Augmented Reality Experiences in Informal Education

Abstract

The development of several digital technologies has enabled educators and researchers to approach learning and education from a personalized perspective. At the forefront of this technological-pedagogical development is augmented reality (AR). Though research has demonstrated AR's implementations within formal learning environments, there is a distinct lack of research evaluating AR applications within informal learning environments. In order to address this gap in literature, this study provides a systematic review of empirical investigations involving AR applications in informal learning settings. In total, eighteen (18) articles were examined between the time period of 2010 to 2017. Preliminary analysis has revealed several similarities between experiments within formal and informal learning environments such as expected learning outcomes, research design, and data collection methods. This review looks to expand on these overarching trends to answer questions regarding how AR implementations vary across formal and informal contexts.