Learning Queer History From a Mobile App Increases Perspective-Taking Toward LGBTQ+ People: Pretest-Posttest Randomized Control Trial Study

• In Event: Learning With Mixed-Reality Technologies

Abstract

Free and empirically tested educational technology, such as mobile apps, are opportunities to supplement curriculums, particularly when they lack or exclude information. We examined whether learning about queer history (QH) using a mobile app could enhance students’ perspective-taking toward LGBTQ+ minorities. The main results of this randomized control trial study that examined 114 undergraduate students at a North American university were the following: (1) Students assigned to the QH app condition reported higher levels of perspective-taking toward sexual orientation (SO) and gender identity (GI) minorities than those assigned to the control condition. And (2) learning (i.e., increase in QH knowledge) mediated the effect of QH app (vs. control) condition on perspective-taking toward SO but not GI minorities.

Authors

• Jason Matthew Harley, McGill University

• Nigel Mantou Lou, University of Victoria

• Byunghoon Tony Ahn, McGill University

• Yang Liu, University of Alberta