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Learning physics through play in an augmented reality environment

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Abstract

The Learning Physics through Play Project (LPP) engaged 6–8 year old students (n = 43) in a series of scientific investigations of Newtonian force and motion including a series of augmented reality activities. We outline the two design principles behind the LPP curriculum: 1) the use of socio-dramatic, embodied play in the form of participatory modeling to support inquiry; and 2) progressive symbolization within rich semiotic ecologies to help students construct meaning. We then present pre- and post-test results to show that young students were able to develop a conceptual understanding of force, net force, friction and two-dimensional motion after participating in the LPP curriculum. Finally, we present two case studies that illustrate the design principles in action. Taken together the cases show some of the strengths and challenges associated with using augmented reality, embodied play, and a student invented semiotic ecology for scientific inquiry.

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Notes

  1. We have adapted the term ‘ambitious math instruction’ from (Lampert et al. 2010) which was used to refer to instruction that simultaneously targets conceptual understanding, procedural fluency and productive dispositions towards the domain.

  2. Note that in previous presentations, this project was referred to as the Semiotic Pivots and Activity Spaces for Elementary Science (SPASES) Project NSF Award # DRL-0733218.

  3. All names are pseudonyms.

  4. The initial implementation of LPP allowed for all artwork to be substituted except for the ball. Students were, however, able to imagine the ball as a letter and referred to it as such throughout this activity. To avoid this challenge, however, future iterations will support a replacement of all visual elements in the system.

  5. Large and medium are labels that the students chose to apply to those different forces.

  6. They were asked to poke the soccer ball with a stick, rather than kick it, to better simulate an impulse force and to provide better control over the direction of the force.

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (DRL-0733218). This project would also not be possible without the help from members of our team who are not authors on this paper Fabian Wagmister, Jeff Burke and Alessandro Marianantoni. Finally we would like to thank Sylvia Gentile who taught the lessons and led the students in some remarkable discussions of force and motion.

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  1. UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Noel Enyedy, Girlie Delacruz & Melissa Kumar

  2. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Joshua A. Danish

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  1. Noel Enyedy
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Correspondence to Noel Enyedy.

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Enyedy, N., Danish, J.A., Delacruz, G. et al. Learning physics through play in an augmented reality environment. Computer Supported Learning 7, 347–378 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-012-9150-3

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