2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Seeing Electromagnetic Induction: Student Sense Making with Augmented Reality

Presented at Engineering Physics and Physics Division (EP2D) Poster Session

This study maps the process of students' conceptualization of magnetic flux and induction of electric current using visualizations in the MARVLS Augmented Reality App. We also use the mathematical sense making (MSM) framework to map students' reasoning about mathematical relationships within this context. We present this process and content in a series of semi structured think-aloud guided interview questions. Students manipulate the AR visual objects including a copper ring and magnetic field within the AR models to explore their conceptions of magnetic flux and how the direction of induced current is related to changes in magnetic flux. The MSM framework is used to analyze how students manipulate these elements in the AR model to build their conceptual model of electromagnetic induction.

Interview results suggest that AR models of electromagnetic induction within the MARVLS App promotes a deeper and more nuanced understanding of how a change of flux creates an induced current. The results indicate that many students are not sure what flux means and needed scaffolding to determine how to create changes in flux. For example, students were prompted to move a copper ring away from or toward a magnetic field within the visualization, to move the copper ring from left to right through the magnetic field, or to rotate the cube such that the magnetic field lines were rotated about the copper ring. In addition, some students needed additional scaffolding to link the direction of the current to an increasing or decreasing flux. The insights gained during the interviews and analyzed with the MSM framework contribute to curriculum development concerned with using AR models to engage students in physics learning.

Authors

Michele W. McColgan Siena University [biography]

Dr. Michele McColgan is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Siena University, a small liberal arts institution in upstate New York. She leads the development of Manipulable Augmented Reality Visualizations to Learn Spatially (MARVLS), a suite of augmented reality (AR) smartphone applications designed to enhance physics and engineering education. These tools help students bridge the gap between abstract concepts, 3D models, and the traditional 2D representations and equations found in textbooks. By immersing learners in a visually engaging and interactive environment, the MARVLS apps promote a deeper understanding of complex physics and engineering principles.

Dr. McColgan’s research focuses on physics education, investigating how AR technologies influence students’ conceptual understanding and spatial visualization skills. Her work explores how manipulating 3D models and linking 2D representations, equations, and real-world phenomena can improve students’ comprehension and problem-solving abilities.
George E Hassel Siena University [biography]

George Hassel is a Teaching Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Siena University. He earned a PhD in Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as part of the New York Center for Studies on the Origins of Life. Prior to that, he earned a BS in Physics from Widener University with a Secondary Teaching Certificate. His research interests involve the adaptation of inquisition-based and engagement in the undergraduate physics curriculum.
Dr. Kamyar Pashayi http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-0952-1545 Siena University [biography]

Kamyar Pashayi earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Science, a Master’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering, and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. He received his PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY in 2012. After graduation, he joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University at Harrisburg as a faculty member, where he was awarded the Research Council Grant. From 2015 to 2020, he worked as an engineer and quality manager in multiple aerospace and pressure vessels manufacturing companies. From 2020 to 2022, he has been a full-time faculty and faculty program director at Excelsior University. Kamyar has been teaching engineering courses at the Applied Physics program at Siena College since 2019 as an adjunct lecturer and now he is rejoining this program as an Associate Professor. Kamyar also holds a MBA degree from University of Albany and he is a licensed professional engineer (PE) in the state of New York.
He has multiple journal publications in The Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Applied Physics, Nanoscale, and his current research interests include application of augmented reality in engineering education.
Dr. Jason W Morphew http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5971-214X Purdue University – West Lafayette (College of Engineering) [biography]

Dr. Jason Morphew is an assistant professor at Purdue University in Engineering Education and serves as the director of undergraduate curriculum and advanced learning technologies for SCALE, and is affiliated with the INSPIRE research institute for Pre-College Engineering and the Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM. Dr. Morphew's research focuses on the application of principles of learning derived from cognitive science and the learning sciences to the design and evaluation of learning environments and technologies that enhance learning, interest, and engagement in STEM. Morphew earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Educational Psychology from the Cognitive Science of Teaching and Learning Division where he examined self-regulated learning of engineering students enrolled in introductory physics courses.

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