Learning from the real and the virtual worlds: Educational use of augmented reality in early childhood

Publication date: Available online 10 June 2019Source: International Journal of Child-Computer InteractionAuthor(s): Cansu Oranç, Aylin C. KüntayAbstractAmong the latest commercial technologies, Augmented Reality (AR) applications are becoming widely available for preschoolers. AR applications with educational features offer an exciting and unique learning experience by blurring the boundaries between the real world that children are in and the virtual world on the screen. Nonetheless, effects of blending these two worlds on children’s learning and the cognitive mechanisms underlying their learning with AR have not been discussed. Hence, to show why and how AR can have a unique contribution to children’s learning, we review research on the ways which realism in narratives, and children’s making of connections between the real world and what they see on the screen affect young children’s learning. In the light of those findings, we proceed to discuss the affordances of AR and provide a set of recommendations for designers. We argue that a well-designed AR application can support young children’s learning by (i) drawing children’s attention to the learning material and encourage children to reflect on the content by setting an unconventional scene for learning, and (ii) reducing the representational dissimilarity between the context where children learn new information and the one where they need to apply what they have learned. By providing an overview on develop...
Source: International Journal of Child Computer Interaction - Category: Child Development Source Type: research