Parallel Universe (Part I)

Two large-scale research projects exploring the effectiveness of stereo 3D in K-12 education offer us a “parallel universe” for comparing insight and results.

The first project (BVS³D) was fairly sizeable, involving four schools, eight classrooms, eight teachers, and over 570 student participants in Colorado. The LiFE I (Learning in Future Education) study, was even larger in size and scope, involving schools in seven European countries. (In the LiFE I case study, project sites were located in the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, The Netherlands, and Sweden.) This project involved fifteen schools, fifteen classes, forty-seven teachers, and well over 740 students.  The final report for the LiFE I study was released and is available by registering here. The U.S. study, however, is not yet available. In this and the coming blog post, I want to highlight those results that were germane to both case studies. These overlapping areas of accord, featuring both U.S. and European perspectives, are both fascinating and informative.

In this first blog post, I want to clarify the environment and methodologies employed in these case studies:

• First, both the U.S. and European studies involved a variety of school settings and grade levels. Both projects also favored science content delivered in 3D stereo.
• In terms of methodologies, both case studies were similar. In each school there was a 3D class and a ‘control’ class. Both 2D and 3D classes were pre-tested and post-tested for content acquisition. In addition, both studies also incorporated qualitative feedback measures such as student and teacher surveys, classroom observations, and teacher/student interviews.

In next week’s post, we will highlight the results found in common to both the BVS³D and the LiFE I research projects.