The impact of computer simulated haptic force feedback on physics concept learning: Understanding electrostatic and electromagnetic fields through haptic feedback

Enkhtuvshin Dorjgotov, Purdue University

Abstract

This research investigated the potential positive learning effects of additional haptic sensory feedback to computer visualizations in the context of learning electromagnetic field concepts. Three different learning modules were developed and their effectiveness in learning the field concepts was compared with one another. The first learning module, which was called text only (TO) treatment, consisted of traditional text-based materials for learning the basic electromagnetic field concepts. The other two modules consisted of additional exercises with interactive visual and haptic simulations in addition to the traditional text-based material. The only difference between these two learning modules was the additional haptic force feedback utilized in one of the two modules. The learning module that utilized the additional haptic feedback was called visual plus haptic (VH) treatment and the other module that did not utilize haptic feedback was called visual only (VO) treatment. Additionally, this study examined effects of the learning treatments on memory retention and effects of gender, learning styles, undergraduate levels, handedness, and prior haptic experience in light of the learning treatments. Results revealed that a significant overall learning in the electromagnetic field concepts occurred to all three learning groups due to the learning treatments and both VH and VO learning treatments produced a significantly higher learning than TO learning treatment. The additional sensory haptic feedback given to VH group did not produce a significantly higher learning, compared to VO group in terms of the overall learning gain on the electromagnetic field concepts as measured by the test instrument. However, the additional sensory haptic feedback given to VH group consistently produced a significantly higher learning and memory retention, compared to VO and TO groups on the specific questions that required the participants to create a working mental model of electromagnetic fields. Results from the analyses of a post-opinion questionnaire indicated that both VO and VH treatments had positive affective influences on participants' learning and specifically, participants' attitudes towards VH learning module were significantly higher than the attitudes towards VO module. The three learning treatments produced the same learning effects among the participants regardless of their gender, learning styles, prior haptic experience, undergraduate levels, and handedness. The overall results showed that the use of additional haptic feedback for learning the concepts of electromagnetic field brought more insight to these abstract concepts and resulted in greater learning retention of the concepts later on.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Bertoline, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Educational technology|Science education|Computer science

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