Presentation
Kang, E., Yan, S., Brady, S., Katz, A., Hira, A. (2022). Augmented Reality for Sustainable Collaborative Design [Conference Presentation]. American Society for Engineering Education.
Community Partner: Boys and Girls Club of Framingham
Project Description
This project aims to explore the affordances of augmented reality in supporting collaborative learning within sustainability and engineering education. After literature review, we concluded that sustainability related design education requires a systems approach that supports collaboration and iteration, which augmented reality uniquely affords.
Under this conceptual framework, we developed a workshop where elementary and middle school aged students use the software CoSpaces (an online platform for students to build 3D creations and animate them with code) and MergeCube (a physical cube that acts as a digital canvas for augmented reality) to plan and create sustainable digital cities.
Our primary goal with this project is to answer the following questions:
- How does engaging with augmented reality in an engineering design setting facilitate the development of knowledge and skills related to sustainability and the role of engineers in creating sustainable solutions?
- How does working hands-on in teams of two with the MergeCube facilitate discussion, negotiation, and understanding of sustainability and the role of engineering?