Prisms: Supportive Hint Apparatus for Spatialized Learning Environments
Joined 2023
Partners
Prisms VR
WestEd
What are we building?
This project is developing a new virtual reality platform where students derive and apply core math and science principles through embodied, career-connected and fully kinesthetic learning experiences. Alongside the 3D multimodal worlds aimed at building purpose and enduring mathematical understandings, the team is also building an in-VR support system that enables student focus, perseverance with visual and multimodal sense-making tools, reasoning from first principles alongside new outside-VR teacher support tools for just-in-time feedback to highest need students. The primary aim is to investigate whether these additional supports improve module completion rates (independent student derivation of abstract math concepts and skills from real world problems in the economy today), increase student engagement in math classes, and foster greater persistence in STEM fields. This initiative seeks to leverage immersive technologies and targeted pedagogical tools to create a more supportive and effective learning environment for students.
What are we learning?
Teachers reported that they were excited to use Prisms VR in their classrooms and leveraged the teacher dashboard data to support students.
Students reported positive levels of engagement and persistence while using Prisms VR as measured by subscales of mathematics self-efficacy and utility/value.
The Prisms help features supported students to complete tasks in the learning modules, helped them feel motivated to continue working, and led them to persist through challenges in the mathematics activities.
Products
Novel VR interaction designs for all core secondary Math and Science concepts aimed at boosting student motivation and engagement.