Examination of using monoscopic 3 dimensional (2d) and stereoscopic 3 dimensional animation on students

Rapid changes in the technology provide new products and opportunities that facilitate our lives. Specifically, improvements and changes in the Computer Technologies, no doubt, lead the developments in the field of technology. A wide variety of sectors from industry to health make use of these developments, including education. In this regard, since the invention of the computers, Computer-based Instruction have taken place in education processes, and since then, albeit in different forms, Computer-based Instruction has had a pivotal role in instructional processes. Today, with the developments in technology and easy access to it, educational materials developed through Monoscopic 3D (M3D) visualization technologies have been replaced with Stereoscopic 3D (S3D) visualization technologies. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the effect of M3D and S3D animation on students' achievement in Geography course and their perceptions on the instruction. For this purpose, the unit of 'The Shape and Movements of the Earth' which is presented in the 9th grade Geography curriculum was taught to 66 9th graders 33 of which were taught the unit by utilizing M3D animation while the other half by using S3D animation. Both quantitaive and qualitative data were collected in this mixed-method design study. T-test was used to analize the quantitative data and content analyze was used for the qualitative data. Findings of the study revealed that, although there was not a significant mean difference between students' pre-test scores, there was a significant mean difference in the post-test scores in favor of students who were taught by using S3D animation. In addition, students in both of the groups asserted the effectiveness of using animations in classes; however, they highlighted that S3D animations were more effective and enjoyable. Lastly, the participants were asked to evaluate the animation used in the instruction in terms of its strenghts and the parts that need improvements. They listed the content, the visuals, the flow, and the music of the animation as its strenghts; whilst, a few students alleged that the quality of the sound and visuals, as well as the efects of the animation should be improved. As a corollary, it is expected that this study will contribute to the limited literature in the field and open a new window for future studies conducted in Turkey. Beside, it is supposed that findings of this study will guide practitioners who seek to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their instruction in courses such as Geography in which students needs visualization of the content.