Connecting learning in university classrooms and science centers with perceptual illusions

Abstract

Perceptual illusions (the illusory experience of perceiving something that is not there or not real) are often used in university teaching to increase students’ curiosity in psychology and neuroscience. At the same time, perceptual illusions are frequently curated in science museums for informal education to generate the interest of lay audiences across ages in science. Despite being widely used and anecdotally effective in engagement, teaching with perceptual illusions in formal and informal settings often runs in parallel with little overlap.

This presentation presents an exploratory class project that bridges this gap: students enrolled in Perception class (200-level) at St. Thomas University engage in semester-long learning activities to curate resources on the science of perceptual illusions for a local community partner, Science East – the science centre of Fredericton, New Brunswick. Specifically, students work in groups on a chosen perceptual illusion and produce an infographic or a video explaining the science behind perceptual illusions to the general audience across ages by the end of the semester. Drawing inspiration from the Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle and recent examples of high-impact practices in higher education (Schwartz & Miller, 2020), students engage in structured learning activities such as visiting the science centre, reflecting on the visit, a guest lecture by the community partner, iterating with peers and the instructor, and presenting their products to the university community.

In addition to sharing the design considerations, this presentation will present the presenters’ observations and reflections on the project’s first and second implementations. Did we meet our objectives, and to what extent? What have we learned beyond what was intended? What were the obstacles, and how have we adjusted the course? What were the critical conditions for success (if success was met), and how can we improve? Final pondering thoughts will be discussed in the broader context, for example, how to engage community partners in experiential learning, and how to harness the possible overlap between formal and informal education by considering students as co-creators of teaching materials for others (Ribosa & Duran, 2022), how experiential learning might be structured to develop social metacognition - students’ knowledge of others’ knowledge, emotions, and actions (Chiu & Kuo, 2009).