Connecting Modes, Constructing Knowledge: The Impact of Multimodal Learning on Young Scientists

Research in learning sciences suggests that sound and high-quality science education heightens students' achievement, yet many students have limited opportunities to engage in science at the elementary level. As a result, many students do not acquire the building blocks necessary to succeed in STEM learning later in their academic journey. In our local community, Guilford County, 42% of the elementary schools scored below the average proficiency for science during the 2022-2023 school year. Therefore, creating high-quality elementary science education research benefits students nationally and in our local community. In this study, I focus on scaffolding inquiry, specifically guided inquiry approaches to learning. Guided inquiry allows students to build knowledge and comprehension while following a structured plan laid out by the teacher. While some research has investigated closing the gaps in understanding with guided inquiry, most fail to focus on its application for elementary school. Further, continuing the prevalence of low science proficiency rates by ignoring the communication of foundational science concepts.  My research explores how multimodal learning, such as incorporating multimodal text and mixed reality, impacts guided inquiry. Taking three groups of fourth graders, we will look at their pre- and post-tests to see how the different modalities (worksheet, multimodal text, and mixed reality) affect their understanding of conceptual knowledge during guided inquiry. While the results are preliminary, they suggest that mixed reality during guided inquiry enhances student outcomes and understanding of scientific content knowledge.