Innovative Teacher Education with the Augmented Reality Device Microsoft HoloLens—Results of an Exploratory Study and Pedagogical Considerations

Corinne Wyss,Jan A Hiss,Wolfgang Bührer,Adrian Degonda,Florian Furrer

doi:10.3390/mti5080045

Abstract

Augmented Reality (AR) tools are increasingly finding their way into education settings. Although their use is still not widespread in educational contexts, the research literature indicates their potential and effectiveness. However, overall and specifically for the education sector there are still numerous research gaps. This study investigates how the use of head-mounted AR displays such as the Microsoft HoloLens can change learning and what needs to be considered from a didactic perspective. The researched sample consists of 18 student teachers with a nature and technology teaching profile of a German-speaking university of teacher education. The data collection included a written questionnaire, video recordings of a teaching unit with HoloLens examining molecular structures, and one-to-one semi-structured interviews. The results of questionnaires and interviews presented in this paper show that all students were highly motivated to work with this technology in teacher education. The usability of the HoloLens was rated very satisfactory, although many students expressed minor problems. Most students attributed a positive impact on learning to the AR device and stated that the usage of the devices increased their motivation for learning the topic. Overall, the results show that the use of AR in teacher education is considered very valuable and should be increasingly employed in the future.

Highlights

Through the rapid development of digital technologies within the last few years, technologies such as Augmented Reality have become more widely available and are currently used in various domains
Only a few studies to date have dealt with wearable technologies, such as gloves, bracelets, or head-mounted displays, in the education sector [4,19]; on the other hand, studies at the tertiary education level, especially with prospective teachers, are significantly under-represented [9]
The students participating in the study were very motivated to take part and to work with the new technology. According to their responses, they had hardly any theoretical or practical experience with Augmented Reality (AR) applications. Such technologies are barely used in teacher education and prospective teachers have little opportunity to gain first-hand experience and thereby develop abilities, a finding that was made in a recently published international study [30]

Summary

Introduction

Through the rapid development of digital technologies within the last few years, technologies such as Augmented Reality have become more widely available and are currently used in various domains. AR is becoming increasingly important for the education sector through the development of suitable practical applications [1]. These technologies have led to challenges in the education sector (e.g., problems with the exaggerated usage of smartphones and corresponding distractions of the learning processes [2]); on the other hand, they may offer new perspectives and possibilities, as media and technologies can be used to facilitate teaching and learning. Augmented Reality (AR) is attributed a great potential: “One of the most promising technologies that currently exists is Augmented Reality (AR), which allows a combination of real-world elements captured through a camera with multimedia elements such as text, images, video, Multimodal Technol.

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