ELI-VR
ELI-VR
This project aims to enhance primary school children’s learning of mathematics through spatial sensorimotor experiences in Virtual Reality (VR). In formal schooling, mathematical concepts are predominantly taught through cognitive approaches that rely on abstract and symbolic representations, which pose great challenges for many primary school learners. However, learning is not solely a cognitive process, as motor and sensory processes also play a crucial role.
VR offers new opportunities to link concrete, bodily based spatial experiences with mathematical concepts. Through embodied and playful interaction, VR environments may reduce the fear of making mistakes and foster curiosity, exploration, and intrinsic motivation. In this way, we want to provide primary school children with an additional, alternative pathway to developing mathematical understanding.
The project focuses on the development of VR-based tasks targeting number space concepts on the number line and for understanding the place value system within the decimal number system. A user-centered design approach will be employed, actively involving primary school teachers and children throughout the development process. The effectiveness and feasibility of this embodied learning approach in VR will be evaluated through small-scale infield studies within the school settings, with the aim of establishing an empirical foundation for future research.
Project Funding
Stiftung Mercator (ehemals Mercator Research Center Ruhr)
Partner
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TU Dortmund (Fachgebiet Methoden der empirischen Bildungsforschung) http://www.methods.fk-reha.tu-dortmund.de/cms/de/home/index.html |