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Using Augmented Reality in an Inquiry-Based Physics Laboratory Course

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Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2020)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 1473))

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Abstract

The use of Augmented Reality (AR) in inquiry-based learning scenarios is increasingly gaining interest in research with recent studies highlighting advantages in various learning scenarios. In particular the effects of AR on the learning gain and the cognitive load regarding electrical circuits in physics laboratory courses have recently been investigated. However, this research focused on more clinical studies and therefore might be limited in its ecological validity with regards to practical use. These studies also showed contrasting results with one study reporting a higher knowledge acquisition in a tablet-based AR setting while another study reported a higher knowledge acquisition and a reduction in extraneous cognitive load in a two-dimensional non-AR setting compared to a smartglasses-based AR environment. Consequently, the importance of context specific aspects must be considered more deeply. We present a randomized controlled trial in a graded physics laboratory course evaluating the effects of a smartglasses-based AR environment on cognitive load and conceptual knowledge acquisition compared to a two-dimensional non-AR setting while also exploring affective variables. The sample consists of a total of \(N=56\) students in two groups performing a set of eight traditional inquiry-based experiments exploring the relationships in basic circuit theory. Both groups showed no differences in cognitive load or knowledge acquisition and no differences regarding their affective state before or during the experiment. However, both groups achieved significant learning gains which is not guaranteed. While these results contrast previous research showing benefits of AR, they do not rule out AR being beneficial in other cases.

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Acknowledgements

Support from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung; BMBF) via the projects “GeAR” (Grant No. 01JD1811B) and “gLabAssist” (Grant No. 16DHL1022) is gratefully acknowledged.

We thank the Microelectronic System Design Research Group/Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (chaired by Prof. Norbert Wehn), especially Frederik Lauer and Carl Rheinländer, for providing the hardware components for the experiment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Education Research Group, TU Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrödinger-Str. 46, Kaiserslautern, Germany

    Sebastian Kapp, Michael Thees, Fabian Beil & Jochen Kuhn

  2. Department for Physics Education Research, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Thomas Weatherby & Thomas Wilhelm

  3. Physics Education Research Group, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 14, Tübingen, Germany

    Jan-Philipp Burde

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  1. Sebastian Kapp
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Correspondence to Sebastian Kapp .

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  1. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA

    H. Chad Lane

  2. University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA

    Susan Zvacek

  3. School of Engineering, University of Ulster, Newtownabbey, UK

    James Uhomoibhi

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Kapp, S. et al. (2021). Using Augmented Reality in an Inquiry-Based Physics Laboratory Course. In: Lane, H.C., Zvacek, S., Uhomoibhi, J. (eds) Computer Supported Education. CSEDU 2020. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1473. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86439-2_10

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