Flowers, Bees, and Gardens: Using Mobile AR to Support Families’ Pollinator Science Learning

• In Event: Technology-enhanced Learning in K-12 STEM Education

Abstract

This third iteration of a design-based research study explores how mobile augmented reality (AR) can support rural families’ science learning in outdoor informal settings. Grounded in theories of learning-on-the-move and socio-technical pedagogies, the Backyard Explorers app was designed to scaffold conceptual understanding and intergenerational science talk about pollinators. Quantitative analysis of 39 families revealed significant learning gains (Cohen’s d = 1.57) after a 20-minute AR-guided experience. A case study illustrates how AR features fostered affective engagement and collaborative inquiry. These findings demonstrate how mobile AR can transform everyday outdoor spaces into technology-enhanced learning environments. This work contributes to the instructional technology field by demonstrating how mobile tools can deliver effective, family-centered microlearning experiences in under-resourced rural communities.

Authors

• Heather Toomey Zimmerman, Pennsylvania State University

• Susan M. Land, Pennsylvania State University

• Yanping Xu, Pennsylvania State University

• Leqi Li, Pennsylvania State University