The Cosmic Perspective: Teaching Middle-School Children Astronomy Using Ego-Centric Virtual Reality
Author
Detlefsen, Jan
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2014
Submitted on
2014-05-26
Pages
32
Abstract
Virtuel virkelighed (VR) lader elever træde ind i og interagere med tredimensionelle miljøer. Det er særligt nyttigt, når man skal forstå 3D-sammenhænge, fx hvordan objekter er placeret og bevæger sig i rummet. Tidligere begrænsede høje udgifter VR til universiteter og skræddersyede træningsløsninger. Fremkomsten af billige, brugervenlige VR-headsets (head-mounted displays) og bevægelsessensorer gør nu brug i klasselokalet realistisk. I dette arbejde evaluerer vi en VR-applikation, der underviser elever på mellemtrinnet i astronomi med forbrugerudstyr egnet til klasselokalet. Vi måler både læringsudbytte og elevengagement og deler anbefalinger til fremtidige undervisningsapplikationer i VR. Målet er at give praktisk vejledning til at skabe effektive og engagerende VR-værktøjer til uddannelse.
Virtual Reality (VR) lets learners step into and interact with three-dimensional environments. This is especially useful when students need to grasp 3D relationships, such as how objects are positioned and move in space. In the past, high equipment and maintenance costs kept VR mostly in universities and bespoke training. The arrival of affordable, consumer VR headsets (head-mounted displays) and motion-tracking sensors now makes classroom use realistic. We evaluate a VR application that teaches astronomy to middle-school students using consumer-grade equipment suitable for classroom settings. We measure both learning outcomes and student engagement, and we share recommendations for future educational VR applications. Our aim is to provide practical guidance for creating effective and engaging VR tools for education.
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Keywords