A Closer Look at How Students Use Augmented Reality to Learn About a Chemical Reaction in the Classroom

Augmented reality learning environments (AR-LEs) hold promise for enhancing students’ understanding of chemical reaction mechanisms by facilitating connections between particulate and symbolic level representations. However, little is known about the extent to which AR-LEs support these connections during students’ learning processes. This study investigates how AR-LEs support students in understanding the electrophilic aromatic substitution of bromine onto benzene, with a focus on the quality of connections made between particulate and symbolic representations. A video study with qualitative content analysis of transcripts was conducted to examine student interactions while learning with 2D symbolic-level and 3D particulate-level AR animations in situ. These analyses assessed the quality and quantity of connections students made while engaging with the AR-LE, with the goal of understanding more precisely how students use the AR-LE to make these connections. The findings revealed that most connections were of advanced quality, with no differences between the 2D symbolic-level and 3D particulate-level AR formats in stimulating connection-making. Furthermore, this study underscores the importance of scaffolding within AR-LEs to better support diverse learners.