Technology Affordances

Bower's (2017) theory of technology affordances identifies specific affordances that technology can provide to enhance learning experiences. Merge EDU, an augmented reality (AR) platform, exemplifies several of these affordances, including spatial, temporal, and navigation affordances. Below is an analysis of how these affordances are manifested in Merge EDU, along with the advantages and limitations of the technology. 

The capacity of educational technologies to create or manipulate the perception of physical space within a learning environment, enabling learners to engage with digital content in a manner that is consistent with or enhances their physical context. Merge EDU leverages AR to project 3D digital objects into the real world, allowing students to explore and interact with these objects as though they were physically present. This interaction promotes spatial reasoning and enhances kinesthetic learning by encouraging active manipulation of virtual models (Bower, 2017).

This enables the students to manipulate time within a learning experience by pausing, replaying, or exploring events at different speeds. In Merge EDU, students can control the timing of their interactions with AR content, such as observing the growth of a virtual plant over time or replaying a simulation to better understand a process. This affordance aligns with the principles of self-paced learning and allows students to revisit and reflect on content, thus deepening their understanding (Sweller, 2020). 

The ways in which educational technologies facilitate movement through different layers or aspects of content. Merge EDU, students can navigate around or within 3D objects, exploring different perspectives and layers of information. This type of affordance supports exploratory learning and encourages students to engage in creative problem-solving by giving them control over their learning pathways (Mayer, 2014).