PERC 2020 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Using Virtual Reality in Electrostatics Instruction: The Impact of Training |
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| Abstract: | As VR becomes more common, there remain unanswered questions regarding how best to use this technology in the classroom. On the topic of electrostatics, for example, a large, controlled, randomized study performed by Smith et al. (2017), found that VR-based instruction had an overall negligible impact on student learning compared to videos or images. However, they did find a strong trend for students who reported frequent video game play to learn better from VR than other media. One possible interpretation of this result is that videogame play provides a kind of "training" that enables a student to learn more comfortably in the virtual environment. In the present work we test if a VR training activity unrelated to electrostatics can help prepare students to learn electrostatics from subsequent VR instruction. We find that preliminary VR training leads to a small but statistically significant improvement in student performance on our electrostatics assessment. |
| Abstract Type: | Symposium Talk |
| Parallel Session: | Recent results on the classroom effectiveness of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technology |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Chris Porter The Ohio State University |
