Assessing Teachers' Perspectives To Develop Astronomy Learning Materials With Augmented Reality
TalkDuring Special Topic: Evaluation
6th Shaw-IAU Workshop
Aishwarya Girdhar (LMU: Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich)
Astronomy education has unique challenges due to the abstract nature of concepts.Teachers acknowledge the use of augmented reality (AR) in enabling visualisations that support learning.However, educational AR apps need to be developed for specific use case,making the positive effects on student learning highly dependent on teachers’ self-assessed digital skills.To increment these skills,we developed teacher trainings based on the UTAUT2 and TPB theories.Teachers developed AR apps to accurately depict the size and distance scales of the solar system.Through pre- and post-tests, self-assessments from 120 Physics teachers were collected.I will present these AR apps, the survey methodology, and insights on factors that influence teachers’ acceptance and integration of educational technology.
About Aishwarya Girdhar
Aish Girdhar is a research associate (postdoc) at the chair of Physics Education research at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany. She was recently awarded her PhD from LMU in blackholes and host galaxy coevolution; which she pursued at the European Southern Observatory and Newcastle University, UK.
She has previously pursued her Masters in Astrophysics as a student of the Astromundus joint-masters degree. Her research interests are evaluation methods, and use of modern technologies in astronomy education research, alongwith the development of accessible educational materials.
