Supporting Families' Science Understanding Through Multiple Dynamic Visualizations in a Science Museum

• In Event: 46.058 - Design Principles for Supporting Family Learning: Implications From Nine Empirical Studies

Abstract

Over five years, our project ARIEL (Augmented Reality for Interpretive and Experiential Learning) has investigated the impact that augmented reality technology has had on learning in a science museum. Our findings have suggested that digitally augmented devices 1) can improve conceptual understanding and 2) share many of the same features that support learning as other dynamic visualizations (Yoon et al., 2012; Yoon & Wang, 2014). However, there was still much room for improving understanding. This study builds on those findings by exploring how multiple dynamic visualizations (MVs) could improve learning.
Our work draws on several areas. First, understanding science is an important motivation for family visits (McManus, 1994). But while many studies have found, for example, evidence of families drawing upon shared experiences to make sense of science concepts (Zimmerman et al., 2010), few have examined whether and how their conceptual understanding of scientific phenomena evolves. Broadly, assessments often reveal little positive changes in visitors’ scientific understanding (NRC, 2009). This bears important implications on exhibit design. In particular, dynamic visualizations (such as computer simulations, animations, and digital augmentations) because of their many affordances (Hegarty, 2004) have the potential to support learning in museum spaces. Moreover, research on multiple external representations (Ainsworth, 1999) lends credence to our hypothesis that by combining the different visualizations, visitors would increase their conceptual understanding.
Our study follows a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods design in which families were invited to interact with the exhibit twice. The first interaction is with the augmented device by itself. The second interaction is with the augmented device accompanied by an animation and a simulation. Several sets of data were collected: a pre- and post-survey from parents (measuring understanding of exhibited phenomena); a pre- and post-test from children (measuring their conceptual understanding of the scientific principle); a pre-, mid-, and post-interview with children (measuring understanding of exhibited phenomena); and a final interview with the entire family (measuring the visualizations’ impacts on learning and exploration). Observation notes were also taken to note how visitors’ behaved and talked.
Several findings emerged from the data analysis. First, parents’ (t(37) = 4.97, p < 0.01) and children’s (t(36) = 4.55, p < .01) understanding of the scientific phenomena statistically improved after exposure to the MVs. Second, their interview responses revealed two features of MVs that supported their learning: a) they accommodated a greater range of visitor learning styles, b) they offered visitors a range of breadth and depth of information that could be learned. Furthermore, each visualization engaged visitors differently but in a way that enriched the entire learning experience. For example, the animation clarified confusing content from the other tools, the augmentation distinctively showed how typically invisible features interacted to create the overall phenomenon, and the simulation enabled visitors to consider how other variables could affect the system. Third, when MVs were present, visitors’ interactions became more collaborative and conversations were more focused on understanding the science. In the symposium, we elaborate on the implications and impact these findings can have on exhibit design.

Authors

• Joyce Lin, Knowles Science Teaching Foundation

• Susan A. Yoon, University of Pennsylvania