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Augmented reality (AR) can be a useful educational tool which allows the representation of concepts that are otherwise invisible and difficult to visualize. We designed an augmented reality tool (the Holoboard) for learning about circuits and voltage, and deployed it in a summer school course for students to use. The students were hesitant to use the tool for several reasons, but those who did had a positive experience and found the tool to be helpful. Overall, tools were used by students who had an independent approach to problem-solving, and students preferred tools that were easily accessible and did not disrupt their workflow. We conclude with suggestions to improve the Holoboard to tailor it to the needs of students. 

In this paper we explore how Kinect body posture sensors can be used to detect group collaboration and learning, in the context of dyad pairs using augmented reality system. We leverage data collected during a study (N = 60 dyads) where participant pairs learned about electromagnetism. Using unsupervised machine learning methods on Kinect body posture sensor data, we contribute a set of dyad states associated with collaboration quality, attitudes toward physics and learning gains. 

Augmented reality (AR) is a powerful visualization tool to support learning of scientific concepts across learners of various ages. AR can make information otherwise invisible visible in the physical world in real-time. In this study, we are looking at a subset of data from a larger study (N=120), in which participant pairs interacted with an augmented sound producing speaker. We explored the learning behaviors in eight pairs of learners (N=16) who participated in an unstructured physics activity under two conditions: with or without AR. Comparing behaviors between the two experimental conditions, we found that AR affected learning in four different ways: participants in the AR condition (1) learned more about visual concepts (ex: magnetic field structures) but learned less about nonvisual content (ex: relationship between electricity and physical movement); (2) stopped exploring the system faster than NonAR participants; (3) used less aids in exploration and teaching; and (4) spent less time in teaching their collaborators. We discuss implications of those results for designing collaborative learning activities with augmented reality. 

Emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), have the potential to radically transform education by making challenging concepts visible and accessible to novices. In this project, we have designed a Hololens-based system in which collaborators are exposed to an unstructured learning activity in which they learned about the invisible physics involved in audio speakers. They learned topics ranging from spatial knowledge, such as shape of magnetic fields, to abstract conceptual knowledge, such as relationships between electricity and magnetism. We compared participants' learning, attitudes and collaboration with a tangible interface through multiple experimental conditions containing varying layers of AR information. We found that educational AR representations were beneficial for learning specific knowledge and increasing participants' self-efficacy (i.e., their ability to learn concepts in physics). However, we also found that participants in conditions that did not contain AR educational content, learned some concepts better than other groups and became more curious about physics. We discuss learning and collaboration differences, as well as benefits and detriments of implementing augmented reality for unstructured learning activities.