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Can Augmented Reality (AR) immersion and interactivity dispel misconceptions and increase public understanding of science? The interdisciplinary team including USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, the Rossier School of Education and the La Brea Tar Pits Museum, developed two AR engagements, one miniature “tabletop” and one life-sized “field” experience to investigate the differences in AR across qualitatively distinct designs on interactivity and visual immersion. Participants were able to take part in a “virtual active dig site” and discover fossils preserved in the asphalt seep; they were also able to walk amongst Mammoths in a virtual simulation of Los Angeles from 25,000 years ago. Learning goals for the experiences included: how and what types of plants and animals are entrapped in the tar pits; the similarities/differences between the LA ecosystem in the ice age vs. present; and how we use the scientific method of testing ideas with evidence and revising hypotheses. Design considerations made to evaluate the efficacy of achieving learning objectives, and engagement included: interactivity (selection and manipulation); levels of immersion (smartphone vs head-mounted display), aesthetics (high-fidelity vs low-poly 3D-models). Take-aways from pilot and formal user-studies include the ability to achieve strong interest and consistent learning with lower-fidelity AR; strong reactions to large-scale, life-sized events even with lower fidelity models; mini-experiences, large scale, and even 2D posters (control) can be engaging with the right narrative and framing. Further results from the “Pit-91” tabletop study are being analyzed and data collection on the “Field Experience” is set to investigate a life-sized experience.
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TAR AR: RESEARCHING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AUGMENTED REALITY ACTIVITIES FOR VISITOR LEARNING AT LA BREA TAR PITS
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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- Award ID(s):
- 1811014
- PAR ID:
- 10413568
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
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