Understanding the Perceptions of Teachers Regarding Digital Transformation in Education and Cultural Heritage via Mixed Reality Applications
摘要
Rapid technological developments in educational technology such as Mixed Reality (MR) have brought new challenges and opportunities to the fore. However, the integration of those disruptive technologies into school life is not without challenges. The purpose of this work is to collect and study the perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of teachers regarding the educational use of Mixed Reality technologies in cultural heritage topics and the resultant digital transformation of education. Based on a study conducted with the participation of elementary, secondary and tertiary educators, significant feedback from stakeholders was acquired. One of the main results of this study clearly indicated the importance of training in the relevant technologies. In addition, the survey participants highlighted the importance of integrating these technologies in everyday school praxis, mainly in a supportive role in different academic topics and courses (History, Arts and S.T.E.A.M. approaches). Moreover, the majority of educators estimated that in the long-term MR technologies will help to improve the educational system in general. Nevertheless, our findings show that there is both a low level of use of MR apps in relevant courses and some teachers’ resistance to change their didactic model. The results of this study are important for both teachers and MR app developers, as well as school policy-makers. The integration of MR applications in schools and digital heritage can open up new avenues for improving educational processes through disruptive projection technologies.