Prisms, a novel immersive learning platform to increase proficiency on bottleneck topics in secondary STEM

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Project Summary/ Abstract Prisms of Reality seeks to develop and assess the impact and feasibility of an immersive virtual reality (IVR) learning platform that targets high-leverage pain points in the secondary math and science curriculum to support a more diverse and well-equipped healthcare workforce. Our platform engages students in self-directed scientific inquiry using compelling real world contexts that develop empirical decision-making skills with regards to key issues in public health. In Phase I, we will design an IVR learning module for high school Algebra that emphasizes how mathematical modeling of ultraviolet rays using trigonometric functions can be applied to reason quantitatively about the risks posed by ozone depletion, which led to the 1987 Montreal Protocol. In the face of ever changing climate change regulations, our module will ensure students are capable of flexibly applying quantitative models in support of policies that advance public health outcomes while improving proficiency on math and science skills that preclude so many from continuing their education in STEM, specifically in the medical fields. There is evidence that IVR increases motivation and engagement, but applications in learning that empirically improve student outcomes have proven to be elusive. Therefore, the development of a pedagogical framework in IVR that leads to enduring understanding and increased achievement will be ground-breaking for STEM teaching and learning. Our platform employs constructivist, gamified narratives that foster “hands on” student discovery and 3D sense-making of natural phenomena and mathematical models tied to public health issues. Through holistic data collection and analytics, our teacher-facing learning management system will track each student’s conceptual progress and provide individualized feedback. If successful, Prisms’ platform will not only transform the student experience and achievement, but will provide a model of how progressive pedagogical practices can be actualized through IVR to yield meaningful student outcomes. To develop the platform, in Phase I Prisms will a) design a robust game-based pedagogical framework that harnesses innovative features unique to VR to cultivate deep conceptual flexibility and abstract reasoning skills based on authentic real world problems; b) explore effective VR functionalities, experience design, and development techniques for high quality implementation using the cost-effective Oculus Quest; c) implement a teacher-facing learning management system that will provide teachers data-driven insights about student learning in order to support individualized feedback and intervention; and d) evaluate productive user experience & empirically measure our platform’s impact on learning outcomes in authentic classroom settings.