demonstration of space and how people use the space. The changes of the
space in time would be interesting. See how landscape change with time changes; it is an
opportunity to show how time changes the design. Landscape architecture most working with
living materials and time changes aware about that. It will be interesting to see the changes that
take place during the years. This garden can be used as a record of these changes.
13. From the activities you mentioned before (education/research/public relation/...), What
information would you like to show via EAT.
Within the information you mention above, what information you want to show via
multimedia (think of text/articles, audio files, video files, pictures a.o.).
Which kind of information you think is helpful to achieve your goal.
The information should be very visual, like how plants grow, changes very much the feel of a
space. Photographic information would be good. In case information from social aspect how
people use space. How students can encourage people to use the space .This information is
already there in books, but it would also be very useful have it really there to see.
Landscape architecture students basically learn to look at things in a different way . If they really
like the garden and they get inspiration from it, it will offer them a kind of passive learning
opportunity.
14. Are you familiar with Layar App?
Yes, I heard about it. I never used it, but I know basically how it works.
a) Are you interested in Layar?
I think it is very cool. I did talk with Blair about that. The opportunity to show the space, what is
in it, what is happening in it and how it was constructed is really interesting. In landscape
architecture this is kind of what you whole education is about; you look at history, buildings,
parks animals and you learn how to put them all together. This makes it a very nice tool to have
for landscape architecture. For bachelor studies it could be a really nice tool for field work; plant
recognition, but it could also be nice to show/share/sell how things are constructed. It could
show how the information is put together and show the work and thinking that is involved in
landscape design that you usually do not see.
- E.g. it was easy to use
I don’t have an iPhone, but it looks very easy to use.
b) How do you feel about using Layar App?
The department wants to be involved in this garden, because it will be a great opportunity to
promote the department and to explain to students what landscape architecture actually is. The
department starts to learn about using social media to educate students and in this the app can
be a strong tool.
15. How do you think that Layar App can be applied in an edible academic garden to provide
information to visitors?
All interactive stuff can be used to connect the design. Little video’s might be the best tool for
things like this. It could be a replacement for a tour guide. Technical drawings or animations
45
would also work really well. However, these things cost money. Any information will be good. It
could also contain cross sections of structures in the garden that shows how the construction is
made. The information does not necessary be show by videos, it could also just be simple
diagrams. It would maybe also be nice to show an overview over time of what happened to the
garden and how it got developed. The possibility of plant (or other organism) recognition would
be really useful.
16. Would you be interested in a prototype of Layar App in an edible academic garden to
visualize possibilities?
Would you be willing to provide information for the development of such a prototype?
Yes, if I have time.
Interview with Paul Roncken Date: June 6,2013 13.30-14.00
Location: Gaia A222
Interviewee: Paul Roncken (Assistant professor of landscape architecture)
Interviewer: Kiki Kots
Recording: Zao Ye
1．Awareness of Project EAT
He is familiar with Project EAT. The rest of chair group has general appreciation. They like the
initiative, but they don’t really feel involved in the project.
His feeling about EAT:
This project shows the students’ interests.
The university needs students’ involvement to get things going and the university board is
susceptible towards what students want.
The garden can serve as landscape laboratory to test innovative designs and prototypes.
The garden can integrate several domains, such as agriculture and food production and it
can bring chair groups together.
2. Activities of the chair group that can be benefit from the existence of the edible academic
garden
One activity that is already happening is that the MSc students of LAR are participating and
gather information into design.
The garden can serve as a showroom for experimental designs created by LAR. Newly
created prototypes can be shown in the garden.
It is not only education in sense of what we offer as teacher, but also entrepreneurship as
students; you have initiative, you want to test something.
Some students take initiative to have an idea to make a prototype.
Maybe not all courses are related to this. It can be outside curriculum, create workshop,
master classes etc.
46
Art related to food production. (Combine art and science together)
Attractiveness to the locals. Social space for Wageningen residents and opening up
Wageningen campus to everybody.
In combination with other chair groups.
3. Benefit from the garden
As a show case of WUR research.
Continuous process of production of vegetables, plants and also the continuous
production of prototypes.
Show room of prototypes of the chair groups.
Keep it as an interactive changing structure, otherwise it will die of. Keep the spirit as
long as possible.
The chair group is willing to do a large part of the maintenance. Some parts are
maintained by standard maintenance.
4. Information the chair group would like to show in the garden
On one level, he thinks they don’t need information at all, because landscape architecture is
about what people immediately experience. A good design doesn’t need additional information.
The information behind the design should be immediately accessible.
On the other hand, if there is information, such as general and classical information, it can be
shown through hardcopy thing (sign e.g.) in the garden, so people without electronic devices can
be accessible to it as well.
He has done several projects on developing applications in landscape. He is not so enthusiastic
on this subject anymore, because he noticed that people don’t use it.
People may download the app and use it only a few times in their life. Normally people have the
app, but seldom use it. He said, if he was walking through the garden, he wouldn’t want a cell
phone with him. People come to the garden to have a real immediate contact with the garden.
He thinks with the app, people will spend more time in getting information instead of having an
easy, relaxing time in the garden, interpreting the information on their own. Thus people will
not be used to interpreting by their imagination, but only interpret if there is information
available and they will immediately believe what is brought to them, so they will become
information-dependent and uncritical. He thinks it is really dangerous to cultural education in
the philosophy point of view.
However, in the educational perspective it could be useful. He is enthusiastic about information
such as hidden layers below ground, the structure of soil, certain water flow stream, plant
immigration and other kinds of educational materials being shown in the garden. Nevertheless,
he stays critical in the perspective of entertainment. In addition, he thinks some parts of the
information can be cycle-based, for example, there are vegetables growing and we can get
47
information about where it comes from and where it eventually will go. The app can visualize
the cycle and let people have the awareness of it.
He suggested we should select more dynamic and educative information. A successful app
should be different every time you use it, like weather and mail apps, otherwise people will just
use it once and that’s it. It can be linked to real time measurement, and then it also can serve as
a research platform at the same time.
5. Prototype/Demo version
He is familiar with Layar. He is more interested in monitoring how people respond to the app. As
to the provision of the information to the prototype, he thinks his chair group cannot offer
additional information. He suggested we could turn to other chair groups, namely, soil and
water chair groups.
