A Study of Augmented Reality for the Development of Spatial Reasoning Ability
- Conference
- Location
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Salt Lake City, Utah
- Publication Date
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June 23, 2018
- Start Date
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June 23, 2018
- End Date
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July 27, 2018
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Engineering Design Graphics
- Tagged Topic
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Diversity
- Page Count
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14
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--29726
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/29726
- Download Count
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803
Paper Authors
John E. Bell Michigan State University
JOHN BELL Professor, Educational Technology, College of Education. John Bell earned his B.S. in Computer Science from Michigan State University, and then his M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. His research considered various user interfaces for human-computer interaction among users with a wide range of technology skills. Bell later completed a post doc at UC Berkeley focused on teaching programming to non-computer science majors, and the development of spatial reasoning abilities for engineering students. Bell has worked at Michigan State University since 1995. His work focused on the development of K-12 teacher abilities to use technology for teaching and learning. His recent research has focused on distance learning and collaboration through telepresence. One key aspect of this work is the study of embodied content for learning and collaboration. Embodied content includes collaborative textual environments as well as augmented/mixed reality. Other research includes idea-centered teaching and learning.
Cui Cheng Michigan State University
Cui Cheng is a doctoral candidate in the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology program at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on (a) new literacies of online reading comprehension, particularly in complex and ill-structured learning domains, (b) teaching and learning in synchronous hybrid learning environments, where physically present and remote participants interact in real time through such technologies as video conferencing tools and robots, and (c) the use of augmented reality in STEM education.
Hannah Klautke Michigan State University
Hannah Klautke is a User Experience Research Associate with Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting (Michigan State University Outreach and Engagement). She is involved in usability evaluations, focus groups, and information architecture projects for MSU and external clients. Her research areas include effects of cooperative online learning, interventions based on cognitive flexibility theory for reading to learn on the web, and student motivation and achievement in flipped classrooms. Hannah holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Bonn, a M.A. in Communication from the University of Missouri, and a Ph.D. in both Communication and Educational Psychology and Educational Technology from Michigan State University.
William Cain Michigan State University
Dr. William Cain is Assistant Director of CEPSE/COE Design Studio in the College of Education at Michigan State University. William’s research focuses on how people teach, learn, create, and collaborate with new technologies and in technology-rich environments.
Daniel Joseph Freer
Michigan State University
orcid.org/0000-0003-2637-9461
Daniel Freer is Graduate Students studying Educational Psychology and Educational Technology. His focus is on how students learn, specifically the STEM fields.
Timothy J. Hinds Michigan State University
TIMOTHY J. HINDS is the Director of the Michigan State University College of Engineering CoRe (Cornerstone Engineering and Residential) Experience program. His administrative responsibilities include management of the 1500-student first-year combined academic and co-curricular program. His teaching includes development, delivery and management of CoRe Experience courses in engineering design, modeling/computation and spatial visualization. He has also taught courses in machine design, manufacturing processes, mechanics, computational tools and international product design as well as graduate-level courses in engineering innovation and technology management. He has conducted research in the areas of environmentally-responsible manufacturing, globally-distributed engineering teaming and early engineering education development and has over 30 years of combined academic and industrial management experience. He received his BSME and MSME degrees from Michigan Technological University.
Abstract
Spatial ability has been reported to be an important predictor for student success in STEM fields (Sorby, 2013). Accordingly, various studies have looked at multiple strategies to help students develop these skills (Ha and Fang, 2016).
This study tested the use of augmented reality on smartphones for developing spatial reasoning in the context of a spatial reasoning skills course. The mobile AR app gave students the ability to view digital three-dimensional objects by pointing their phones at a printed marker. They could either move their phones around the marker, or they could move the markers, in order to view the objects from multiple angles. They could manipulate the objects via commands within the app, such as rotations and folding. Various games were implemented in the app to support the development of mental rotation abilities while using the motivational aspects of gamification to increase engagement.
To test the effects of this app, approximately 70 freshman early-engineering students at a major Midwestern university who performed poorly on the PSVT:R spatial abilities test had the opportunity to work with this app in the context of a course designed to develop their spatial reasoning abilities. They were compared with approximately 70 students who took the same course minus the augmented reality app. Both sets of students experienced traditional means for teaching spatial reasoning (see Sorby, 2013).
Multiple measures will be compared for these groups of students. In particular, we will compare: * Performance on the PSVT:R spatial abilities test at the end of the course * Performance of in-app activities and repeated achievement measures * Student attitudes, including their confidence and enjoyment of spatial abilities tasks * Student comments in follow-up focus groups
It is anticipated that the results of this study will demonstrate the efficacy of using the augmented reality app in conjunction with traditional classroom activities for developing spatial reasoning abilities, and that results will align with previous findings regarding beneficial motivational effects and user satisfaction with AR for the purpose of spatial reasoning practice.
Bell, J. E., & Cheng, C., & Klautke, H., & Cain, W., & Freer, D. J., & Hinds, T. J. (2018, June), A Study of Augmented Reality for the Development of Spatial Reasoning Ability Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--29726
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