Development and Evaluation of the Usefulness of Collaborative Learning on the Tangible AR Learning Equipment for Astronomy Education

Abstract

This study developed astronomical learning equipment featuring tangible user interfaces (TUIs) and augmented reality (AR) technology. The f irst, it's evaluated the equipment in terms of its suitability for use in a learning environment and its interface. We then evaluated the model’s performance in a simulated collaborative learning environment, focusing our analysis on learner attributes. Also, it's analyzed the conversations of these participants as they engaged in collaborative learning tasks using the equipment. The purpose of this analysis was to identify advantages and disadvantages of the equipment’s design, and to obtain suggestions for how the equipment can be used optimally in actual learning environments. The results revealed that our equipment will draw learners’ interest and help them gain an understanding of the phases of the Moon. They also implied that the equipment is ef fective for increasing learners’ motivation. A further implication was that the equipment can be an ef fective learning tool, even for learners with little belief in the value of collaborative learning. The results of the conversation analysis revealed that incorporating TUI and AR technology into the equipment is ef fective for helping learners relate to real-world objects within a virtual environment and encouraging them to share their knowledge with each other.