2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Augmented reality (AR) is gaining traction as a visualization tool for STEM education and professional practice. AR technology can facilitate immersive and interactive learning experiences that cannot be replicated with traditional teaching methods. This methods paper discusses a novel study design and assessment framework that was designed to systematically evaluate an educational game-based AR application. Using mixed methods to assess learning outcomes over time, this framework may help address the dearth of longitudinal research on AR in STEM education.
The framework consists of content assessments and adapted surveying tools intended to measure (i) user experience and usability, (ii) deep learning, (iii) knowledge retention, and (iv) educational efficacy. It is presented by this paper in its original context of use: to evaluate the Holographic Applications for Interactive Learning (HAIL) tool. HAIL is an educational game-based AR application developed to teach conditional probability and the law of total probability to industrial and systems engineering undergraduates. HAIL was piloted with an experimental group and compared to a second control group that received equivalent learning content in a traditional classroom setting.
Overall, the framework was able (1) to assess HAIL’s usability; (2) compare learning outcomes and knowledge retention between the experimental and control groups; and (3) generate valuable insights about the efficacy of educational game-based AR in STEM education. Consequently, this paper reports on the study design and assessment framework utilized for HAIL in combination with future recommendations to provide a methodologically robust foundation for educators and developments seeking to implement AR in learning environments.