Using Augmented Reality to Improve Spatial Visualization of 3D Physics Concepts

本计划旨在增进学生对物理导论课程中重要的电磁学关键概念的理解，以服务国家利益。研究表明，当学生不能可视化三维（3D）或抽象概念时，他们在STEM领域的持久性和对STEM专业的兴趣都会下降。的确，学生很难想象他们从未见过的东西。项目团队将通过使用增强现实（AR）和相关的教学模块来解决这个问题。借助物理概念的AR可视化，学生可以将泡沫立方体（“合并立方体”）握在手中，作为控制器旋转概念的表示，通过智能手机或平板电脑从不同的角度查看它，从而实现3D理解。在之前的工作中，项目团队为不同的物理概念开发了50多个AR可视化，并设计了一个智能手机/平板电脑应用程序，供学生和教师使用，以定位和利用适当的可视化。在这个项目中，他们将开发和评估一套教学模块，以配合一些先前开发的AR可视化。这项工作将集中在磁学的概念，因为它的抽象性质，是物理学入门中最困难的主题之一。该项目的目标是开发、部署和评估在物理导论课程中涉及AR的研究型教学模块的有效性。教学模块将利用可访问的，吸引人的，3D可操作的可视化与AR合并立方体来更有效地教授电和磁。模块的设计将基于现有的基于证据的方法（如建模指导），这些方法来自物理教育研究（PER）。具体来说，项目团队将开发12个教学模块，以配合之前开发的12个磁学概念的AR可视化；在锡耶纳学院和多达五所其他主要本科院校试行教学模块；评估智能手机/平板电脑应用程序、AR可视化和教学模块的设计；评估AR可视化与教学模块相结合的有效性，以提高学生对相关概念的理解；并提供研讨会，帮助其他教师使用新的教育资源。每个教学模块将包括教师在课堂上使用的互动讲座演示，发人深省的问题（类似于“思考-配对-分享”），基于团队的学习活动和家庭作业。研究者将探讨以下教育研究问题：(1)AR可视化和教学模块的使用是否提高了学生对磁学中三维和抽象概念的概念知识和空间可视化？(2) AR可视化和教学模块的使用是否提高了学生对科学的兴趣，改善了他们的科学思维，提高了他们对物理的参与度？(3) AR可视化和教学模块的使用是否增加了STEM中代表性不足群体的女性和学生的保留率？NSF IUSE: EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving students' understanding of key concepts in electricity and magnetism, which are important in introductory physics courses. Research shows that when students are not able to visualize three-dimensional (3D) or abstract concepts, their persistence in a STEM field and their interest in a STEM major declines. Indeed, it is difficult for students to imagine something they have never seen before. The project team will address this issue by using Augmented Reality (AR) and associated instructional modules. With AR visualizations of physics concepts, students are able to hold a foam cube ("Merge Cube") in their hand, which acts as a controller to rotate the representation of the concept to view it from different perspectives through a smartphone or tablet, and thereby achieve a 3D understanding. In previous work, the project team developed over 50 AR visualizations for different physics concepts and designed a smartphone/tablet app for use by students and instructors to locate and utilize appropriate visualizations. In this project, they will develop and assess a suite of instructional modules to accompany some of the previously developed AR visualizations. This work will focus on concepts in magnetism, which, because of its abstract nature, is one of the most difficult topics in introductory physics.The goal of the project is to develop, deploy, and assess the effectiveness of research-based instructional modules involving AR in an introductory physics course. The instructional modules will utilize accessible, appealing, 3D manipulable visualizations with an AR Merge Cube to teach electricity and magnetism more effectively. The design of the modules will be based on existing evidence-based approaches (such as Modeling Instruction) drawn from physics education research (PER). Specifically, the project team will develop 12 instructional modules to accompany 12 previously developed AR visualizations for concepts in magnetism; pilot-test the instructional modules at Siena College and up to five other primarily undergraduate institutions; evaluate the design of the smartphone/tablet app, the AR visualizations, and the instructional modules; assess the effectiveness of the AR visualizations coupled with the instructional modules for improving students' understanding of the relevant concepts; and offer workshops to help other instructors use the new educational resources. Each instructional module will include interactive lecture demonstrations for instructors to use in class, thought-provoking questions (similar to "Think-Pair-Share"), team-based learning activities, and homework assignments. The investigators will explore education research questions such as the following:(1) Does the use of the AR visualizations and instructional modules improve students' conceptual knowledge and spatial visualization of the 3D and abstract concepts in magnetism?(2) Does the use of the AR visualizations and instructional modules increase students' interest in science, improve their scientific thinking, and increase their engagement in physics?(3) Does the use of the AR visualizations and instructional modules increase the retention of women and students from groups underrepresented in STEM?The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.