Interview with Harm Gooren Date: June 7,2013 11.00-11.30
Location: Atlas C415
Interviewee: Harm Gooren (Lab and field technician in Soil Physics and Land
Management Group)
Interviewer: Kiki Kots
Recording: Zao Ye
1．Awareness of Project EAT
Harm Gooren only heard about Project EAT a few weeks ago (this is his second interview/talk
about the Project). His chair group looked for an opportunity to use some land on the campus to
show their research. Those plans were cancelled, but then somebody mentioned that the
initiative of Project EAT could work just as well to show their research on Wageningen campus.
He thinks, EAT would be a great opportunity to show their guests and students what his chair
group is working on. An advantage to this is that it is really close by the building were the chair
group is seated.
The rest of his chair group is also positive about this initiative, however there is some concern
about the money that is needed to develop and maintain an edible academic garden. So far,
there is no real feeling of involvement in the garden. Further contact between the chair group
and Project EAT will probably improve the feeling of involvement in the development in the
garden.
2. Activities of the chair group that can be benefit from the existence of the edible academic
garden
The main activities that he can think of are presenting the work performed by the chair group to
the outside world and using the garden as study subject for master students. A master student
could, for example, use the garden as experimental setup to measure variables in the garden. If
he would estimate percentages on how they would use the garden it would be 5% research
48
related, 5% public relationship related and 90% education related (thesis subjects, incorporation
in a course).
3. Benefit from the garden
The chair group would like to use the garden as a show room to present their research to the
public. Next to this they would like to put up some measurement systems in the garden and use
is as a study field close by the Atlas building.
4. Information the chair group would like to show in the garden
Different information outputs are:
Small presentation about the chair group (advertisement of the chair group)
Show the research they are doing at the moment
Show some of the measurement outputs and results they obtained from the garden
Show the use of the measurements that their chair group is performing
They did not really think about what medium they want to use to show information. Harm
Gooren can mainly think of showing graphs with data. These graphs can be dynamic, showing
changes over time. Measurements can also be shown in small movies. It could also contain
presentations about important events during the last months. They could explain what they are
working on in a short video. It could also show the way to other locations of the chair group.
Interactive components possible
It would be nice to see direct data through the app by measuring of instruments of the chair
group, for example; soil moisture content, rainfall, evaporation of plants. The reaction of plants
and soil on events changing their environment, like rainfall, can also be measured in the garden.
5. Layar App
Harm Gooren is not familiar with Layar app at all. His opinion on the use of Layar App in the
garden after we gave him a small demonstration:
Pitfalls: Danger of information overload
Possibilities: Very nice to give information in dynamic way
He still has a lot of questions about the Layar app; maintenance, accuracy, possibilities, pitfalls.
6. Prototype/Demo version
Harm Gooren would be interested to see the app working. He does not yet know what
information his chair group would like to put in there. We can contact him again within a week
and then he might have some ideas for us what to show in the demo version of the Layar app.
Interview with Aldo Bergsma Interviewee: Aldo Bergsma
Chair Group: Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing.
49
1. Have you heard about the Edible Academic Garden (EAT)?
No, but I think it’s a good idea and you can share your knowledge. You can do
shifting plants, rotation of plants.
Is the rest of your chair group also aware of Project EAT?
I don’t think many people know about this project. For me, it is also the first time that I hear
about it. I only saw it from your e-mail. At least my first impression was something else than
what you explain now. But I think the idea is very nice.
2. Can you name activities from your chair group that might benefit from the project EAT?
Can you name some educational activities?
Can you name some research activities?
Can you name some public relations activities?
We have some people working in agricultural planning. One of my colleagues is dealing with
farmers that they need to plough their land. He is calculating the optimum pathways mainly to
optimizing the time and the energy to use. So, he needs to calculate the optimum pathways to
go through the fields. So, if the farmers say they want to start from this part of the fields and
they don’t want to use some part of the field, then that part is recalculated.
The other topic is the remote sensing part. We use sensors, on the tractors and inside the fields,
and we can calculate for example where they need to spray water or pesticide in the future.
From the seeds to the crop, how they grow, and they try to make prediction based on the
growth, like how much they need the spray or where you need the water.
3. You mention some activities like ..., so, could you talk about the benefits.
From the last activities that I have mentioned, it’s obvious that you don’t need to spray so much,
because you only spray in certain location that doesn’t grow very well. Make sure that you don’t
use too much fertilizer, pesticide, or those kinds of things.
The other one is more related to the time of a farming. So, the farmer plots the optimum
pathway, then he can easily recalculate the pathway and put them inside the tractors and the
GPS, so it can be run independently. The pathway can calculate the optimum, you can put back
to the GPS, and the GPS can be used to “drive” the pathway.
It’s still in the research part, but it is also applied research. So in combination in this case is with
farmers, but I can imagine you can also do it in a small scale.
The other thing is we involved with visualization of the real world, but in an abstract sense. So
we tried to visualize the world that you see, but you cannot grab every detail.
4. If the garden can offer a platform for educational/research/scientific/public relation
activities purpose, in which way you will use it
That is maybe towards the optimizing. Meaning, optimizing the growth, but I don’t know if that’s
the aim of the garden. It depends on what you want to gain.
5. From the activities you mentioned before (education/research/public relation/...), What
information would you like to show via EAT?
50
Within the information you mention above, what information you want to show via
multimedia (think of text/articles, audio files, video files, pictures a.o.).
Which kind of information you think is helpful to achieve your goal?
I think is the whole crop planning and the crop rotation. Because, for our group it’s mainly need
to get digital location. So we know where the things are growing, we can know maybe where the
soil problems exist, then we can do calculations how to optimize it. So it needs to be a relation
between your location and the real world, from our perspective.
6. Are you familiar with Layar App?
If no, Explain and show example: Layar is an application which projects a layer on the
real world through your smartphone containing extra information
(if yes) Are you interested in Layar?
I think that’s the reason why Jappe send you to me, because we developed for the municipality
of Wageningen. We developed a route along with some historical places from Second World
War.
How do you feel about using Layar App?
Sometimes I interested in using it. It’s some kind of application that you want to use only for one
or two times and then you forget about it. At least that is my experience. It’s attractive, but you
don’t continuously going to use it.
7. How do you think that Layar App can be applied in an edible academic garden to provide
information to visitors?
