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1. TAR AR: RESEARCHING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AUGMENTED REALITY ACTIVITIES FOR VISITOR LEARNING AT LA BREA TAR PITS

   DeNeve Weeks, Danaan (January 2022, SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY)

   Digital technologies have the potential to support informal STEM learning by fostering immersion, interactivity, and engagement with scientific material. AR in particular can overlay digital information on real-world objects and places, revealing and allowing interaction with things the public would normally not see. This is particularly valuable for historical sciences like geology, archaeology, and paleontology, where abstract concepts and unusual/restricted access settings (such as geological or fossil sites, and laboratories) spark curiosity, but also create challenges for fostering learning. However, AR as a tool is still in its nascent stages. Current applications are as likely to be “fun gimmicks” as they are to produce actual learning gains. At La Brea Tar Pits (California, USA) we are researching what makes paleontology learning AR good. We have conducted two ARlearning experiences to test whether AR is better at reducing scientific misconceptions relative to traditional static museum signage and test the effectiveness of several modes of AR delivery (VR headset vs handheld, high vs low interactivity). The first experience taught participants about Pleistocene climate, flora, and fauna. We found that handheld high interactivity AR is preferred, and while no AR condition had greater learning outcomes than comparable signage, the AR experience generated greater curiosity. The second experience (currently underway) invites participants to explore how organisms become entrapped in the asphalt seeps in a life-size AR scene. In addition to both of these experiences, we have created versions of each of the extinct Pleistocene animals represented in the AR experiences that can be interacted with Snapchat, Instagram, or native AR on a user’s phone, that is immediately suitable for classroom and off-site use. Funding Sources National Science Foundation AISL grant 

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2. Designing scientifically-grounded paleoart for augmented reality at La Brea Tar Pits

   https://doi.org/10.26879/1191  

   Davis, Matt; Nye, Benjamin; Sinatra, Gale; Swartout, William; Sjӧberg, Molly; Porter, Molly; Nelson, David; Kennedy, Alana; Herrick, Imogen; DeNeve Weeks, Danaan; et al (January 2022, Palaeontologia Electronica)
3. Tar AR: Connecting the Past with the Present in Informal Science Learning

   Herrick, I.; Sinatra, G.M.; Kennedy, A.; Nye, B.D.; Swartout, W.R.; & Lindsey, E. (January 2021, 2021 AERA Annual Meeting)

   Informal science learning spaces such as museums have been exploring the potential of augmented reality (AR) as a means to connect visitors to places, times, or types of content that are otherwise inaccessible. This design-based research engaged the La Brea Tar Pits Museum and university partners in a research practice partnership to enhance place-based science learning through potential AR exhibits. Results from implementation of four design iterations show that AR technology is a promising tool to help learners interact with content that dates back thousands of years and overcome their scientific misconceptions. Furthermore, incorporating AR technology into museum exhibits can update them with 21st learning tools to support visitor enjoyment in science learning. 

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4. Tar AR: Using AR to Enhance Science Enjoyment and Informal Science Learning, (Poster)

   Herrick, I.R.; Sinatra, G.M.; Kennedy, A.; Nye, B.D.; Swartout, W.R.; & Lindsey, E. (January 2020, 2020 APA Annual Meeting)

   Science museums aim to engage a large, diverse public audience in science learning and consequently, attempt to present information in entertaining, socially oriented, and innovative ways. Recent work using augmented reality (defined as technology that overlays virtual objects on to the real world) engages the public using content that is both situated in the context of the exhibit and virtually generated in a way that allows hidden worlds to become visible. However, little is known about how AR technology can facilitate museum visitors science learning. The Tar AR project, a sustained collaborative partnership funded by NSF AISL with La Brea Tar Pits/Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and a local university, explores how an AR experience can: promote visitor enjoyment, enjoyment, increase understanding of scientific topics, and promote user s feelings of ease with AR technology. 

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5. What do La Brea Tar Pits turtles tell us about past climate change?

   Cruz, J A; Lindsey, E L (May 2024, Southern California Academy of Science)