While studies have explored the potential of multi-modal technologies in education, there remains a gap in understanding the full impact of these technologies on students’ cognitive processes and learning experiences (Neri et al., 2015; Shaikh et al., 2017; Yuksel et al., 2017; Neri et al., 2018; Neri et al., 2020; Walsh et al., 2020; Walsh and Magana, 2023). This underlines the importance of further research into how visuo-haptic simulations can be optimized during their development to support and implement effective learning strategies.
This work presents the design and development of three visuo-haptic simulators aimed at teaching classical physics concepts. Through interactive engagement, these simulators allow students to explore and physically experience forces, enhancing their learning experience. The objective of this study is to evaluate the usability of these simulators and understand students’ perceptions of their educational value. To this end, the following research questions were proposed:
1. How does visuo-haptic technology influence students’ engagement and perception of learning fundamental physics concepts?
2. What are students’ perceptions regarding the intuitiveness and educational potential of visuo-haptic simulators?
3. What useful information can be derived from students’ interactions and feedback when engaging with these simulations?
To address these questions, the end-user computer satisfaction survey, proposed by Doll and Torkzadeh (1988), was adapted to assess the usability and perceived educational effectiveness of the simulators. This adaptation aims not only to assist educators in designing multi-modal learning scenarios but also to establish a framework for evaluating the impact of these technologies on the learning experience.
This article is structured as follows: The related work is presented in Section 2. Section 3 provides the materials and methods employed in the study. Sections 4 and 5 present the results and discussions related to the design and implementation of the simulators, according to the feedback and outcomes of the questionnaire, respectively. Finally, Section 6 outlines the study’s conclusions, key observations, and potential directions for future research.
