This $900,000 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) aims to develop a low-cost augmented reality (AR) platform that integrates force sensing and visualization to improve physics education for high school students. The project, led by North Carolina State University, will construct a tablet-based AR system capable of measuring 3D contact and non-contact forces and moments, and visualize them in real-time. The system will be accompanied by curriculum modules focused on Newtonian mechanics and electromagnetism, enabling students to visually and tactilely explore these physics concepts. The project will conduct a controlled lab study with 45 high school students and 8 teachers to understand how students use the interactive force visualizations, as well as a pilot study in a high school to assess the impact of the visuo-haptic experiences on students' understanding of physics concepts related to force and moment vectors. The results from these studies are expected to provide insights into leveraging multisensory AR learning to improve physics education and make it more accessible, particularly for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
Generated 3/18/25, 3:12 AM