AnReAL - an Augmented Reality software for Teaching Motion Concepts

4 Sept 2025, 17:20
20m
Room 1.71 (ELTE TTK)

Room 1.71

ELTE TTK

Oral presentation Mixed Reality for Enhanced Conceptual Understanding in Physics Oral Presentations

Speaker

Caterina Giovanzana (Università degli Studi di Trento)

Description

AnReAL - an Augmented Reality software for Teaching Motion Concepts

Caterina Giovanzana (1),
Tommaso Rosi (2), Giuliano Zendri (2), Pasquale Onorato (1), Stefano Oss (1).
(1) University of Trento, Department of Physics, Via Sommarive 14, 38123, Povo, Trento, Italy
(2) Level Up s.r.l., Via Generale Giacomo Medici 4/1, 38123, Trento, Italy

Abstract. Recently, Augmented Reality has gained increasing attention in education as a tool to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. This work focuses on AnReAL, an AR software for Meta Quest headsets which helps students visualize motion-related quantities.


AnReAL - an AR software for Physics Education

Recently, Augmented Reality (AR) has gained interest in education [1]. This work focuses on AR headsets like Meta Quest, whose affordability has led schools, universities, and science centers to adopt them.

The growing interest in using headsets for didactics has driven the development of new educational tools to address learning needs. In particular, our ongoing study focuses on AnReAL (Augmented Reality Active Learning) [2], an AR software designed for Meta Quest headsets, developed for enhancing physics’ teaching about motion and engaging students in their learning process.

AnReAL transforms traditional motion lessons into interactive and immersive experiences [3], promoting embodiment. It provides real-time visualization of physical quantities, such as trajectories and vectors [3] (see Fig. 1), allowing students to actually “see” abstract physical quantities and supporting their conceptual understanding.

Fig. 1. Real-time tracking of a movement and some of its respective graphs. For each dot, the yellow vector indicates its velocity and the pink one its acceleration.

Not only does AnReAL support the teaching and learning of motion-related concepts, but it can also enhance traditional physics laboratory classes. Indeed, AnReAL can be integrated with classic experimental apparatuses and can be adapted in Microcomputer-Based Laboratory (MBL) activities [4].

In our ongoing study, we are focusing on implementing AnReAL-based activities in high schools since we believe that such software promotes a stronger link between physical experimentation and theoretical understanding.

References
[1] Jesionkowska, J., Wild, F., & Deval, Y. (2020). Active Learning Augmented Reality for STEAM Education - A Case Study. Education Sciences, 10(8), 198.
[2] https://www.leveluptrento.com/anreal
[3] Rosi, T., Perini, M., Onorato, P., & Oss, S. (2021). Commercial virtual reality headsets for developing augmented reality setups to track three-dimensional motion in real time. Physics Education, 56(2), 025016.
[4] Thornton, R. K., & Sokoloff, D. R. (1990). Learning motion concepts using real-time microcomputer-based laboratory tools. American Journal of Physics, 58(9), 858-867.

Contribution categories - primary focus Primary and secondary school

Author

Caterina Giovanzana (Università degli Studi di Trento)

Co-authors

Giuliano Zendri Pasquale Onorato (University of Trento) Stefano Oss Tommaso Rosi

Presentation materials