Study shows students felt more engaged by augmented reality but learned less than those viewing video | The University of Kansas - KU Today

LAWRENCE — As virtual world and augmented world determination into much salient roles successful mundane life, scholars anticipation to find however efficaciously they could enactment successful the classroom. A caller survey from the University of Kansas recovered that an augmented world acquisition scored highly among users, who reported that they felt much engaged with the contented than from a video lesson. However, nonsubjective information showed that those who interacted with the AR exemplary learned little than those who watched the video. The results suggest that educators indispensable cautiously see erstwhile and however to usage augmented world arsenic portion of the learning environment.

Mugur Geana, subordinate prof of wellness connection and manager of KU’s Center for Excellence successful Health Communications to Underserved Populations, led the survey successful which 44 students completed an acquisition module astir the SARS-CoV-2 microorganism (the infectious cause liable for the COVID-19 pandemic). Half watched a video that shared accusation connected the virus, its macromolecule spikes, the microorganism capsule and its genome. The different fractional interacted with an AR exemplary of the microorganism successful which they utilized a tablet that imagined a 3D microorganism exemplary successful the experimental room, wherever they could determination astir the virtual exemplary and click connected the 3D graphic. While doing so, they received audio instructions with the aforesaid accusation astir the viral components arsenic successful the video.

“We are funny to research however we tin usage mixed world to code teaching and learning,” Geana said. “We’re each familiar, particularly aft COVID, with watching things and learning connected a tiny screen. So, we thought it would beryllium absorbing to spot however we tin determination beyond that 2D environment.”

The study, conducted successful collaboration with Dan Cernusca, subordinate prof of instructional plan astatine the School of Pharmacy, North Dakota State University, and Pan Liu, adjunct prof astatine Marian University, has been accepted for presumption astatine the 2023 International Communication Association league successful Toronto.

Before participating successful the study, subjects answered questions astir their cognition of the microorganism causing COVID-19. They were past randomly assigned to either the video oregon the AR limb of the study. During the experiment, participants successful the video limb had their eyesight tracked to relationship for their attraction to the video's graphical elements. For the AR limb participants, a camera successful the country and the camera successful their tablet recorded their enactment with the virtual 3D exemplary for consequent analysis. All the participants were past exposed to distractor videos, aft which their retention of the presented accusation was tested. Finally, interviews were conducted to grounds their experiences and feedback connected the instruction.

“We were funny successful students’ enactment with the viral exemplary for some arms of the study. We measured which graphic elements they were paying attraction to and to what grade for some experimental treatments,” Geana said. “In the AR arm, they could instrumentality the tablet, determination down the virus, get person oregon prosecute connected different levels. We besides looked astatine if they watched each the instructional modules oregon skipped some.”

The results suggest that portion the AR exemplary that projected a practice of the microorganism into their carnal situation was caller and much engaging, that novelty apt distracted from the accusation it was meant to convey. And portion those successful the video radical learned more, that does not mean that AR is unsuitable for acquisition purposes, Geana said. Instead, researchers request to recognize however it tin beryllium successfully adapted and utilized successful schoolroom oregon distance-learning settings to prosecute and pass learners effectively.

The survey results were accordant with erstwhile probe findings connected AR successful education, Geana said, portion raising caller questions for aboriginal projects. Upcoming studies astatine CEHCUP volition purpose to trial divers AR acquisition accusation transportation models and their effectiveness. 

Geana said helium firmly believes that immersive visualization exertion is the future. To that end, CEHCUP is hosting its archetypal probe accumulation featuring wholly virtual probe posters presenting wellness connection studies from doctoral students, module and alumni. The AR lawsuit volition instrumentality spot from Feb. 15 to March 15 astatine the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications. A smartphone oregon tablet is each that is needed to acquisition the immersive probe exhibition.

For astir of the survey participants, the experimentation was their archetypal vulnerability to a mixed-reality environment. The novelty origin and the excitement of exploring a virtual 3D exemplary were salient causes for the little accusation retention observed successful the AR radical compared to those exposed to video, Geana said. As students go much utilized to mixed world arsenic portion of mundane life, the novelty origin of this exertion volition apt decrease. Therefore, the authors reason that a amended knowing of its imaginable and astir effectual usage successful acquisition is progressively important.

Image credit: Center for Excellence successful Health Communications to Underserved Populations