AN INVESTIGATION OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS READINESS TO USE AUGMENTED REALITY IN EDUCATION

ABSTRACT

This study was on an investigation of Pre-service teachers Readiness to use Augmented reality in Education. Three objectives were raised which included:  To find out the problems that preservice teachers encounter during the augmented reality application process, to find out the opinions of preservice teachers about using augmented reality applications in the learning-teaching process and to find out preservice teachers evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the augmented reality application for the student and teacher. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected primary schools in Uyo. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In today’s information age, individuals who produce information, question, and criticize the information they produce, are needed. Individuals are expected to use new and different learning programs and technologies to have questioning and critical thinking skills. Due to expectations and needs of societies arrangements were made in learning environments (Akkoyunlu & Kurbanoğlu, 2003). In this context, the updated primary school curricula aims to raise individuals with the characteristics of knowledge, skills, and behavior integrated with basic competencies. Digital competence, which is one of these competencies, is expressed as “the use of computers for accessing, evaluating, storing, producing, presenting and exchanging information, and basic skills such as participating in common networks and establishing communication through the Internet” (Ministry of National Education [MoNE], 2018). This new generation which spends most of its time on the internet and using other technologies, is referred to by different researchers as; the students of the new millennium (Pedro, 2006), Ygeneration (McCrindle, 2006), internet generation (Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005), technological native (Monereo, 2004), and digital native (Prensky, 2001). Especially 21st century students and teachers, who are called ‘digital natives’ (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008), differ from previous generations with their distinctive features such as, “They want very fast access to information, prefer games instead of serious works, visual and graphic elements instead of long texts, have a parallel cognitive structure, they can perform multiple tasks simultaneously” (Bilgiç, Duman & Seferoğlu, 2011). In this context, the main problem to be focused on is how to benefit from technology in the learning and teaching process and effectively reflect this new generation’s technology habits into the education process. One of the technologies that contribute to the learning process is augmented reality (AR)

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that allows computer-generated virtual image information to be embedded directly in real life as real-time or indirectly in a real-world environment (Azuma, 1997; Zhou, Duh & Billinghurst, 2008). According to Peeck (1993), visual images in the classroom engage the student, focus their attention on the lesson, and simplify complex texts. AR applications have characteristic features such as presenting real and virtual elements together, simultaneous, interactive, and 3-D (Azuma, 1997). AR technology aims to create a blended environment by integrating the real and virtual environments (Billinghurst, Kato & Poupyrev, 2001). AR is different from virtual reality because people experience a computer-generated virtual environment in virtual reality. In AR, the environment is real, but it is enriched with the system’s information and images. In other words, AR bridges the gap between real and virtual (Chang, Morreale & Medicherla, 2010). AR emerges as one of the technological developments that transform education and provides relevant contributions while presenting content to students. Likewise, there is a perception that information communication technologies improve the learning process and the technological skills of students and teachers (Holley & Howlett 2016). According to Azuma (1997), AR offers the opportunity to coexist in the same space using real and virtual elements and interact with them real-time. It enables us to obtain information by showing multimedia or texts about the objects or places in a simple and fast way (Billinghurst et al., 2001). As a result of their interaction with AR, students gain experience in different subjects at different educational stages (Huang et al., 2015). The use of AR in the classroom offers the option of turning anything virtual into an interactive lesson. Textbooks, memory cards, and other reading material used in education may contain embedded triggers or markers. The scanning of these triggers with the AR tool can reveal the information in various formats such as 3D or multimedia. In this way, students can participate in scientific processes interactively (Bender, 2017).

