Prompting Connections Between Content and Context: Blending Immersive Virtual Environments and Augmented Reality for Environmental Science Learning

Abstract

Outdoor field trip experiences are a cornerstone of quality environmental science instruction, yet the excitement and distractions associated with field trips can overwhelm learning objectives. Augmented reality (AR) can focus students’ attention and help them connect the concept rich domain of the classroom with the context rich experiences in the field. In this study, students used an immersive virtual pond, and then participated in a field trip to a real pond augmented by mobile technologies. We are interested in understanding whether and how augmenting a field trip with information via handheld mobile devices can help students connect concepts learned in the classroom with observations during the field trip. Specifically, we are curious about how augmentation allows students to “see the unseen” in concepts such as photosynthesis and respiration as well as apply causal reasoning patterns they learned about in the classroom while using an inquiry-based immersive virtual environment, EcoMUVE. We designed an AR supported field trip with three different treatments: (1) a ‘visual’ treatment in which students were prompted to consider content or perspectives from EcoMUVE using videos and animations (2) a ‘text’ treatment in which students were prompted to consider content or perspectives from EcoMUVE using text and images, and (3) a ‘control’ treatment that did not specifically prompt students to think about content or perspectives from EcoMUVE. We used a mixed-methods research approach and collected data based on pre, mid, and post surveys; student responses to prompts captured in the notes and log files during the field trip; a post-field-trip survey; and performance on an in-class written assignment. On the field trip, we found that students in all three treatments more frequently referred to visible factors and direct effects than to invisible factors and indirect effects. There were few discernible differences between the text and visual prompted treatments based on responses in the notes and log files captured during the field trip. After the field trip, students exposed to the prompted treatments were more likely to describe invisible factors such as wind, weather, and human impacts, while students exposed to the control treatment continued to focus on visible features such as aquatic plants. These findings provide insights to designers who aim to support learning activities in outdoor and immersive learning environments.

Appendix

Coding scheme applied to the responses collected during the field trip as well as the in-class written paragraphs.

Type of code	Name	Description
Factor	Plants	Trees, shrubs, plants
Factor	Aquatic plants	Underwater plants, duckweed
Factor	Algae	Algae or microscopic plants
Factor	Sunlight	Sun, sunlight, trees blocking the sun, shade
Factor	Animals	Fish, species, animals
Factor	Organisms	Living things (distinguished from animals because it can’t be understood whether it is a net producer or consumer of oxygen)
Factor	Bacteria
Factor	Dead matter
Factor	Water temperature
Factor	Wind/wind speed
Factor	Rain
Factor	Turbidity	Murky, water is dirty/cloudy
Factor	Location/area	Refers to areas around the pond; “there were woods next to the pond”
Factor	Size of the pond	Depth, amount of water
Factor	Human impact - EcoMUVE	Fertilizer, distance from houses
Factor	Human impact - other	Chemicals, pollution, cars, sewage
Process	Photosynthesis	Describes the process of photosynthesis or calls it by name
Process	Respiration	Describes the process of respiration or calls it by name
Process	Decomposition	Describes the process of decomposition or calls it by name
Process	Mixing	Water movement, mixes oxygen in, flow
Aggregate	Add Oxygen	Factors or processes that have a net positive effect on D.O. concentration. This includes plants, aquatic plants, algae, wind, photosynthesis, mixing
Aggregate	Take Up Oxygen	Factors or processes that have a net negative effect on D.O. concentration. This includes animals, bacteria, dead matter, respiration, decomposition
Aggregate	Weather	Factors related to the weather. This includes rain, wind, air temperature
Aggregate	Direct	Factors that are considered to have a direct impact on dissolved oxygen concentrations. This includes plants, aquatic plants, algae, animals, bacteria, organisms, wind, water temperature, photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, mixing
Aggregate	Indirect	Factors that are considered to have an indirect impact on dissolved oxygen concentrations. This includes sunlight, dead matter, rain, air temperature, turbidity, human impacts
Aggregate	Visible	Factors that affect dissolved oxygen and are visible. This includes plants, aquatic plants, sunlight, rain, animals, organisms
Aggregate	Invisible	Factors that affect dissolved oxygen and are not visible. This includes algae, bacteria