The effectiveness of using augmented reality in teaching geography curriculum on the achievement and attitudes of Omani 10th Grade Students

Abstract

<p>This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using a mobile Augmented Reality<strong> </strong>application in the geography unit for 10<sup>th</sup>-grade students on their achievements and attitude. The unit is part of the Omani’s social studies curriculum and entitled, “Environmental Problems and Hazards”. To achieve this purpose, a quasi-experimental study design was conducted. The instruments designed, validated and used to collect data were pre-post achievement tests and attitudinal scale. The participants were 64 male students, divided into two experimental and control groups. The field application period took four weeks in which the control group studied the unit using the normal teaching method, while the mobile Augmented Reality application, HP Reveal, with a website that supports its features, was integrated to teach experimental group. Findings show that there was a statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-field applications in terms of students’ achievement and attitudes. Nevertheless, there was no impact observed when the control and experimental groups’ achievement was compared. The researcher suggested conducting further investigations to examine the value of integrating Augmented Reality in the educational system considering various factors and variables.</p>

Balancing of Skills in the Digital Transformation of Education and Employability

“…Another trend that can be seen in the digitalization of Oman education is the use of virtual and augmented reality, which increases the readiness of students for future employment. According to Al Shuaili et al (2020), the effectiveness of these technological tools was evident in the geography curriculum in Oman educational institutions. Thus, these tools have also enhanced the Omani students' attitudes toward technology.…”

The Use of Augmented Reality in Teaching Geography at Primary Level

“…When talking about Augmented Reality, we refer to technologies that are specifically characterized by an ability to present reality through a process of transferring existing dynamic elements into more dynamic ones (Shuaili et al, 2020). Through AR, direct as well as indirect realistic environments are brought in the classroom through the use of digital devices: students work on them, interact and manipulate the content presented to them (Chang et al, 2013).…”

Designing Virtual Spaces for Immersive Visual Analytics

“…Recent applications include the use of VR to visualize and assess geohazards (Havenith et al 2019), to evaluate the importance of landmarks in mental map formation (Bruns and Chamberlain 2019), to assess the effectiveness of VR in topographic survey training (Levin et al 2020), and as a tool for geographic education (Lisichenko 2015;Minocha et al 2018;Jong et al 2020). Concurrently, AR has also been used in an educational context (Wang et al 2017;Turan et al 2018;Al Shuaili et al 2020;George et al 2020;Adedokun-Shittu et al 2020); however, the ability of AR/MR interfaces to connect data and real-world spaces has resulted in several situated, mobile applications. These include: landscape orientation (Carbonell Carrera and Bermejo Asensio 2016), flood risk analyses Hedley 2020, 2021) and precipitation simulation (Lonergan and Hedley 2014), building damage and safety assessment (Imottesjo and Kain 2018;Liu et al 2020), emergency egress analyses (Lochhead and Hedley 2018), teaching cultural heritage (Panou et al 2018;Han et al 2019;Romano and Hedley 2021), and GISenabled smart city applications (Yagol et al 2018).…”