Because the garden is not there yet, maybe you could design it by using Layar App, to get
attraction, to show how it looks in 5 or 10 years. For example if you create a fruit garden, you
can see how the trees are growing. Maybe you can show the differences during the different
seasons. You can also show the differences of some species. You could also make it more
attractive to use.
GEO Layar Questions:
8. Is it possible if want to show dynamic measurement in our app?
We can take measurement by sensors. Just like an air photograph but it’s very close to the
ground. Then you can check at certain location because it’s connected with GPS. So you know
your location, you know where the sensor is, and it’s continuously. But of course you don’t
measure the whole fields you measure a spot. Then you interpolate those measurements
towards the complete fields.
9. It is possible to link these measurements with “alive” things?
Yes, I think so. Because we have a course where the students try to measure in real time. The
students have to measure the flow of toxic on soil around the campus. The students need to
measure at certain location where the toxic concentration is the highest? So you can see on the
mobile phones a map of the campus and you can see the measurement from different groups
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from that course, and where the measurements are higher than the surroundings. So you need
to guess where they should at least measure the concentration for the next measurement to see
if the result is moving or it stays on a certain location.
So every measurement is sent to the central point, where the map is recalculated, and
everybody can see in the field every measurement.
10. Normally which kind of information you are measuring?
Whatever you can measure, you can also map it, as long as there’s a location to it. For example
what we have talked about growth, they measure the growth field from the plant. Then the
complete field is interpolated, and the farmer can see which area needed more water.
11. Digital location (map) is also a dynamic thing?
The map can be dynamic, depends on what subject you want to show. For example you have a
photo of soil layer. It changes maybe in several years, but the dynamic is not so changing fast.
While for crop production it will change in several weeks. So you need to measure every week.
12. Is that possible to have certain information for one point of the garden?
You could place 3D objects of the surroundings into Layar App, and stick it to a certain location.
So if the user of Layar moves towards or near by the location, then he sees it in the application
and they can look around if there are other objects.
You can put a photograph of an existing garden. So you will get impression how it looks in reality.
The other thing is you just post some points that giving information. If the garden is already
there then maybe on a certain location you say here is a plot for this kind of crop and this is the
background of it, and this area is used for production or else, and maybe you could put a recipe
for that kind of crop.
13. We are going to put the measurement part also in our app. Are you or your chair group
interested on it?
Yes, this kind of this information will be very interesting for us.
14. Related with the app, is it possible to just choose one point and show the soil layer
around it but from another point you cannot see it.
What Layar app is doing is if you standing at certain point and you can see information in a
certain radius around it. So if you have soil measurement inside your radius, those things are
going to be shown. The resolution of your cell phones GPS are mostly around 5 to 10 meters. So
that’s make sense to make the radius much smaller.
The other thing what you can do in Layar is you can filter the object. For example you have soil
measurements then you can say I only want to see this soil layer. But it really depends on the
resolution of the GPS in the cell phones. If the points are close to each other, they could be
shifted around.
15. We planned to make a demo for our project to show our idea. But it is very difficult to set
up Layar app in a short period. Some of our ideas are really depend on the Geo. We are
wondering if there is a simple way to do it.
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Well, we don’t have the sensors here in the campus. Maybe you can just search from the
Internet about a soil map and then placed it in the landscape just using photo editor tools, to
give an impression how it looks.
If you want to show it in Layar, then the object also needs to be on Layar. So you need an
account from the Layar Company and you need to process and you need a capability to send
your information from one server to the Layar App.
What you could do is make some kind of billboard, how it should look like and how it should
work in real life to give your stakeholders an impression, but I think it is difficult to set it up.
This not related to GPS, what you make in a billboard is what the users could see in a certain
location. So you just make a picture what the users will see from a certain location. You can take
a photograph and put a new object with a photo editor.
16. We want to make a Layar app by select a point and show some information there.
There is some Layar app in this campus already. The point is you have to set up your own Layar.
After you have your Layar then you can just add points you want.
If I could place some objects, you can send your pictures to me and I can put it in my Layar.
Interview with Ron van Lammeren Date: June 19,2013, 11.00-12.00
Location: Gaia C306
Interviewee: Ron van Lammeren, Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote
Sensing
Interviewer: Kiki Kots
Recording: Jakia Sultana
1． Awareness of Project EAT
The interviewee never heard about Project EAT before. He did hear about similar projects in
other cities before.
2. Activities of the chair group that can be benefit from the existence of the edible academic
garden
The chair group could use the garden to do monitoring; in time/ by sensing/ by photo’s/ by
satellite images. They could spot the garden, sense the microclimate in the garden. These
activities would be very interesting for the chair group.
3. Information the chair group would like to show in the garden
Interviewee: “the information you want to show in your garden highly depends on the users of
the garden”. The garden can be monitored by sensors and camera’s, so there could be a
periodically or weekly update on the garden. This update could consist of for example, the state
of the garden, what flowers are flowering, which fruits are ready to be picked the state of
humidity, microclimate temperature, where there will be maintenance activities (where to dig,
where to prune, etc.). If you like to involve people, there should be a list of activities available
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that people can participate in those activities. There should not be offered to much information
in the garden because that will make things to complicated.
What medium to display information in the garden?
Maps, 3D models, photo’s, movies (separated and integrated)
5. Familiarity with Layar App/information on the App
The interviewee is familiar with Layar App and also knows how it is build. He thinks Layar App a
great tool, but it also depends on what you want to do with it; what kind of intervention is it?
The information shown in the app should be efficient, reliable and fun to use. The interviewee
thinks that it is most important to study the user groups well, before you start building your app.
This includes use-scenarios and the user needs.
Layar App specific questions:
GPS accuracy in Layar App
- The Geo-information group (GRS) uses a different kind of GPS to do detailed
measurement, so called RTK-GPS. In this technique, local reference points are used that
have an exactly know GPS location. Less detailed GPS measurements are then re-
calculated with the help of these accurate points.
- In the future GPS-systems will be more accurate, because of the development of the
new GNSS systems.
- Possibility to make a grid of sensors in the field. When you enter this field with
Bluetooth, RFDI, Infrared then you can still calculate you location without GPS. He has
no idea about expenses, there are some sensors already present on Wageningen
campus.
- If you want to show certain items then it will be selected by a query. In description there
will be something that is linked to that usability function, for example to water level. So,
what will be done in the programming; what will say in the query by a condition certain
of this items and what is selected by this condition, think of using Google or Bing, that
will be presented in the viewer and only it will go presented if within the distance should
be identified (selection of attribute value by a query, that is column language for a data
base process).
