Exploring Students’ Divergent Interpretations While Studying Ecosystems in an Embodied Mixed-Reality Environment (Poster 36)

• In Event: Saturday Poster Session 1:15 pm
  In Poster Session: Advanced Technologies for Learning SIG Poster Session

Abstract

This paper aims to understand how elementary students interpret the goal of a collective embodied modeling activity and how different interpretations influence their sense-making about an ecosystem. We conducted Interaction Analysis (Jordan & Henderson, 1995) to identify students’ interpretations of modeling goals compared to the facilitator’s framing. We analyzed how those interpretations were demonstrated in their embodied interactions and confirmed in the debrief. We also present how those interpretations contributed to students’ modeling activity. We conclude with recommendations to teachers and designers on the importance of leveraging students’ interpretations to foster more inclusive learning experiences.

Authors

• Mengxi Zhou, Indiana University

• Nitasha Mathayas, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Joshua Adam Danish, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Morgan A. Vickery, Indiana University

• Selena Steinberg, Indiana University