ARthur in the Wild: Investigating the Potential of AR Search Tools in University Education

Abstract

In this study, the time-consuming nature of educational content creation in augmented reality (AR) and limitations in nancial support are addressed by proposing a mobile AR search tool to aid in inquiry-based learning activities. This type of tool would not require content creation or expensive technological devices. A demo of such an AR search tool was created and tested in-class in the form of a quantitative experiment. The results showed no signi cant in uence on learning performance (p = 0; 376) or motivation (p = 0; 068) of university students compared to regular internet browser search. The usability, however, was rated almost excellent on the System Usability Scale (SUS) (Mdn: = 83; 750). A larger sample size and improvements of the tool would be needed to determine the true e ectiveness of AR search tools, which is suggested for further research. Keywords: Augmented reality University education Search tool In-classroom Learning outcomes Motivation Usability.