How Body-Based Actions Support Elementary Students' Science Explanations About the Particulate Nature of Matter

• In Event: 58.056 - Augmented Reality and Embodied Learning

Abstract

The study uses the STEP environment, an embodied AR system which engages students in roleplaying activities, learning about states of matter by taking on the role of particles and energy. 2nd graders (n = 15, ages 7-8) engaged with the teacher-led activities in two groups; full-body (Kinect) or touch (iPad). We examined the following questions: 1) How do the two interfaces support student actions, and therefore their explanations of particle behavior? 2) How does engaging in group-level coordinated body-based action support student explanations about particle behavior? A key difference in how the two interfaces supported students’ individual explanations is the extent to which students can access their peers’ claims, and in turn, their explanatory models about how particles should behave.

Authors

• Asmalina Saleh, Indiana University

• Joshua Adam Danish, Indiana University

• Megan Alyse Humburg, Indiana University - Bloomington

• Noel D. Enyedy, University of California - Los Angeles