News Finding: The final analysis shows that the mixed-reality game improved learning by almost five times more than the screen-only alternatives, both in the mouse-controlled and physically controlled conditions.
Paper Finding: On the other hand, integrating simple physical controls such as shaking the tablet has little effect.
News Context: A game that combined real-world experiments with interactions on a computer tablet improved learning by almost five times more than screen-only alternatives. The final analysis shows that the mixed-reality game improved learning by almost five times more than the screen-only alternatives, both in the mouse-controlled and physically controlled conditions. Not only that, but students enjoyed the game more in the mixed-reality conditions.
Paper Context: We provided evidence that experiencing physical phenomena accompanied by interactive feedback via depth camera sensing in the real world improves learning (by approximately 5 times compared to a solely screen-based environment), while also enhancing enjoyment significantly. On the other hand, integrating simple physical controls such as shaking the tablet has little effect. Thus, mixed-reality games that support physical observation in the real world have a great potential to enhance learning and enjoyment for young children.