Date of Award

Spring 2026

Abstract

As the population of students learning introductory physics continues to grow and diversify, it becomes necessary to incorporate an equally diverse array of learning materials in these courses to suit the new dynamic of the physics classroom. In this thesis, I present my work designing, developing, evaluating, and refining instructional tools for science educators. First, I present the “Charge Playground,” an immersive Virtual Reality application for the Meta Quest VR headset. The Charge Playground abstractly visualizes the electric field, potential, and force generated by a configuration of electric charges in a novel, interactive way. I describe the motivation behind incorporating VR into the STEM classroom, expound on each carefully designed element of the Charge Playground, and present the results of a controlled study evaluating the effect of learning from the Charge Playground on situational interest in electrostatics. From that study, we find statistically significantly higher levels (p < .001) of affective dimensions of learning for introductory physics students who complete the Charge Playground’s VR laboratory activity compared to those who complete an equivalent activity via a PDF. Second, I present an overview of a short-form course on lightning observation and measurement. I describe the fabrication of a Lightning Weather Center to facilitate data collection and the curriculum design frameworks used to design coursework in photography, physics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science that will comprise a UNH Innovation Scholars Program opportunity.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

First Advisor

Matthew Argall

Second Advisor

Melissa Aikens

Third Advisor

Christopher Bauer

Degree Name

Master of Science

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