T76 Beyond the Road-Cut: Virtual, Local, and Nontraditional “Field” Teaching and Learning Experiences (Posters)

Sunday, 22 October 2017
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Halls 4EF

PEDAGOGICAL EFFICACY AND STUDENT SPATIAL ABILITY CONCERNING THE AR SANDBOX:  A STUDY DESIGN

Paper number: T76-1
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Authors

Abstract

Engaging students with geologic content in a classroom in an active learning environment and utilizing augmented and virtual reality to assist natural spatial ability may allow students to more quickly grasp certain geologic concepts without the need for taking time to train spatial ability in already limited time periods. Augmented and virtual reality tools can be used to supplement an individual’s ability to visualize in three dimensions. Augmented reality sandboxes can be utilized in conjunction with traditional topographic maps in the classroom, showing students real-time, three dimensional structures to compare to two dimensional maps. Though these sandboxes have existed and seen use in classrooms and as educational displays for several years, little quantitative assessment of their efficacy as a pedagogical tool has been published. We present our plan and initial work in developing ways of assessing student learning and usefulness of the sandbox to supplement spatial ability in geology physical lab.

We will determine the efficacy of the sandbox as a spatial ability supplementing teaching tool by examining student spatial ability, with students who utilize the sandbox and students who do not utilize the sandbox in a geology introductory laboratory. We plan to ascertain student spatial ability utilizing the Revised Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Visualization of Rotations (Yoon, 2011). Students will be given the spatial ability test before completing the topographic map laboratory. Class sections (typically 6-10 per semester) will be split into two groups, one using the sandbox in laboratory and the other group not using the sandbox (the group utilizing the sandbox will utilize 2D topographic maps in the lesson also). A post-lesson topographic map evaluation will be given to the students. Student spatial ability scores and post-lesson evaluation scores will then be compared to determine if the sandbox increased scores of low spatial ability students.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 49, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2017AM-304075

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