Synthesis Lectures on Engineering, Science, and Technology STEM Learning in Extended Reality

This book synthesizes findings from recent and ongoing research on the use of Extended Reality (XR) to support learning of STEM content. The author then concludes with theoretical frameworks for investigating learning in computer- immersive contexts and practical implications for effectively using XR tools to learn STEM. This book synthesizes findings from recent and ongoing research on the use of Extended Reality (XR) to support the learning of and engagement with STEM content. XR is slowly being introduced in classrooms due to significant changes in XR technology. These tools were historically costly, unfriendly, and developed only for gamers. Today, XR tools are able to enhance students’ immersive experiences in such settings. In STEM classrooms, in particular, they provide learners with an opportunity to manipulate abstract objects as if they are physical objects. The book begins with an embodied, embedded, extended, and enactive cognitive (4E) perspective in making sense of various XR apps that support STEM learning, followed by an extensive review of related research in XR and STEM and a detailed description of products from recent work in mathematics, science, and engineering. Various XR interventions on learning and engagement in STEM classrooms are analyzed from both the 4E perspective and the proposed framework for designing XR apps for learning in STEM contexts. In addition, this book: Introduces readers to relevant XR technology and language for learning and learning environments Provides a comprehensive review of existing research in XR and STEM learning Offers research-derived recommendations for best practices in implementing XR technologies in STEM classrooms