Abstract:

Due to the high degree of abstraction and the need to think in three-dimensional models, a significant part of the basic concepts of Astronomy are, most of the time, difficult to understand, involving the spatial reconstruction of representations, often taught in a two-dimensional approach. This difficulty in the three-dimensional visualization of the celestial bodies and their phenomena (seasons, moon phases, eclipses, among others), as well as the difficulty in perceiving the dimensions/proportions of the celestial bodies and distances in space, does not allow students to "achieve" hard-to-reach places, as well as to easily visualize these abstract concepts.

Because it is a subject with a high level of abstraction, the use of different digital technologies, integrated in a pedagogical strategy, can be an important alternative in the teaching-learning process, allowing the student to be introduced to a diversity of relevant concepts in a natural way.

Among several technologies, Augmented Reality (AR) appears as an emergent technology that bridges the gap between the virtual and the real world, both spatially and cognitively. This has been used by many teachers in school contexts, as it allows the creation of active and interactive learning environments, where the student interacts directly with three-dimensional objects in the real world, as well as promoting motivation in the teaching-learning process.

Effectively AR allows students to move around the three-dimensional virtual image and examine it from any point of view, just like a real object, increasing their spatial visualization capacity and consequently the understanding of real-world phenomena. This augmented learning environment significantly improves the learning of astronomy concepts and contributes to an awareness of misconceptions in order to build scientifically correct mental models.

The main objective of this article is to understand and discuss the problems and challenges of the inclusion of AR in a real educational context, as a strategy to promote active learning of Astronomy in middle school students, capable of overcoming the pedagogical challenges identified. Furthermore, it’s a clarification of key concepts for the implementation of AR technology in Astronomy teaching, considering that AR learning material is an effective tool in teaching Astronomy topics that include complex spatial relationships.

Keywords:

Astronomy, Middle School, Augmented Reality, Physics.