A Survey of Educational Augmented Reality in Academia and Practice: Effects on Cognition, Motivation, Collaboration, Pedagogy and Applications

Abstract

Augmented Reality (AR) technology is gaining popularity and adoption by educational pioneers. While there is great excitement about this technology, there is also a lack of systematic understanding of what makes this technology effective or ineffective for education, and the practical and systemic challenges of implementing it at scale in classroom settings. In this research we provide a synthesis of empirical scientific findings about the factual benefits and detriments of this technology (from a dataset of 2023 academic papers, of which 39 were analyzed in depth), and of public opinions about augmented reality in education practice (gathered from a dataset of 86 websites and blog posts, of which 53 were analyzed in depth). We contribute a list of specific cognitive, motivational and social processes that are enhanced by AR technology. We also identify popular curriculum topics and popular AR applications, as well as summarize several factors that are important for educators to consider for integrating AR into classrooms.