AR has been argued to provide increased content understanding, improvements in interaction and cooperation, better memory retention, and higher motivation than other media formats (Bucher & Grafe, 2018). Motivation must be taken seriously because it is directly linked to learning achievement. Therefore, AR applications that are interactively and visually richer than traditional media are more attractive and motivating than traditional tools (Duarte, Cardoso & Lamounier, 2005). AR can provide contextual and relevant learning experiences and explore the interconnected nature of knowledge in the real world (Johnson et al., 2010). Real learning requires experience (Luckin & Fraser, 2011). With the development of technology, different sensors, such as motion, monitor, touch, and sound, increase the power of the experiences that can be lived (Somyürek, 2014). The more relevant the senses (sound, sight, touch, emotions, etc.) are, the more powerful the learning experience is. In this context, AR appears to be an interesting technology for education (Luckin & Fraser, 2011). The fact that AR technology provides an opportunity to create learning experiences suitable for the constructivist approach and enables the effective use of the digital technologies that has led to the increased use of this technology in education (Somyürek, 2014). The use of technology is also very important for science because it enables learners to observe objects and events that cannot be witnessed due to size, distance, location, and speed (National Research Center [NRC], 1996). Students were discovered to be able to view body parts realistically in situ using the AR application, as opposed to previously used visualizations including images, movies, and models. The students claimed that, as a result of the AR application, they had a better grasp of lung function and physical dimensions. When teaching just with text or an inactive plastic model, these phenomena are typically exceedingly challenging to understand. Students also stressed how the procedure gives them the chance to select a unique, exploratory strategy in order to get a thorough understanding (Nielsen, Brandt & Swensen 2016). Studies show that augmented reality applications play a facilitating role in learning concepts by concretizing abstract concepts (Bujak et al., 2013; Sahin &Yilmaz, 2020; Shelton & Steven, 2004), and they can achieve more meaningful learning than they can physically see abstract concepts through 3D virtual objects (Sahin & Yilmaz, 2020). 2020). AR can help learners make spatial or temporal connections between information by integrating different representations, allowing them to interact with the learning content or call attention to pertinent information resources (Radu, 2014). This feature allows it to be an important learning tool in teaching abstract concepts to primary school students.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

As with most new technological introductions, a number of conditions must be satisfied. These prerequisites cover fundamental technological difficulties, such as hardware accessibility and availability, internet access, etc., but they also take into account students’ and teachers’ technological proficiency (Akcayır & Akcayır, 2017). Due to the fact that augmented reality is a relatively new technology, it is important to comprehend the advancements and practical effects of using it in educational settings, as well as how AR is used to create more student-centered learning scenarios (Chen, Liu, Cheng, & Huang, 2017). In this context, the teaching courses given to teacher candidates in the teaching dimension are of great importance in terms of gaining knowledge and experience about the methods and techniques used in the teaching process. In this research, prospective teachers are expected to plan their lessons with these technological applications and use them functionally in the process. In this study, the use of AR application in teaching primary school science lessons was examined

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study are;

1. To find out the problems that preservice teachers encounter during the augmented reality application process
2. To find out the opinions of preservice teachers about using augmented reality applications in the learning-teaching process
3. To find out preservice teachers evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the augmented reality application for the student and teacher

Research Hypotheses

The following research hypotheses are formulated;

H1: there are no problems that preservice teachers encounter during the augmented reality application process

H2: there are no preservice teachers evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the augmented reality application for the student and teacher

Significance of the study

The study will be very significant to students , teachers and policy makers. The study will give a clear insight on an investigation of Pre-service teachers Readiness to use augmented reality in Education. The study will also serve as a reference to other researcher that will embark on the related topic

Scope and limitation of the study

The scope of the study covers an investigation of Pre-service teachers Readiness to use Augmented reality in Education. The study will be limited to selected primary schools in Uyo

Limitations/constraints are inevitable in carrying out a research work of this nature. However, in the course of this research, the following constraints were encountered thus:

1. Non-availability of enough resources (finance): A work of this nature is very tasking financially, money had to be spent at various stages of the research such resources which may aid proper carrying out of the study were not adequately available.

Time factor: The time used in carrying out the research work is relatively not enough to bring the best information out of it. However, I hope that the little that is contained in this study will go a long way in solving many greater problems

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