Dynamic data in the App
Yes, you can put dynamic data in the App. You can use for presentation single maps, videos and
multi-maps.
Interest in project
Especially, when there would be some technology like the grid sensing present in the garden,
Ron van Lammeren would be very interested in the project. He is open to talk about the
participation of his chair group in Project EAT. He also thinks that if these kinds of sensors are
present in the garden more chair groups would be very interested in this.
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Interview with Walter Rossing Part One: General questions
Information about the interviewee
• What is your name?
Walter Rossing
• Which chair group do you belong to?
Farming system ecology
Part Two: specific questions
1. Have you heard about the Edible Academic Garden (EAT)? How you feel about it?
Yes, I think it is an excellent initiative. In itself, having something concrete, in a place where a lot
is about concepts, and I think it is very enriching. And then, what I have seen of the whole set of
activities and process that Blair and Jean-Yves engaged in, that was very impressive to interact
with all of those factors, that has potentially some interests and some influence on the whole
project, that makes it is a vibrant project.
• Is the rest of your chair group also aware of Project EAT?
Yes, definitely yes. The two people, Blair and Jean-Yves have being quite active also and trying to
involve us. Blair as a student, she did participate in courses so far, and she is still around here as
a student assistant. There is, not constant, but regular exchange of ideas on the garden. Well,
let’s say, communication about keeping up on what’s happening.
• Are they also enthusiastic about the garden?
Yes, yes! I think you’re going to interview Professor Pablo Tittonil, he’s been very enthusiastic,
and he also participated in the kick-off meeting.
2. Can you name activities of your chair group that might benefit from Project EAT?
3. You mention some activities like ..., so, could you talk about the benefits.
I think there are two types of activities, one is the concrete growing, what are students doing,
(whoever is coming, mainly students right?), so, production technique and Agronomic type of
things, that you can take student to, and look at, and then discuss, for the education purpose
definitely . (Education materials; EDU)
The other thing is, well, this is a fascinating process, to get something like this going, let’s say
community supported, how it works, who do you need involved and why they are involved, I
think that’s a part of new Agronomy. New Agronomy is that what we are trying to create by
teaching who knows that innovation is not just about new technology, but it’s also about
negotiating technology with the setting which should be adopted. (EDU)
We now almost have started a course called Analysis and design of mixed farming systems, that
is not really design, so we go to a farm, talk to famers, what is it they want, and what is
happening. So the same thing you can do in small, in the garden as well. Talk to the student and
other stockholders there. This is much closer to case study. (EDU)
Well, what we have is a very active Facebook page, which I invite you to have a look at. What
our group is interested in is to finding alternatives for a food provision in a healthy setting, and
55
you have big scale initiatives, but also these kind of small scale initiatives. You can see it as part
of urban agriculture or part of other communities supported agriculture. So, it is something that
is very close by, like our experimental farm. Well you can say; look, this is what we are
supporting, in one way or another, and our students are working on this, and at same time, it is
a kind of show case for alternative network. If there are too many weeds, if it is messy, then of
course the opposite of that, but so far so good. (Kind of show case of small scale community
involvement).
Or maybe some crazy ideas about cropping that really work; well you can try out something. I
mean; it’s different from an experimental farm, I could well imagine that, you know, maybe you
take somebody to lunch in the restaurant of Future, and you take him back through the garden.
(Communication)
4. If the garden can offer a platform for educational/research/scientific/public relation
activities purpose, in which way you will use it
The totality of image of a group or university, I think it’s made up of many small dots. So, if
somebody thinks back to visit to the university or to our group, then there are many small
activities that together create enthusiasm or not for the group, I think this is one of the
elements that are really very different, totally different. So, I think the EAT is able to sort of
distinguish the university in a way, well any way, maybe not distinguish just make it remarkable.
From the activities you mentioned before (education/research/public relation/...),
what information would you like to show via EAT?
Within the information you mention above, what information you want to show via
multimedia? (think of text/articles, audio files, video files, pictures a.o.).
Which kind of information you think is helpful to achieve your goal? Not actively, no, but what we see which is stimulated by Pablo is that we use video, professional
video, short movies to show what we mean by certain concept, by asking actor or people on the
ground, to tell is what they are doing. So, I could very well imagine that there would be some
footage or it could be snapshots from the Forum ,nice picture of patterns that is created by the
edible garden, media and so that kind of thing and also on our Facebook page( Face to all
peoples). It could also be Image, slides and presentation for students and scientific audience. So,
it is easy. I put it as part of my sender in every e-mail. So, anyone can visit it.
6. Are you familiar with Layar App? How do you feel about using Layar App?
No, not familiar. (--Introduction--)I’m interested in it. It is easy to use. I would use it. I think the
essence is how much additional hidden information you get out it, so how much is hidden in
hyperspace, so that is crucial, that if you just get things which you could already imagine before
ahead, but you need information that is dynamic, so you can’t think all the time, you already
imaging before and also the dynamic information, that can actually add to that image nature of
the garden itself.
7. How do you think that Layar App can be applied in an edible academic garden to provide
information to visitors?
I don’t know how interesting that is for wide audience, but I could imaging that you could point
to certain crops that you know something about ‘From food to fork’, the fork aspect, what is the
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fraction of this crop as part of healthy diet? The food production aspect, the energy equivalent
in terms of grains , how much manure is needed to grow 100 kg of that crop; what crops are
definitely incompatible with that crops, because they stimulate soil born disease and pests .
then these are not grow together; maybe some historic images as well people used to use this to
make dies and those kind of some historical uses, so that you put the crop not only the current
food perspective but also the culture historical perspective; and they may be some area
surrounded the world, how much is it, who eats the stuff. There is 96 nationality, which fraction
of 96 nationality is this normal food for and which is they grown who eat that (different
nationalities), if you from Europe, China, to whom it is very exotic, why is it especial for them.
8. Would you be interested in a prototype of Layar App in an edible academic garden to
visualize possibilities?
Would you be willing to provide information for the development of such a prototype?
Yes, absolutely, I did a think a little bit .it is also fit our purpose to use social media as much as
possible to make people enthusiastic. We are developing an experiment in Droevendaal on the
farm. The (Crows) wilds birds eating the seed, we are trying to keep them out. It could be
related to that. In DroevendaaI mean the number of static picture of farm building is stork, bird
nest on the pool the replacement experiment will be close to that, so that will give you a kind of
beacon your Layar App.
