Improving STEM Learning Experience in Primary School by Using NEWTON Project Innovative Technologies
Résumé
Nowadays school curriculum is changing and more and more teachers
are incorporating STEM content and themes into their classrooms. Students need
to be proficient in STEM fields in order to be ready for the new technology driven
society. Game-based learning and the latest visual technologies such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Virtual Labs can motive students to study
STEM topics through an immersive and engaging environment. This research
introduces NEWTON project that integrates into a learning platform (NEWTELP)
different innovative technologies and deploys them in various European learning
environments. In particular, Final Frontier, a novel interactive educational video
game about solar system designed for primary school children is presented.
A research study that involved the use of the game in a primary Irish school from
Dublin, has investigated the learner experience. An analysis of the results show
that over 90% of students confirmed that the game helped them to learn about the
characteristics of the planets from the Solar system and they enjoyed the game and
the game features in particular the fun aspect, the exploration tasks, sta