Multimodal Technologies and Interaction (Jul 2021)

Students as Designers of Augmented Reality: Impact on Learning and Motivation in Computer Science

  • Josef Buchner,
  • Michael Kerres

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/mti5080041
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 8
p. 41

Abstract

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In this study, we report findings from the PCBuildAR project, in which students developed augmented reality (AR) artifacts following a guided design-based learning (DBL) approach. Sixty-two students participated in the study and were either in their first year to learn about computer science or were more experienced computer science students. In terms of learning performance, only the first-year students benefited from our guided DBL approach. In contrast, the experienced students were highly motivated to learn computer science not only immediately after the intervention, but also in the long term. For first-year students, this effect was only evident directly after the intervention. Overall, the guided DBL design proved to be effective for both motivation and learning, especially for younger students. For older learners, a better balance between guidance and autonomy is recommended.

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