Interview with Arjen Wals •What is your name? Arjen Wals
•Which chair group do you belong to? Educational and competence study; director of the
sustainable development and food security.
Part Two: specific questions
1. Have you heard about the Edible Academic Garden (EAT)? If yes, what do you think/feel about EAT, could you please give us a brief description?
Yes, I was actually a part of the group that developed it, two years ago. I am also the chairperson
of MOA, organic agriculture group. I am familiar with the objective and like the idea of linking
education and research, and outreach to the university and wider community by using edible
garden in the middle of the campus.
If no, give a short introduction, what do you think/feel about EAT?
Is the rest of your chair group also aware of Project EAT? Not many, some of them are Lyana Rodic, Valentina Tasona, and Anne Rhenes.
Are they also enthusiastic about it? Yes, they all are enthusiastic about it.
2. Can you name activities from your chair group that might benefit from the project EAT?
Can you name some educational activities?
Can you name some research activities?
Can you name some public relations activities?
The Project EAT is still in the conceptual stage project.
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There is a course we teach now, Applied Environmental Education and Communication, where
the students have to design connectivity that helps people (young, old) to connect with
sustainability issues, including connection with sustainable food and they can choose their own
design topic.
Last year, Blair took that course and organised the groups in that course. One of the groups
studied the EAT, to see how it could be an educational garden that could also connect with local
primary schools. The EAT was expected to become a learning laboratory, for young children to
learn about food, where students from the university could guide the children through the
garden. It could connect with the school curriculum of the children. Go beyond the WUR
community. They are writing a report about the project right now.
3. You mention some activities like ..., so, could you talk about the benefits from the activities.
It is a good way for the students to walk the talk. You are not only talking about sustainable
food and food security, but also do really practice what we talked about. I think WUR should be
a leading university, not just in thinking about sustainability and food security, but also living it
and doing it. We think it is important that we don’t separate research, education and outreach
to the community; we try to connect these three. I think an academic garden could be an
excellent way to do it.
We require some logistical organisation, which is quite complicated. When students take
responsibility, they graduate and other students take over. It would be challenge to organise this.
I think that also can be connected to education, to organise this kind of activities students can
learn as part of their education.
We can start small with an academic garden and we can also look into other areas. For example
sustainable food in the cafeterias and saving energy; we should use the brain power that we
have in this university to make the way we work, live, and eat more sustainable.
4. If the garden can offer a platform for educational/research/scientific/public relation activities purpose, in which way you will use it
(You have answered in the previous question)
5. From the activities you mentioned before (education/research/public relation/...), what information would you like to show via EAT.
Within the information you mention above, what information you want to show via multimedia (think of text/articles, audio files, video files, pictures a.o.).
Which kind of information you think is helpful to achieve your goal. If you want to blend the virtual and the real, it would be good too. I know a lot of young people
that don’t like to go out and get their hands dirty, and that haven’t experience because they are
really hooked on technology. I like to come up with the garden that will connect both worlds in
an interesting way. If you can take app such as LeafSnap, where you can take a photograph of a
plant, crop, and you immediately get information what kind of recipe about how you cook it. It
provides information of which part is edible and what kind of pesticide you could use and how
can you treat it in a sustainable or organic way. So, when you walk through that place and you
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questions can be answered right away on the spot. That is one way of providing information and
there might be other ways. Show information about quality; how to use it; how to grow, harvest
it. For example, if you have a lot of tomatoes, they mature in the same time and you can harvest
it at the same time. How can you make spaghetti sauce and how can you preserve it for a long
period of time, so you can have it at winter? Those kinds of food technology you can link to a lot
of things. If you have the multilayer/AR type, with the glasses you can get additional information
as you walk through the garden; that could be very interesting. Maybe it could also give you
information about how to do it at home on the balcony of your flat; in short, how you can make
a small garden at your home. So, it is become a model garden that can help people to start their
own garden. That would be interesting information; how people can to start their own garden.
Include links to websites that you can look at for that kind of information.
6. Are you familiar with Layar App?
If no, Explain and show example: Layar is an application which projects a layer on the real world through your smartphone containing extra information
I never heard about Layar App.
(if yes) Are you interested in Layar? If I know what it is, I probably am. I am not anti-technology, however I do believe at the moment
that these technologies are more part of the problem than a solution. For example, if 1 million
people use a smartphones there will be a lot of e-waste after that. Most of the apps are let say
90% entertainment functionality driven and consumer driven. They make you buy more things
and part of the problem is that people want to buy more things and get the newest thing. For
example, if their phone is broken, they would feel so happy about it, because it gives them a
reason to buy a newer one. It’s a wrong way of thinking. It’s a technology part of the problem.
We could develop sustainable apps that can help us to life in a more sustainable way. For
example apps that help us in our food choice, make carpooling easier, help us to save energy,
determine if fish are caught in a responsible way or from which farm the meet we buy comes
from. If you want, you can have this information right away. This information helps you make
decision whether you buy it or not. It can enrich your experience outdoor, if you walk through
the forest and you want to know the name of the trees or birds, maybe it can help making it
more interesting. Then I’m in for it. “
Right now I think it’s more part of the problem than part of the solution. So, we need to get
better taking advantage of it for educational purposes and in connecting people.
7. How do you think that Layar App can be applied in an edible academic garden to provide information to visitors?
I think so, in fact, I never thought of it. I always thought of EAT as a model garden maintained by
students with educational purposes, maybe with possibilities to do some research and try new
things too. Eating and promoting the vegetables and presenting it in the Orion canteen, to show
the world how we, WUR, use an academic garden. We’re not going to feed the whole university
with it, but we want to show that we care and we support it. If we can make it a model garden in
which ICT is used to educate people of different ages, I think, this is another way to make the
project more interesting. It’s an example of the use of good technology in a fun way
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(edutainment: combining education and entertainment), if you can do that, people will come
from all over the world to see how we educate people using technology.
8. Would you be interested in a prototype of Layar App in an edible academic garden to visualize possibilities?
To have a look at it, to see how it works, yes, sure!
