News Finding: They also determined that simple physical controls like shaking the tablet or pushing the earthquake button did little to improve either learning or enjoyment of the game.
Paper Finding: showed that children used more meaningful gestures while explaining their predictions when they observed physical blocks in a mixed-reality game, compared to a screen-only version of the same game.
News Context: Not only that, but students enjoyed the game more in the mixed-reality conditions. They also determined that simple physical controls like shaking the tablet or pushing the earthquake button did little to improve either learning or enjoyment of the game. "Mixed-reality games that support physical observation in the real world have a great potential to enhance learning and enjoyment for young children," the researchers say.
Paper Context: Experiencing physical phenomena in real life may help people perceive and mentally visualize the physical objects in 3D in their minds, make connections with objects they are familiar with, and as a result remember the concepts better. showed that children used more meaningful gestures while explaining their predictions when they observed physical blocks in a mixed-reality game, compared to a screen-only version of the same game. This result suggests that children may be having more meaningful mental visualizations (demonstrated by the gestures they use) when they interact with 3D objects .