Augmented Reality: An Innovative Technology in Language Education?

For this blog, we were tasked with researching a learning innovation, and one that often appeared was the idea of augmented reality (AR) in education. While there are many definitions for AR, Maas and Hughes (2020) described it as virtual objects overlapping with objects in the real world and that they co-exist. While this article discussed AR in various subjects within education, there was a specific subject I wanted to explore as it interests me, and that is the idea of using AR in language education. Thus, this blog aims to look at AR in language learning. 

While augmented reality (AR) was not a technology that was readily available to all, with recent advances, there are many apps available on smartphones and computers that involve AR (Zhang et al., 2020). Augmented reality applications have become more popular, especially in science classes (Karacan & Akoğlu, 2021). A recent trend in education research is how AR can be used in language education. Karacan and Akoğlu (2021) mentioned that AR applications are not created with classroom use in mind; instead, it is up to the teacher to implement them effectively while keeping their learning objectives at the forefront. Some ways that teachers can use AR to help in language education are to implement AR flashcards and an application called Letters Alive, in which students can read vocabulary as they use 3D animations (Karacan & Akoğlu, 2021). Furthermore, there is an application called Metaverse where students can create their own stories, allowing them to practice writing and storytelling. While these applications help students learn English, the question remains: What kind of technology is needed for classrooms to support this software? 

Maas and Hughes (2020) discussed concerns about how some classes or schools may need access to computers or smart devices to implement this type of software. Similarly, Karacan and Akoğlu (2021) discussed having students bring their smartphones from home into the classroom, but that could be difficult as some students may not have their devices. Furthermore, it is not just access to these devices that schools need, but also to be aware of the storage the software will take up, whether they can maintain using it, and whether they have enough internet access. Therefore, while it is easy to say that the devices students need are more popular to have personally, that is not always the case. If schools want to implement AR software into language education, they need to be able to still provide students with the means to access it within the school and not require them to use it at home. Another aspect to reflect upon is if schools have access to similar applications mentioned above, what impact do they have on student learning? 

As mentioned above, AR applications cannot be used alone as a learning tool (Karacan & Akoğlu, 2021). Zhang et al. (2020) mentioned that AR mobile games specifically benefit student learning as they can move from just being in the classroom to providing students with the opportunity to collaborate and more context for their learning. When looking at AR specifically in language education, Karacan and Akoğlu (2021) agreed that mobile or game-based AR positively impacted student learning. For instance, the authors discussed that students were more motivated using an AR pop-up book. Furthermore, when students were using AR in their learning environment, they could experience more authentic learning, allowing them to participate in meaningful discussions. Some studies that Karacan & Akoğlu (2021) researched discussed that students were able to retain more content as the students were able to make connections “between theory and practice” (p. 71). Other studies mentioned that students showed better learning outcomes when AR was used in the classroom. For instance, when using AR to teach animal vocabulary to students learning English as a foreign language, they showed more progress than traditional means.

On the other hand, Frietas & Campos (2008), as cited in Karacan & Akoğlu (2021), mentioned that students with good academic success did not show any improvements, and students with lower academic success did. Finally, Zhang et al. (2020) also pointed out that AR does not consider learner differences. Thus, it might not be helpful to students who have learning difficulties, and teachers should remain the facilitator when implementing AR in their English language classrooms. 

To conclude, while AR is considered a technology with much potential to be implemented in the classroom, improvements still need to be made. For example, if the AR software cannot consider learner differences, the teacher should reflect on the application's usability in their class to help students with learning differences. Furthermore, when considering using AR in the classrooms, schools should discuss how they feel about using it with teachers. Some teachers may think the AR software is overly complicated and are nervous to use it (Karacan & Akoğlu, 2021). Finally, there is some criticism of using AR in the language classroom as there is little theoretical support (Zhang et al., 2020). Thus, some main things to consider before implementing AR software into the class are to reflect on whether you have the technological capacities to use it, how it will impact students in the classroom, can teachers use it effectively in the class to help with language learning, and what kinds of theories support the use of AR.

References

Karacan, C. G., & Akoğlu, K. (2021). Educational augmented reality technology for language learning and teaching: A comprehensive review. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 9(2), 68-79. https://doi.org/10.34293/Education.v9i2.3715

Maas, M. J., & Hughes, J. M. (2020). Virtual, augmented and mixed reality in K–12 education: A review of the literature. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 29(2), 231–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939x.2020.1737210

Zhang, D., Wang, M., & Wu, J. G. (2020). Design and implementation of augmented reality for english language education. Augmented Reality in Education, 217–234. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42156-4_12