Would you be willing to provide information for the development of such a prototype? Ja, ja, ja!!! I think it is part of our job. My field is in environment education, directing in the
centre for sustainable development and food security, and it is our mandate, in fact, on our
website we featured this project. This project is an example of student driven initiative of food
security on campus. So yes, I am very interested what your group is developing.
There is also a group working on the sustainability in the university curriculum, green office,
maybe they are also involved in this green office.
Interview with Lenneke Vaandrager Part One: General questions
Information about the interviewee
•What is your name? Lenneke Vaandrager
•Which chair group do you belong to? Health and society
Part Two: specific questions
1. Have you heard about the Edible Academic Garden (EAT)?
If yes, what do you think/feel about EAT, could you please give us a brief description?
Also give a short description
Shortly, as I said, Blair explained it a little bit to me. The idea is that within the campus there will
be space available to create a garden there. That’s roughly what I understand of it. Probably that
Blair might do her PhD around there. That’s what I know.
I think it’s a wonderful idea. I think we should do far more “practice what you preach” in this
university. The slogan of the university is the quality of life; I think that counts for our self and
for our students. I work with natural playground for children and care farm; talk about how good
it is to have the green environment and health. Also, the people produce their own food and
locally start eating and getting more attention to their food and so on. It’s very logical that you
do the same in your university area or in your campus. I am involved in the study health and
society. Students from high school would come here to hear about the study and if they want to
study it. For instance, the students will be transported by bus from the campus to here, which is
strange, because when you talk about health, why you’re not taking a bike or walk?
They were served sandwiches in plastic bag, white sandwiches, which not very healthy and not
environmental friendly. This doesn’t connect.
The other area where I do research in is work and health, which is about healthy work
environment, work policy and health. If we say quality for life, we should have policy for
employees and healthy work places. I think having a garden like that, not for all, but for lot of
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employees and students it can be really interesting to have green areas and locally produce food.
So in that sense I think it’s a brilliant idea.
Some of our department don’t have a place to practice their learnt in class, for example the
irrigation department doesn’t know how to irrigate their own area.
If no, give a short introduction, what do you think/feel about EAT?
Does the rest of your chair group also aware of Project EAT?
Are they also enthusiastic about it?
No. I might have told during coffee break that a garden like this will be coming, but I don’t think
that they aware about it. It’s also because I talked to Blair that I am very interested in it and I’d
love to be involved and never heard from her again. That’s why it stops.
2. Can you name activities from your chair group that might benefit from the project EAT?
Can you name some educational activities?
Can you name some research activities?
Can you name some public relations activities?
Natural environment and health are my research area. So there are always in the combination
between the social and the physical environment. Often there are a lot of social things happen
in the natural environment, which influence health. So you cannot just say it’s nice and green
then we create health, often you need things to be happening there, for instance, working on
natural green playground in the schools and in the city, you have to have active participation of
the children and of the parents, and somebody should feel ownership of the garden, or the area.
So it’s always a combination of the social and the natural environment. If this combination is
working well, then you see it has a nice effect on health. So that’s our emphasis. For instance
there are lots of children that are in danger of getting overweight; there has been a policy that
they have to move an amount of time and they need to eat healthy. Children and parents don’t
like that. These green areas give people a friendly environment to play and to have fun; they
move better they develop better. So, without emphasizing they should be healthy, you create an
environment, which invites people to spend nice time there, or eat healthier food. Human
beings are more attracted to social things than by staying healthy, because health often has a
negative connotation of not being allowed to do things.
That was my area, there’s another colleague of mine that does research in green environment,
and I have specifically another colleague looking at food and healthy eating pattern. I think this
links up to this, because she very much looks at healthy eating. She sees it as a social happening
rather than an individual choice of somebody to eat what they eat. This choice is embedded in a
social relationship. In this I agree with her. (Names of her colleague on leaflet)
3. You mention some activities like ..., so, could you talk about the benefits. Answered in previous question
4. If the garden can offer a platform for educational/research/scientific/public relation activities purpose, in which way you will use it
5. From the activities you mentioned before (education/research/public relation/...), What information would you like to show via EAT?
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Within the information you mention above, what information you want to show via multimedia (think of text/articles, audio files, video files, pictures a.o.).
Which kind of information you think is helpful to achieve your goal? There are two types of information, which are important when you develop something like this.
On one hand, you really need to know what you are doing: how do you grow the plant, when is
the harvesting time, and importantly, what do you do with the food? How can you prepare it; it
could show nice recipes. Together this could make you feel connected to this area. I think that is
more content wise information.
The second type of information is that what I said previously; how do you get people involved,
how do you make sure that people stay committed, what do you do about ownership, how do
make sure that the rector of the university is also proud of it, how do you involve stakeholder?
This is more process type of information.
I think both are equally relevant to deal with. At the process side I don’t know how you could do
that, because especially just visualizing that somebody is already involving the rector or
something, I don’t know. I have to think through what that means. The information is not only
limited to facts.
6. Are you familiar with Layar App?
If no, Explain and show example: Layar is an application which projects a layer on the
real world through your smartphone containing extra information
(if yes) Are you interested in Layar?
How do you feel about using Layar App?
Never heard it before. I put on twitter about who knows about Layar App? I got so many
responses. I learn that in our university there are some examples of that. I asked my kids; they
could show me this picture and then my husband also said “yes I know”. It’s exciting. The only
thing I’m worried is it’s should not be a technology driven thing. It’s should be very social, you
should very well study how people will use it and make it user friendly. It tend to be a lovely
technology, everything is possible. But if you don’t look properly how people will use it. So I
think it need lots of creative thinking. Like when you interview the possible users to find out or
maybe do some test, I don’t know.
I am interested in using it. I may be just very curious about this new technology, and I want to
stay ahead of my kids, I also have a phone like this (smart phone) just to follow what they do. It
has lovely opportunities. I learn another example from an interview about managing a park in
the city, but they make the trees very personal by using barcode. You put your phone and you
got a story about the tree, was planted, the person who owns the tree and it’s become very
personal, people get attached to that. I think this could be the same. If it helps people feel
ownership or whatever, then it can be very interesting. But just technology wise it should have
this combination function, otherwise, I really wonder if people and because it’s very quick, you
do it once, and you think oh I’ve seen it, and why would you use it anther time. Can I ask why
you decided to use this?
7. How do you think that Layar App can be applied in an edible academic garden to provide information to visitors?
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If it has the opportunity to get people interested in it, meaning there is an interesting function
that people become aware of. For example they can get involved or do something or they can
buy something of the harvest.
