Exploring the Efficacy of Mixed Reality versus Traditional Methods in Higher Education: A Comparative Study

Abstract

“Immersive technology” is a broad and evolving term that encompasses various kinds of technologies and viewpoints, and has applications in various fields, such as education, healthcare, entertainment, the arts, and engineering. This research paper aims to compare the effectiveness of two teaching methods, namely the conventional method (using PowerPoint slides), and the immersive technology method (initiating a mixed reality with a HoloLens 2 device). The experiment involved two groups of students, aged between 19 and 52 years-of-age, who received different types of instruction: the first group viewed a PowerPoint slide with an image of the human muscular system, and the second group viewed a 3D hologram of the human body that displayed the same muscle groups as in the PowerPoint slide. The researchers wanted to examine if mixed reality devices could improve students’ cognitive abilities and explore if the age of the participants had any impact on the effectiveness of the instruction method. The main findings of this study are that the instruction method that used mixed reality technology, the Microsoft HoloLens 2 device, was more suitable for younger participants, and that traditional instruction methods, such as PowerPoint slides, are more appropriate for older students. While this research provides some valuable insights into the factors that influence student performance in anatomy tests, it has some limitations that should be considered.

Keywords

• teaching/learning strategies
• post-secondary education
• media in education
• improving classroom teaching
• mixed reality