MarineXR: Comparing the Impact of Two Different Ocean AR Experiences on Student Motivation and Engagement

Abstract

Augmented realty is increasingly used as a learning tool in educational settings. There are a wide variety of different AR implementations ranging from simple 3D model viewers to more interactive and dynamic content such as videos and animations. We developed two different types of AR experiences around ocean education: (1) a "tap-to-place" highly-immersive narrated experience that uses the principles of gamification, simulation, role-playing to engage students in scientific concepts around basking sharks and (2) a species learning modules that use realistic and animated 3D representations of marine and freshwater species to teach students about their physiology, morphology and ecology. We conducted a controlled experimental study comparing the impact of each experience on motivation and student engagement. We tested each module in a large, first-year environmental sciences class under remote learning conditions (~200 students). We measured how motivation, engagement, engrossment, and cognitive load differed between the two groups within the context of their attitudes towards science (as assessed by the Modified Attitudes Towards Science instrument). The results of the study and its consequences will be discussed.