So, in various phases I think there’s a possibility that you can use it. It shouldn’t be the only tool
for the information around the garden; it should be one of many tools. It depends on how it
plays a role in the whole concept, and how you want to use it. It can have different types of
information. The Layar App can be useful to give information to the users about how the garden
will look like and at the same time it may encourage people to give more idea to develop the
garden.
But it needs both, and it’s so much information as so much also you get to see. To be binding
people and it needs to be actual information.
8. Would you be interested in a prototype of Layar App in an edible academic garden to visualize possibilities?
Would you be willing to provide information for the development of such a prototype? Yes.
Interview with Simona d’Amico Part One: General questions
Information about the interviewee
•What is your name? Simona d’Amico
•Which chair group do you belong to? RSO (Rural Sociology Group).
Part Two: specific questions
1. Have you heard about the Edible Academic Garden (EAT)? If yes, what do you think/feel about EAT, could you please give us a brief description? I think it is a really great project; they want to be more involved in the project in communication
plan. What I like in the project, and this is why I got involved to the project, is the general goal; I
really share the idea about edible garden. At the same time what I like is the approach they use,
the participatory approach where they involve the chair groups.
If no, give a short introduction, what do you think/feel about EAT?
Is the rest of your chair group also aware of Project EAT? Most of them are aware, there was a lunch meeting.
Are they also enthusiastic about it? Yes, there was a good reaction during the lunch meeting. There have been questions, sharing,
and supports concretely. There is Petra and I.
2. Can you name activities from your chair group that might benefit from the project EAT?
Can you name some educational activities?
Can you name some research activities?
Can you name some public relations activities?
We do a lot of research on alternative food movement/alternative food network, especially on
the social network in food network, and actually Project EAT can be considered as a food
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movement. There’s a group of people who want to control and take active part in food
provisioning and they are involving the entire Wageningen community in growing food, it’s a
part of food movement.
From research aspect, this can be a case study for PhD or master students.
Concerning the educational aspect: it can be an occasion to see how it works in practice, like
bio-dynamics and agriculture. I know that we are not really in-to those technicalities; however, I
know several professors organize field trips to farmers or to gardens to show the social aspects
of these places. The EAT can also be a subject to such a field trip. It can show students how the
social part from the food movement works.
3. You mention some activities like ..., so, could you talk about the benefits. It is an interesting case, you can see the social dynamics, and in research this is interesting.
4. If the garden can offer a platform for educational/research/scientific/public relation activities purpose, in which way you will use it
5. From the activities you mentioned before (education/research/public relation/...), What information would you like to show via EAT.
Within the information you mention above, what information you want to show via
multimedia (think of text/articles, audio files, video files, pictures a.o.).
Which kind of information you think is helpful to achieve your goal?
I expect to see information on the plants; the type, the technique to grow them, to enhance the
understanding, especially for people who are not involved in plant science, like me. Information
about organic agriculture, that I don’t know about. Layar App is a really good way to get the
information about organic agriculture. Not only provide information about the plant itself but
also the growing technique.
Other information that I like to see there is the social construction of the project; something
about the history, about how the garden was constructed, the people involved, who are they,
etc.
6. Are you familiar with Layar App?
If no, Explain and show example: Layar is an application which projects a layer on the
real world through your smartphone containing extra information
Never heard about it and never used Layar App.
(if yes) Are you interested in Layar?
It is a great tool; I think I will be interested in using it. The only limited is I don’t have a
smartphone. This can be limiting for me, because I’m not a technological person. I haven’t even
thought to buy one. There’s a lot of information, but it’s not immediately accessible.
7. How do you think that Layar App can be applied in an edible academic garden to provide information to visitors?
If it’s possible, they can just take a picture of it from phone, and you can get information from it,
that would be great. At least, this is how I expected it. I expected maybe there would be a label
or something, for history or social part of the garden.
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Connected to the accessibility, let’s suppose I don’t have this smartphone, I expected maybe
there would be a platform (like in the museum) where you can touch something (touch screen)
and it starts telling a story or information, or if you don’t get any internet access in the garden,
you can still get the information through the screen. So, a drawback of providing the
information through Layar App can be limited internet access in the garden.
8. Would you be interested in a prototype of Layar App in an edible academic garden to visualize possibilities?
Yes, I would like to.
Interview with Petra Derkzen Date: June 3,2013 11.00-11.30 am
Location: Leeuwenborch 3015
Interviewee: Petra Derkzen (Assistant professor of rural sociology)
Interviewer: Kiki Kots
Recording: Zao Ye
1．Awareness of Project EAT She is involved in the project as a board member.
She thinks project EAT is important, because it captures a lot of current students’ interests.
Students involved in the project are very ambitious in gaining insight of sustainability of food
production systems and life styles. The garden is a good instrument for the university to fuse
academic theoretical skills and practical skills. It can increase the visibility of the subjects studied
at Wageningen University.
In her chair group, everybody is aware of the things that are happening in the Project EAT.
Overall, they are interested in the garden, but feel no need to participate in the project.
The garden is closely related to the subjects this chair group studies, namely, societal
phenomena related to small scale food production and consumer producer interaction. So, in
that way Project EAT is interesting for the chair group.
2. Activities of the chair group that can be benefit from the existence of the edible academic garden 1) Once the garden is established excursions to the garden can be organized to show students
a real life example of integration community building, trade and education in the garden.
2) Use space in the garden for lectures. For example; give a lecture about urban agriculture in
an urban agriculture environment.
3) Use it as a study subject for a master student to study the social interactions in and around
the garden.
4) If the garden will be established in the future, then this can be used as an example of a
project that was developed in a non-mainstream way. This can be used by Wageningen
University to show their innovativeness to the rest of world.
3. Information the chair group would like to show in the garden
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1) Blog that many of the colleagues contribute, which mainly focus on the issues of societal
alternative food production and reflection on food issues.
2) Database of lecture videos.
3) Information about project like PURE FOOD, this is an international project with several PhD
students involved in alternative food networks.
4. Familiarity with Layar App 1) She is familiar with the Layar and she often saw the logo of Layar.
2) She knows Layar has to be used in smartphone, but she never used it before.
3) She (her chair group) is interested in Layar App as a new technology to share information.
