Interactive learning in the classroom: A mobile augmented reality assistance application for learning

The rapid evolution of augmented reality (AR) technology has presented new opportunities in the domain of education. Acting as a bridge between the virtual and real worlds, AR technology overcomes the physical limitations of our classrooms at a low cost and provides an interactive learning experience. In this study, we present a smartphone AR application, named the AR-E-Helper, which assists the learning of students in higher education lectures. Our goal is to provide an AR-enhanced learning experience for students. To validate the effectiveness of the AR-E-Helper, we conducted an experiment that compares three classes: AR-enhanced, smartphone-enhanced, and nontechnology-enhanced classes. Through the experiment, we observed that our application was helpful in maintaining student's focus in class, promoting their interest, and increasing their satisfaction. Furthermore, we also found how to improve our application based on the observations that the application brought some downsides to the learning activities. We expect that this study will be helpful to design AR learning tools in the future.