Exploring participant engagement during an astrophysics virtual reality experience at a science festival

Kersting, Magdalena; Steier, Rolf; Venville, Grady

doi:10.1080/21548455.2020.1857458

Cited by 32 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Since 2006 (although the Edinburgh Science Festival started much earlier in 1989), university campus-based science festivals have become increasingly popular, particularly in Europe and Northern America, aiming to create informal learning spaces with diverse cultural appeal for the public to attend and engage with science (Jensen & Buckley, 2014;van Beynen & Burress, 2018;Kersting et al, 2020). Many are hosted by city and university partnerships, so often combine informal and academic settings for activities.…”

Section: What Is the Value Of University Campus-based Public Engagement?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Family-focused campus-based university event increases perceived knowledge, science capital and aspirations across a wide demographic

Rawlinson

Duckett

Shaw

et al. 2021

International Journal of Science Education, Part B

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Creative ways of delivering informal science events in community settings are viewed as key to engaging new audiences and participants whom scientists find hard to reach, however, the impact of 'formal' setting events is often overlooked. Here, through a mixed-methods approach, we analyse a large-scale family-focused public engagement event hosted within a university campus setting. We aimed to explore the profile of visitors attending together with the impact and perceived knowledge gained. Analysis from two consecutive years of data collection found that the university-based event attracted new visitors annually, with almost half having not attended other science events/ attractions within the last year. An increase in perceived knowledge was shown amongst all study participants, being significantly amplified in those from low progression to higher education postcode areas. Both immediate and longer-term positive impact was reported by participants with increases in components of science capital observed as well as enhanced positive perception of the university and its students. This data exemplifies the benefit of university-hosted events in widening participation and public understanding of science.

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Section: What Is the Value Of University Campus-based Public Engagement?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Family-focused campus-based university event increases perceived knowledge, science capital and aspirations across a wide demographic

Rawlinson

Duckett

Shaw

et al. 2021

International Journal of Science Education, Part B

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“… 2016 ; Kersting et al. 2020 ). It is of interest then to additionally probe the potential of an ophthalmological VR experience to engage and motivate the next generation of medical students: children and young people.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Virtual reality (VR) could therefore prove to be a useful tool in making a disease more comprehensible and accessible to children and young people and to prepare them for medical interventions. Further to patient communication, VR (and augmented reality) has the potential to increase interest in and engagement with science in young people (Stratos et al 2016;Zimmerman et al 2016;Kersting et al 2020). It is of interest then to additionally probe the potential of an ophthalmological VR experience to engage and motivate the next generation of medical students: children and young people.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility and tolerability of ophthalmic virtual reality as a medical communication tool in children and young people

Maloca

Williams

Mushtaq

et al. 2021

Acta Ophthalmologica

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Purpose: Virtual reality (VR) can be useful in explaining diseases and complications that affect children in order to improve medical communications with this vulnerable patient group. So far, children and young people's responses to high-end medical VR environments have never been assessed.Methods: An unprecedented number of 320 children and young people were given the opportunity to interact with a VR application displaying original ophthalmic volume data via a commercially available tethered head-mounted display (HMD). Participants completed three surveys: demographics and experience with VR, usability and perceived utility of this technology and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire. The second survey also probed participants for suggestions on improvements and whether this system could be useful for increasing engagement in science.Results: A total of 206 sets of surveys were received. 165 children and young people (84 female) aged 12-18 years (mean, 15 years) completed surveys that could be used for analysis. 69 participants (47.59%) were VR-na€ ıve, and 76 (52.41%) reported that they had previous VR experience. Results show that VR facilitated understanding of ophthalmological complications and was reasonably tolerated. Lastly, exposure to VR raised children and young people's awareness and interest in science. Conclusions:The VR platform used was successfully utilized and was well accepted in children to display and interact with volume-rendered 3D ophthalmological data. Virtual reality (VR) is suitable as a novel image display platform in ophthalmology to engage children and young people.

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“…Sometimes it is defined as the practical work and hands-on activities that allow individuals to obtain a clear understanding. Children have an innate curiosity about the natural world means that teaching science to secondary school students is both rewarding and critical for their futures (Kersting, Steier, & Venville, 2021). Science education aims at introducing main ideas and principles of science to all learners for the training of future scientists that calls for teachers with specific qualifications (Van Driel & Abell, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elementary School Students’ Conceptual Difficulties in the Subject of General Science: A Descriptive Study

Akram

Zafar

Aziz

et al. 2022

Pak. J. Humanit. Soc. Sci

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The current study is designed to explore the conceptual difficulties of elementary school students in the subject of general science. The current research was descriptive in nature. Data was collected through the survey method. A diagnostic test was made. For the development of the test, General Science Text Book for 8thclass published by Punjab Text Book Board Lahore, edition 2020 was consulted. A table of the specification was prepared and delimited to the first three levels of the cognitive domain of Bloom’s taxonomy. The concept-based test consisted of 25 items with four options. Criteria of item analysis were determined, and every item was analyzed based on data. The 300 elementary students in Khanqah Sharif Bahawalpur district Punjab, was approached through simple random sampling. The results illuminated that 78% of concept-based items were difficult. The chemistry-based concepts consisting of chemical reaction, properties of acids, and physics-based concepts including thermal contradiction, working of Iris, Radiation, ozone depletion, air pollutants were considered most difficult concepts to understand by elementary students.

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Exploring participant engagement during an astrophysics virtual reality experience at a science festival

Cited by 32 publications

References 40 publications

Family-focused campus-based university event increases perceived knowledge, science capital and aspirations across a wide demographic

Family-focused campus-based university event increases perceived knowledge, science capital and aspirations across a wide demographic

Feasibility and tolerability of ophthalmic virtual reality as a medical communication tool in children and young people

Elementary School Students’ Conceptual Difficulties in the Subject of General Science: A Descriptive Study

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