Emerging technologies for learning at a cultural heritage site: The design of the CompARe mixed reality gamified learning environment

Abstract

Knowledge of the past is necessary in order for us to understand the present and move forward to the future. Learning about cultural heritage should take place in situ, so that students can have embodied experiences, and come into contact, with the artifact or the monument they study. On the other hand, educating young students about cultural heritage is a challenge especially when connected with educational programs in schools, due to lack of interest from students. A promising solution to this challenge might be the use of gamification, namely the use of game design elements in non-game contexts, which is believed to improve both students' learning outcomes and engagement. Furthermore, recent review studies about the use of mixed reality technologies in educational settings suggest that they can potentially support learning and teaching (de Belen et al., 2019). According to the NMC Horizon Report: 2016 Museum Edition (Freeman et al., 2016), it is important to evaluate the impact of the use of new technologies at cultural heritage sites, and specifically the impact of new digital tools on learning. This contribution reports on the development and empirical investigation of the “CompARe” mixed reality (MR) gamified learning environment. “CompARe” was designed to support inquiry learning around a unique 6th century ceiling mosaic of Virgin Mary at the village of Kiti in Cyprus; the mosaic is located in a church on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List and is considered to be one of the most significant ceiling mosaics of the early Christian art. The validation was based on two studies, following a design-based research methodology. A pilot study to empirically validate the MR gamified learning environment was conducted with the participation of 15 upper elementary students using “CompARe” in dyads. Data were collected through a focus group interview, during which the students shared their experience with the environment, and led to the refinement of the initial design of the learning environment as well as identified problems that related to students’ motivation and challenges during the use of the gamified environment. For the second study, data were collected during three educational field trips to the cultural heritage site of three sixth grade classes. Fifty-nine students participated (25 boys), aged 11 – 12 years, from a medium-sized, rural school in Cyprus. Students worked in dyads and one triad, the composition of the pairs was decided by their teachers. The data corpus consists of pre- and post-test questionnaires to evaluate students’ learning gains, video recordings of students’ discourse and interactions, log files from the app, and post-interviews. The challenges ahead and next steps of this work will be reported at the conference.