FROM FIELD TRIPS TO SANDBOXES: ENGAGING INTRODUCTORY-LEVEL STUDENTS THROUGH INTERACTIVE AUGMENTED REALITY CLASSROOM EXPERIENCES (Invited Presentation)

The near constant use of hand held technology has become the norm in modern society but GPS-enable smart phones in every pocket has resulted in new challenges for educators in the classroom. Over the past decade, as the impact of augmented reality (AR) on learning has begun to be researched, we should be leveraging the devices we already have in our students’ hands for improving undergraduate education. Here we present results from two distinct studies in introductory geoscience education that show improved student engagement through the use of AR.

Study 1: AR field trips. Geoscience educators have long considered field trips as the best way to attract students into the discipline, however cost, liability and logistics limit their feasibility in high-enrollment introductory geoscience courses. Three AR field trip experiences (on geologic time, geologic structures, and hydrologic processes) were developed and tested for their efficacy in student interest and learning. They utilize the GPS capabilities of smartphones and tablets, requiring students to navigate outdoors in the real world while following a map on their smart device. The results of this study, involving 873 students from five institutions, show that students who completed all three AR field trips were significantly more interested in learning the geosciences than control students who did not complete any. In the case of two of the AR field trips, results also indicate minor improvements in student learning of geoscience content.

Study 2: AR sandbox. Research has shown that undergraduate students have significant difficulties interpreting information presented on topographic maps, especially visualizing 3-dimensional landforms. Very recently, thanks to the freely available instructions and software from UC Davis, AR sandboxes are being set up in numerous museums and universities. This study assesses the impact of the AR sandbox on student engagement and learning of topographic maps. A sandbox challenge activity was integrated into the traditional topographic map exercise for the experimental group, leaving the control group with the unaltered lab activity. Our results, involving 730 participants from one institution, show significantly higher student engagement and improved student learning in the experimental over the control group.