Your Stories - University of Canberra
The CSER Lending Library was delighted to welcome the University of Canberra's Faculty of Education to our library community this term. The Pre-Service Teachers engaged with our Mixed Augmented Reality Kit to share and experience a range of digital tools for classroom integration as part of exploring Digital Technologies and wicked problems. Thank you to the University of Canberra's Doctoral Lecturer in Education, Lucy Bennett, who shared how they used the library kit this term.
In the Pedagogical Content Knowledge Technologies unit, 4th-year Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) at the University of Canberra have been actively engaging with digital technology tools from the CSER Lending Library. As part of their learning, the PSTs explored core concepts of the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum, including specification, algorithms, and implementation. The hands-on approach enabled them to create interactive experiences using Cospaces Edu, where they designed 360-degree virtual environments.
A key focus of the learning experience was centered around wicked problems—complex, often societal issues that are difficult to define and have no clear solution. PSTs used Cospaces to design animations and apply physics within their virtual worlds, addressing these intricate problems through immersive, interactive solutions.
They explored links to various curriculum areas, envisioning how Cospaces Edu could be integrated into primary classrooms. Some examples of creative applications included:
Textiles: Designing patterns in a virtual environment.
Science: Exploring the states of matter, physics concepts, or space exploration.
HASS: Retelling historical facts with an immersive twist.
HPE: Creating a virtual workout routine.
Art: Crafting a story with visual art elements.
Dance: Understanding spacing and formations in choreography.
In addition to Cospaces, PSTs were introduced to the Merge Cube—an innovative tool for viewing and interacting with 3D objects in augmented reality. The PSTs used the Merge Explorer app to explore transdisciplinary learning, specifically accessing content on the brain and space exploration. Through this, they identified numerous opportunities to integrate the Merge Cube into science lessons, aligning with Australian Curriculum content areas such as Biological, Chemical, Physical, and Earth and Space Sciences.
The Pre-Service Teachers expressed enthusiasm about the potential for these tools to create more engaging and immersive learning environments in their future classrooms. Their experiences with the Lending Library resources have provided them with practical insights into leveraging digital technologies to enhance student learning across multiple disciplines.
This example of technology integration showcases how PSTs are embracing innovative teaching methods and aligning them with the Australian curriculum to create meaningful educational experiences for their students. It is exciting to witness how they will continue to bring these digital tools into their teaching practice.
We are grateful to Lucy and the Pre-Service Teachers at the University of Canberra for sharing their recent experiences with the CSER Lending Library Mixed Augmented Reality Kit.
Our library contains a variety of robotics, AR and VR kits. If you'd like to become a part of the CSER Lending Library community, please register your interest in borrowing one of our Digital Technologies Kits below.
With thanks to the support of the Australian Government Department of Education.