Board # 39 : Identifying Affordances of Physical Manipulative Tools for the Design of Visuo-haptic Simulations
- Conference
- Location
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Columbus, Ohio
- Publication Date
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June 24, 2017
- Start Date
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June 24, 2017
- End Date
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June 28, 2017
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Design in Engineering Education
- Page Count
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21
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--27845
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/27845
- Download Count
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775
Paper Authors
Yoselyn Walsh
Purdue University, West Lafayette
orcid.org/0000-0002-6113-4593
Yoselyn Walsh graduated with her bachelor’s degree in industrial design engineering with a specialization in visual communication and information architecture in 2010 from the Costa Rica Institute of Technology. After four years working in educational software design and designing learning objects for online courses, she returned to school and graduated with a master’s in computer and information technology from Purdue University. She is currently pursuing a Phd in Technology from Purdue University. Her research focuses on the design of interactions and feedback technology for topics that are abstract, such as concepts from statics and physics and use of energy and electricity.
Alejandra J. Magana
Purdue University, West Lafayette
orcid.org/0000-0001-6117-7502
Alejandra Magana is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Technology and an affiliated faculty at the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. She holds a B.E. in Information Systems, a M.S. in Technology, both from Tec de Monterrey; and a M.S. in Educational Technology and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University. Her research is focused on identifying how model-based cognition in STEM can be better supported by means of expert technological and computing tools such as cyber-physical systems,visualizations and modeling and simulation tools.
Tugba Yuksel Purdue University, West Lafayette
Tugba Yuksel is a Ph.D. candidate in curriculum and Instruction department at Purdue University. She has received her B.S and M.S degrees in physics education program from Hacettepe University in Turkey. She registered to a master program in department of physics at Ankara University in Turkey. At the end of the second semester, she leave her program and came to Purdue university. She holds another M.S degree in science education from Purdue University. Her research interest is mainly on examining how undergraduate level students use their model-based reasoning in the process of learning quantum mechanics and identifying new instructional strategies which helps to support visualization and model-based reasoning. She also has experience on learning design, curriculum development and professional development.
Vojtech Krs Purdue University, West Lafayette
Vojtech Krs is a computer graphics researcher. He received his Bc. degree from Czech Technical University in Prague in 2014. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the department of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University, West Lafayette IN.
Ida B. Ngambeki Purdue University, West Lafayette
Dr. Ida Ngambeki is an Assistant Professor of Computer and Information Technology at Purdue University. Dr. Ngambeki graduated from Smith College with a B.S. in Engineering and from Purdue University with a PhD in Engineering Education. Dr. Ngambeki’s research is focused on the intersection of human behavior and computing, specifically how educational and policy interventions can be used to improve human interactions with technology. Dr. Ngambeki’s key areas of research interest include: STEM Education, Cybersecurity Education, Cybersecurity Policy, Social Engineering, Information Technology Ethics, and Cybersecurity Workforce Development.
Edward J. Berger
Purdue University, West Lafayette
orcid.org/0000-0003-0337-7607
Edward Berger is an Associate Professor of Engineering Education and Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, joining Purdue in August 2014. He has been teaching mechanics for nearly 20 years, and has worked extensively on the integration and assessment of specific technology interventions in mechanics classes. He was one of the co-leaders in 2013-2014 of the ASEE Virtual Community of Practice (VCP) for mechanics educators across the country. His current research focuses on student problem-solving processes and use of worked examples, change models and evidence-based teaching practices in engineering curricula, and the role of non-cognitive and affective factors in student academic outcomes and overall success.
Bedrich Benes Ph.D.
Purdue University, West Lafayette
orcid.org/0000-0002-5293-2112
Bedrich Benes is a professor of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University and a director of the High Performance Computer Graphics Laboratory. His area of research is in computer graphics, geometric modeling, procedural and inverse procedural modeling and simulation of natural phenomena. He has published over 100 research papers in the field.
Abstract
Although the research on manipulatives reveals positive outcomes as compared to written or 2-D pictorial representations, the relative value of physical manipulatives, specifically, is mixed. In this paper, we hypothesize that computer-based haptic simulations have important advantages that are not available in a purely physical environment. We have performed several experiments in the study of the statics domain, identified the affordances of a physical manipulative setup, and proposed a way to adapt affordances from physical environments to the design of visuo-haptic simulations. Statics instruction is particularly well-suited because, in many cases, the rules of statics cannot be seen, but are readily available in the virtual environment. Our guiding research question was: “To what extent can affordances of physical manipulatives be built into visuo-haptic simulations? We have designed an experiment where students moved objects with different friction on different surfaces. Our study comprised seven students who were prompted with “what-if” scenarios where they first predicted what they thought might happen, and then tested their predictions by using a physical manipulative setup. We characterized students’ interactions using Gaver’s (1991) classification of affordances. Our results suggest a higher level of student engagement and motivation when using the physical manipulative setup. However, they also show greater confusion about: 1) density vs. weight, 2) mass vs. surface area, and 3) softness vs. smoothness. The findings were used to adapt and improve the design of visuo-haptic simulations to teach the concept of friction.
Walsh, Y., & Magana, A. J., & Yuksel, T., & Krs, V., & Ngambeki, I. B., & Berger, E. J., & Benes, B. (2017, June), Board # 39 : Identifying Affordances of Physical Manipulative Tools for the Design of Visuo-haptic Simulations Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio. 10.18260/1-2--27845
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