Engaging Students with Augmented Reality to Learn Abstract and 3D Physics Concepts

The MARVLS Augmented Reality (AR) Apps are designed to allow students to visualize abstract 3D physics concepts, link 2D representations to 3D models, and link variables in equations to physical objects in the 3D models. The MARVLS Apps use the camera on the phone or tablet to place the digital model visually onto the Merge cube and then change the orientation of the AR model in response to the user rotating the Merge cube. Many of the AR scenes in the Apps reflect common abstract and 3D concepts that students have difficulty visualizing.

Five Apps are available on the App Store and Google Play Store and include Physics I, Physics II, Plasma Physics, Quantum Computing, and Chemistry. Lessons are available for most of the AR scenes. NSF funded work on the effectiveness of the magnetism AR models and corresponding lessons. We use the mathematical sensemaking framework to evaluate the apps and lessons and make improvements to both.