Section: New Results
HOBIT
Participants: David Furio, Benoit Coulais, Martin Hachet
Practical work in optics learning allows supporting the construction of knowledge, in particular when the concept to be learned remains diffuse. To overcome the limitations of the current experimental setups, we have designed a hybrid system that combines physical interaction and numerical simulation. This system relies on 3D-printed replicas of optical elements, which are augmented with pedagogical information (see Figure 3). In a first step, we have focused on the well-known Michelson interferometer experiment, widely studied in under graduate programs of Science. A 3-months user study with 101 students and 6 teachers showed that, beyond the practical aspects offered by this system, such an approach enhances the technical and scientific learning compared to a standard Michelson interferometer experiment. This work has been published at CHI 2017 [24], and the paper obtained a Best Paper - Honorable Mention Award.
Currently, we are developping a second version of HOBIT. This new version will let us simulate and augment multiple experiments related with optics, like polarization or Young’s interferometer.