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Beginning in the summer of 2023, Sean Keenan (Educational Technology Specialist), Katherine Marenco (Senior Lecturer in Geology), Rich Willard (former Director of Science Support Services), and Rob Cunningham (Chief Instrument Maker for Science Support Services) embarked on an ambitious collaborative project. Marenco wanted to provide an interactive element to her classes: a physical sandbox where students could create 3D topographic maps. She asked Willard and Cunningham to build the sandbox and Keenan to write the software needed for this dynamic educational tool, hoping it would provide students increased engagement and learning. Despite the challenges, they were able to use the sandbox for the first time this fall for Marenco’s Geology 101 course How the Earth Works.

“It was a strenuous process with the first software program we used," Keenan said, reflecting on the initial hurdles. "There are quite a few competitors in the world of augmented reality sandboxes and it became a challenge to figure out which one would work best for the purposes we had in mind.” Keenan and Marenco finally decided on using SARndbox, developed by Oliver Kreylos at UC Davis. Even after selecting their software, the team faced other challenges. “(Cunningham and Willard) did so much work," Marenco said, "including having to change the dimensions of the box (after they'd finished building it) when we realized it wouldn't fit through the classroom doorway!” Despite having a clear set of instructions and video tutorials, setting up the software was also far from effortless. “Once we got the sandbox set up, we needed to start on the calibrations,” Keenan shared. “The system required a precise alignment of the sensors to be able to determine the height, width, and depth of the sandbox. While setting up the sandbox, I accidentally knocked into the sensors several times and had to gather at minimum a hundred new tie points each time. It was a labor of love for sure though.”

Once it was up and running during the lab, however, the sandbox proved to be an invaluable resource. As students moved the sand, its sensors projected different elevations and contours. This allowed students to use the sand to build mountains and carve chasms below sea level, providing a hands-on experience of what's usually drawn on pencil and paper. Mishelley Low '25, the class’s teaching assistant, found that the sandbox enhanced students’ experience: “I appreciate how the Sandbox is three-dimensional and could be manipulated easily by the students to show examples of how contour lines change for different structures, especially regarding steepness.” Marenco added, “Being able to read and interpret topographic maps is an important skill for geologists to have, but developing that ability is challenging because it requires making a mental leap from two-dimensional data to a three-dimensional visualization. As soon as I learned about augmented reality sandboxes, I wanted one for teaching because I knew that it could help students learn how to make that mental leap.”

Looking ahead, there are plans to use the sandbox again for future class teachings. “I am excited about designing new introductory-level lab activities around the sandbox and exploring how the Geology Department might adapt it for use in our 200-level curriculum," Marenco said.