It is well documented that informal learning spaces, rich with real-world phenomena, provide more diverse entry points for learners to pursue and develop science interests, engage in science inquiry, and reflect on their experiences through sense-making conversations. The Playground Physics program is designed to be a bridge between the traditional formal science learning that happens in a classroom and the key affordances of informal science learning. In particular, the Playground Physics program was inspired by the quality of active engagement taking place in NYSCI's outdoor Science Playground. Playground Physics is intended to bring the playful, engaging experience of the Science Playground to the more formal learning environment found in schools. By placing students at the center of their own learning through an embodied play and video based app, we hoped to deepen students' physics knowledge and engagement with science as well as ultimately support a broad range of students' long-term interest in exploring the STEM fields.
The Playground Physics program consists of an app, supplementary curriculum, and teacher professional development. Using the app, students record a video of themselves doing an embodied play activity, and then tap points along the way to trace a path of motion. Students then analyze their play performances and data via app-generated graphs and lenses focused on motion, force, and energy. Through the course of three accompanying Playground Physics curriculum units focused on motion, force, and energy, students use their own embodied experiences as grounds to ask questions, identify patterns in data, and analyze and interpret the data presented in the app.
The Playground Physics program was supported by Sara Lee Schupf and the Lubin Family Foundation, BNY Mellon, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Motorola Solutions Foundation, the National Science Foundation through Award No. 1135202, and the US Department of Education through Award No. U411C110310 and Award No. U411B180028. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the aforementioned funders.
The development and implementation was a collaboration by a team of project directors, curriculum and technology designers, practitioners, researchers, and evaluators: Harouna Ba, Steve Uzzo, Laycca Umer, Michaela Labriole, Judith Hutton, Amanda Jaksha, Cornelia Brunner, and Rose Pozos at the New York Hall of Science; Andrew Holz and Migdalia Sanabria at the New York City Department of Education; Jake Barton and Eric Mika at Local Projects; Trent Oliver, Bryan Wagman, and Robert Moskal at Blue Telescope; Jonathan Saggau at Enharmonic; Amy Perry-DelCorvo and Linda Brandon at the New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education; and Jonathan Margolin, Jingtong Pan, Leah Brown, and Lawrence Friedman at the American Institutes for Research.
Phase 1 (2011-2016): During this five year period, our team of science instructors and researchers engaged teachers and students in design research and development. We experimented with different ideas for a video-based embodied play app during this design period, landing on the idea that would become Playground Physics. Then, we convened a summer institute at the museum and worked with teachers in developing the Playground Physics curriculum and Professional Development activities. Next, we proceeded with an implementation study across New York City. Based on the feedback from teachers and students as well as our external evaluators, we made changes to the program to better support teachers and students before conducting our final impact study.
Phase 2 (2018-2022): Building on the successful impact we saw from our initial program, we applied for and were awarded funding from the US Department of Education’s Education Innovation and Research program to conduct a broader research study. We ultimately aim to develop a successful scale-up strategy to expand and broaden access to the Playground Physics program across New York State, and test whether the program has similar or greater impact on students’ physics learning across a variety of settings. We are also further refining elements of the program, such as improvements and new features added to the Playground Physics app, an ongoing revision of the curricular activities, and the new addition of an online Community of Practice and coaching for teachers during their implementation of the program.
Based on teacher feedback, we feel this project successfully activates students’ engagement in physics. The focus on capturing videos of student-driven embodied play activities and the exploration and interpretation of real scientific data from those performances places students at the center of their own learning. This allows them to ask questions and conduct investigations drawing from their own curiosity. We see students excited to capture videos of activities they enjoy, such as rollerblading, frisbee, or skateboarding, in order to analyze the physics in those activities. This also leads to teachers expanding their perspective on what activities can be a part of rigorous formal science learning, and connecting with their students on a deeper level by seeing the value of making science relevant to their lives. Similarly, the design of the professional development program allows teachers to first take on the role of learner, engaging in the same playful activities that they will then implement in the classroom. Teacher surveys indicate that this playful approach to learning the app and curriculum left educators feeling comfortable and excited about using the program with students.
Playground Physics has measurable impact on students’ knowledge. The rigorous Randomized Control Study we conducted in New York City found that students demonstrated improved physics knowledge related to energy, motion, and Newton's third law, and 4 out of 5 teachers reported greater student engagement.
The diverse expertise of the team and cultivation of a true partnership with the intended users was critical to the success of this project. The collaboration between informal educators, practitioners, researchers, and technology developers throughout the development and expansion of the program sparked insights into helping to understand the students' needs and teachers' perspectives. It allowed for the design of a tool and program that is innovative, responsive, and all-around delightful.
There are many barriers to access when it comes to using technology in schools, from access to compatible devices, to the limitations of a school's literal bandwidth, to teachers’ comfort levels with using new technology for instruction in the classroom, outside the classroom in the playground, and remotely. Being very specific in identifying the need we planned to address, authentically engaging stakeholders early on and involving them in co-design, identifying local partners with a network of relationships that can be catalyzed and expertise in addressing the identified needs all helped us in working through these challenges. It was also important to acknowledge that the educational technology landscape is ever changing. While it isn't possible to anticipate every new hurdle, building flexibility into the project was key in helping us find workable solutions to emerging issues.
Yes. In our current Phase 2 expansion of this program across New York State, we hope to see a positive impact on physics learning for a broader range of urban, suburban, and rural schools. The results of this scale-up will inform our future strategy in deepening engagement of middle-school-age students through embodied play and analyzing physics concepts through the Playground Physics program.