#775: Using Mobile AR to Support Families’ Pollinator Science Learning: Fostering Intergenerational Conversations While Learning-on-the-Move

This paper reports on the third iteration of a design-based research study examining how mobile augmented reality (AR) apps can support rural families’ science learning in outdoor informal settings. Grounded in theories of learning-on-the-move and socio-technical pedagogies, the Backyard Explorers app was designed to scaffold conceptual understanding and intergenerational science talk about pollinators. A quantitative analysis comparing 39 families’ pre- and post-experience interviews revealed significant learning gains (Cohen’s d = 1.57) after their 20-minute AR-guided experiences. Complementary case studies illustrate how the app’s AR features fostered family conversations using an analytical framework examining conceptual, affective, connecting, and perceptual talk. The case studies illuminate how the AR elements supported engagement in scientific meaning-making. The study’s implications include four design conjectures for using mobile AR to deliver microlearning experiences that promote science talk and learning in rural communities underserved by traditional science institutions.