Mixed Reality Learning Environments in Times of Pandemic: What Can We Learn?

This Work-in-Progress paper focuses on the qualitative aspects of a larger mixed-methods study about GeoExplorer, a game-based learning aspect of a mixed reality educational environment where students participate in a mock internship with the goal to complete a geotechnical mission involving Cone Penetration Testing, a civil engineering field technique students traditionally get very little exposure to due to its complexity and cost. This work seeks to understand how mixed reality learning environments, specifically game-based learning, support (i) creation of individualized hands-on learning opportunities, particularly during the pandemic-driven remote learning paradigm, and (ii) students' development along various noncognitive axes - confidence and motivation. Methods of narrative analyses and grounded theory are used to identify emergent themes in interviews with 10 undergraduate civil engineering students who experienced GeoExplorer in their required geotechnical engineering courses. Our preliminary findings indicate that the GeoExplorer activity was perceived by students as a novel learning experience, particularly welcomed in a time of remote learning, that motivates them to engage more with content and creates individualized hands-on experiences. Students describe how the activity affects their perceived confidence, often gendered, regarding their ability to perform civil engineering fieldwork. Further analyses of these findings may shed light on the ways in which mixed reality learning environments support equitable learning opportunities for all students.