Manuscript received March 18, 2024; revised April 18, 2024; accepted May 29, 2024; published August 23, 2024
Abstract—Scientific inquiry stands as a cornerstone in elementary education. Traditional natural science teaching, bolstered by experiments, enhances students’ conceptual understanding, boosting their learning motivation and effectiveness. Nonetheless, some conventional natural science experiments are time-consuming, potentially diminishing students’ learning outcomes by causing unnecessary waits or truncating classroom time. With the advent of augmented reality (AR) technology, there is an opportunity to seamlessly blend virtual digital resources within physical classrooms. This fusion can increase the efficiency of natural science experiments while diminishing associated risks. In response, this study introduced an AR-based interactive plant structure experiment system into an elementary natural science course’s plant anatomy unit, aiming to assess its impact on student learning achievements. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the study had one group undergo traditional classroom teaching for basic plant anatomy knowledge, followed by the AR system for plant structure experiments. Conversely, a control group utilized traditional teaching and experimental methods throughout. The findings revealed no significant disparities in learning achievements between the groups. However, the AR system effectively curtailed experiment waiting times and reduced the risk of experimental failures.
Keywords—natural science education, plant science experiment, experimental education, augmented reality, quality education
Cite: Zih-Jie Jhuang, Yi-Chun Lin, and Yen-Ting Lin, "Effects of Developing an Interactive AR Plant Structure Experiment System for Elementary Natural Science Course," International Journal of Information and Education Technology vol. 14, no. 8, pp. 1145-1154, 2024.