A Comparative Study for Evaluating a Collaborative Educational AR System

This work presents a usability and learning impact analysis of an AR-based collaborative learning environment. The evaluated system is “LeARn”, which is an AR virtual lab that provides a collaborative setting to perform chemistry experiments using smartphones. Pointing the phone camera on any planar surface transforms it into a virtual lab, where users not only perform experiments, but also multiple users can be connected to the same session that can be managed by an instructor. In contrast to the earlier method, this work focusses on extensive usability and learning impact analysis with a widely expanded user study. The data collection is improved to collect not only qualitative data but also multiple types of quantitative data. The data is analyzed from a variety of angles, and the AR learning environment is assessed for its usability, the efficacy of its collaborative features, and its influence on learning. The results also assess the viability of using technology in conjunction with face-to-face instruction.