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Peer-reviewed article

Stereoscopy in Static Scientific Imagery in an Informal Education Setting: Does It Matter?

August 22, 2014 | Media and Technology

Stereoscopic technology (3D) is rapidly becoming ubiquitous across research, entertainment and informal educational settings. Children of today may grow up never knowing a time when movies, television and video games were not available stereoscopically. Despite this rapid expansion, the field’s understanding of the impact of stereoscopic visualizations on learning is rather limited. Much of the excitement of stereoscopic technology could be due to a novelty effect, which will wear off over time. This study controlled for the novelty factor using a variety of techniques. On the floor of an urban science center, 261 children were shown 12 photographs and visualizations of highly spatial scientific objects and scenes. The images were randomly shown in either traditional (2D) format or in stereoscopic format. The children were asked two questions of each image—one about a spatial property of the image and one about a real-world application of that property. At the end of the test, the child was asked to draw from memory the last image they saw. Results showed no overall significant difference in response to the questions associated with 2D or 3D images. However, children who saw the final slide only in 3D drew more complex representations of the slide than those who did not. Results are discussed through the lenses of cognitive load theory and the effect of novelty on engagement.

TEAM MEMBERS

  • American Association of Variable Star Observers
    Contributor
  • AaronPrice 049 300h
    Principal Investigator
    Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
  • 2014 03 14 jen portrait2
    Evaluator
    Rockman, et. al.
  • Citation

    DOI : 10.1007/s10956-014-9500-1
    Publication Name: Journal of Science Education and Technology
    Volume: 23
    Number: 10.1007/s10956-014-9500-1

    Funders

    NSF
    Funding Program: ISE/AISL
    Award Number: 1114645
    Funding Amount: 660487
    Resource Type: Research Products
    Discipline: Art, music, and theater | Education and learning science
    Audience: Elementary School Children (6-10) | Adults | Museum/ISE Professionals
    Environment Type: Media and Technology | Films and IMAX | Planetarium and Science on a Sphere
    Access and Inclusion: Urban

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