A Motivational 3D EdTech in Online Education: Digital Exhibition Space

Abstract

With the outbreak of COVID-19, university classes in Hong Kong have had to transfer into online digital formats. Although no significant difference in learning outcomes between traditional classroom and online learning has been identified, students are still likely to feel distracted or bored. Thoughtful pedagogical strategies and learning design are needed to avoid disengagement which could have negative impact on their academic performance. Regarding the forms of student interactivity or features of online environments, this study examines a motivational EdTech tool - Digital Exhibition Space (DES) - which provides explorative learning experiences for students to foster meaningful peer socialisation. DES creates a 3D visual learning community aimed at enhancing connectivity amongst students, and relatedness between students and their learning artefacts so as to leverage student engagement and learning effectiveness in online education. A quasi-experimental pilot study was undertaken in an entry level class of 106 undergraduates from all faculties of the university. Quantitative results revealed that 1) students in DES learning context reported a higher level of engagement than non-DES context; 2) academic performance in DES groups was better in synoptic assessment than non-DES groups while equivalent in factual knowledge tests.