5. Ideas of application of Layar App in the garden She thinks there will be an information updating problem in application of Layar App in the
garden,
6. Prototype of Layar App She is interested in the prototype. If the demo version is available, she would like to invite us to
present it to the chair group.
There are possible resources that we can use as our project resource, several people from
outside Wageningen of Project PURE FOOD.
Interview with Joris Fortuin Main and follow-up questions
Part One: General questions
Information about the interviewee
•What is your name? Joris Fortuin
•Which chair group do you belong to?
Head of Education Facilities
I don’t belong to a chair group. I have responsibility in managing education facilities in
Wageningen campus.
Part Two: specific questions 1. Have you heard about the Edible Academic Garden (EAT)?
If yes, what do you think/feel about EAT, could you please give us a brief description?
Also give a short description
Yes, I think it’s a very nice project. The main idea to show more what is Wageningen UR is doing
in a practical way is a very nice idea. As we are looking for an opportunity to make our campus
more “live” that we see more things happening in the campus, and EAT is a nice project to do so.
If no, give a short introduction, what do you think/feel about EAT?
Does the rest of your chair group also aware of Project EAT?
Are they also enthusiastic about it?
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We’re not a chair group. We’re a part of Facilities and Services. So we are supporting the
teachers and professors, we don’t give classes ourselves. Our duty is making sure that services
and facilities are working properly.
My colleague, she’s the park manager; she knows a lot about this project. I also know the person
that responsible for Forum Building on a daily base (location manager of Forum), she also knows
about this project.
If you ask me, do my colleagues know about this project? Yes they know about this project, but
not in a “content” way, because they’re not a teacher or a professor. They only know it because
we’re supporting it.
I know that the Park Manager of Wageningen Campus also think that this is a good idea, so
there is no problem. But I don’t know about the Location Manager, I think she likes it personally,
but in profession wise, she doesn’t have to do a lot about it, because she’s responsible only for
the Forum Building.
2. Can you name activities from your chair group that might benefit from the project EAT?
Can you name some educational activities?
Can you name some research activities?
Can you name some public relations activities?
One of the activities is to show what we know and what we do at Wageningen University. So the
EAT Project should focus on that. I think also that they should keep in mind the use of garden for
students other than Wageningen UR students, for example the students from schools. They can
see how things work, not only for our own students but also for others. Another possible users
are students from Stoas, where they trained teachers who educate in biology, etc. The garden
can be used for the future teachers to show them what we are doing or what we know here in
Wageningen UR.
What I also like is how they can combine other partners that we have here. For example make
use of a cooperation that Wageningen UR has with other large industries. Perhaps from this kind
of cooperation we will get a new idea. I gave an example to them about a small group that is
developing a method to gain electricity from plants (Plant-e). So they can get energy to get a
light from a 1 square meter of a grass, for example. Plant-e has a “test area” on the rooftop of
NIOO Building near the campus. But why not make a kind of this test area in this garden? That
would be very nice. Then you also use the garden for the things that we do, not only what we
know like grow trees or plants, but other things.
I have a proposal from a company that doing green roofing. Making roofs of a building become
green. Why we’re not using it with EAT Project? And at the same time you incorporate another
company who also leading in green roofing and learn from each other.
There is another project called Smart Campus. There is a group of environmental scientists and
they’re looking in the way of how they can monitoring everything that is going on in the campus
and gain information and present that in a kind of actual presentation. For example we measure
the use of electricity of the building every 10 minutes and show it in a nice presentation. So
when you pass by that building, you immediately know that information. That kind of technique
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in gathering and showing the information can also be used on the garden. For example there
was a lot of sunshine last week and how it influences the plant growth, etc.
3. You mention some activities like ..., so, could you talk about the benefits. Answered in previous question
The garden can also be used as a meeting place. That people can walk, talk and meet in a
different ways. There are also statues in Arboretum, where people can show their artwork there.
In this case you can combine art and the garden and at the same time you also create place
where people can meet and talk.
So I think the project has a lot of issues and potentials. It’s a teaching project but it’s also a nice
way to show what we are doing and provides meeting place.
4. If the garden can offer a platform for educational/research/scientific/public relation activities purpose, in which way you will use it
We get a lot of visitors here from all over the world. So if you put the academic garden here, it
should also be a nice way to show, and if we can have a nice presentation of the garden then I
will take the visitors to the garden. We usually take the visitors to Wageningen buildings to see
the facilities, IT installations, etc., but if we can take them to the garden, that would be very nice.
I (myself) wouldn’t use it for a scientific purpose, but more for public relation purpose.
5. From the activities you mentioned before (education/research/public relation/...), What information would you like to show via EAT?
Within the information you mention above, what information you want to show via multimedia (think of text/articles, audio files, video files, pictures a.o.).
Which kind of information you think is helpful to achieve your goal? We have a mix visitors, like students from other universities, schools students, or government
officials. I think if you want to tell something about the garden, you have to keep in mind that
you can have different groups of users. For example the government officials would prefer
something more about general information, like energy plants. On the other hand, if the users
are the school students, then you have to have a possibility to have a more depth information.
So if I think about the visitors, I will think about the information level/layer.
6. Are you familiar with Layar App?
If no, Explain and show example: Layar is an application which projects a layer on the real world through your smartphone containing extra information
(if yes) Are you interested in Layar? Yes. About 2 years ago, when Orion wasn’t there, we use Layar App to show how Orion will look
like on that position. I also know that they also use Layar App for some information point in the
campus.
I think it should be easy to use. Seeing the developments of applications are going fast, there is a
possibility to have an easy to use app. I think that you also need to put in mind is the possible
users of the garden; perhaps you also need to think about the different layer of information.
7. How do you feel about using Layar App?
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I only use Layar App for a public relation purposes. I will use it maybe to see how it works and to
show it to the visitors not for scientific purposes.
8. How do you think that Layar App can be applied in an edible academic garden to provide information to visitors?
Like I said, you should take into account that the garden can have a different kind of visitors.
Perhaps the information level should adapt the type of visitors. Other thing, knows that Layar
App has a lot of possibilities, you could also think about an interactive way in showing
information, for example you can use movie to show plants in different seasons. You can also
ask questions or give quiz for the different types of visitors. So if there’s a young visitor, you can
give interactive way of using the app like by giving quiz or a kind of route to follow. Then they
bound to be more focus.
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Appendix IV: the online student survey
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Appendix V:
Structure of database
