A study to determine the effectiveness of augmented reality to increase comprehension and decrease cognitive load while studying protein structure

Abstract

Proteins are essential components of biochemistry, cellular biology, and medicine. Some students however may struggle with the representations of proteins found in the classroom. In this thesis , we present a novel augmented reality (AR) application that renders channel proteins and provides animations and lessons for students to learn from. This software was programmed using Unity C# scripting, as well as making use of open-source files from the protein database (RCSB PDB). The application was designed as a tool to help students learn about channel proteins structure and function. We recruited 30 undergraduate students for a study using the AR app and traditional methods. These students were then given a test on channel proteins, as well as a questionnaire on mental effort and enjoyment. The AR group did significantly better on their test scores, had lower cognitive load scores, and rated the experience more exciting than the non- AR group.