The Impact of an Augmented Reality Application on Learning Motivation of Students

TLDR

Research on augmented reality in education is still nascent, with limited studies on its effects, especially on student learning motivation. The study aimed to assess how an AR mobile application influences the learning motivation of undergraduate health science students at the University of Cape Town. Using intrinsic motivation theory and the ARCS model, the authors surveyed 78 students before and after using the AR app, employing the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey to capture changes in attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction. Results indicated that the AR app significantly boosted overall learning motivation, particularly attention, confidence, and satisfaction, while relevance showed a non‑significant decline.

Abstract

The research on augmented reality applications in education is still in an early stage, and there is a lack of research on the effects and implications of augmented reality in the field of education. The purpose of this research was to measure and understand the impact of an augmented reality mobile application on the learning motivation of undergraduate health science students at the University of Cape Town. We extend previous research that looked specifically at the impact of augmented reality technology on student learning motivation. The intrinsic motivation theory was used to explain motivation in the context of learning. The attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) model guided the understanding of the impact of augmented reality on student motivation, and the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey was used to design the research instrument. The research examined the differences in student learning motivation before and after using the augmented reality mobile application. A total of 78 participants used the augmented reality mobile application and completed the preusage and postusage questionnaires. The results showed that using an augmented reality mobile application increased the learning motivation of students. The attention, satisfaction, and confidence factors of motivation were increased, and these results were found to be significant. Although the relevance factor showed a decrease it proved to be insignificant.