Short answer
Incorporate rigorous, evidence-based evaluation into the design process for MAR educational tools, moving beyond developer intuition to user-validated outcomes.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Creative Education (2019)
- Method
- Systematic Literature Review
- Sample
- 57 articles
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
The current development and evaluation of Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) educational tools often lack scientific rigor, leading to inconsistent quality and uncertain benefits. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2019 study published in Creative Education. Using Systematic literature review with 57 articles, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Incorporate rigorous, evidence-based evaluation into the design process for MAR educational tools, moving beyond developer intuition to user-validated outcomes.
MAR educational tools lack rigorous evaluation, hindering effective design.
The current development and evaluation of Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) educational tools often lack scientific rigor, leading to inconsistent quality and uncertain benefits.
Creative Education · 2019
Key Findings
- 01Technical requirements for MAR development are often based on the expertise of the development team rather than user needs or pedagogical goals.
- 02Most evaluations of MAR educational approaches lack appropriate scientific rigor in their research design.
Application
Design takeaway
Incorporate rigorous, evidence-based evaluation into the design process for MAR educational tools, moving beyond developer intuition to user-validated outcomes.
How to apply
When designing or evaluating MAR educational tools, establish clear, measurable learning objectives and employ robust research designs (e.g., controlled trials) for assessment.
Project actions
- 01When designing your MAR project, think about how you will measure its success beyond just 'it works'.
- 02Look for existing research on how to evaluate educational technology effectively.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a broad overview of the state-of-the-art in MAR for education.
- +Identifies specific weaknesses in current evaluation practices.
Limitations
The findings are based on a review of existing studies, so the quality of the insights is dependent on the quality of those original studies.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the review's findings depends on the systematic search and inclusion criteria used. Validity is enhanced by the synthesis of multiple studies, but limited by the potential for publication bias and the methodological weaknesses within the reviewed studies themselves.
Think critically
Given the lack of rigorous evaluation, how can designers of MAR educational tools proactively build in mechanisms for objective assessment of learning outcomes and user experience?
Design Principles
"Educational technology design and evaluation must be grounded in empirical evidence and user-centered methodologies to ensure efficacy and continuous improvement."
For designers creating educational technologies, this highlights a critical gap. Without robust evaluation methods, it's difficult to ascertain user experience, learning effectiveness, and true value, making it challenging to iterate and improve designs based on solid evidence.
What This Means for Your Design
Many educational apps using augmented reality aren't tested properly, so we don't really know if they work well or how to make them better.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study to justify the need for rigorous testing and evaluation in your own design project, especially if you are developing an educational tool.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The systematic review by Herpich et al. (2019) highlights a critical gap in the development and evaluation of Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) educational tools, noting that technical development often relies on developer expertise and that evaluations frequently lack scientific rigor. This underscores the importance of incorporating robust, user-centered evaluation methodologies into design projects to ensure the efficacy and continuous improvement of educational technologies.
Source
Creative Education
How Mobile Augmented Reality Is Applied in Education? A Systematic Literature Review
journal · 2019
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about mar educational tools lack rigorous evaluation, hindering effective design?
- Incorporate rigorous, evidence-based evaluation into the design process for MAR educational tools, moving beyond developer intuition to user-validated outcomes. Evidence: Creative Education (2019).
- Why does "MAR educational tools lack rigorous evaluation, hindering effective design." matter for design?
- For designers creating educational technologies, this highlights a critical gap. Without robust evaluation methods, it's difficult to ascertain user experience, learning effectiveness, and true value, making it challenging to iterate and improve designs based on solid evidence.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Incorporate rigorous, evidence-based evaluation into the design process for MAR educational tools, moving beyond developer intuition to user-validated outcomes.
- What were the main findings?
- Technical requirements for MAR development are often based on the expertise of the development team rather than user needs or pedagogical goals.. Most evaluations of MAR educational approaches lack appropriate scientific rigor in their research design.
- What research method was used?
- Systematic Literature Review with 57 articles.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2019 journal from Creative Education.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing or evaluating MAR educational tools, establish clear, measurable learning objectives and employ robust research designs (e.g., controlled trials) for assessment.
- What are the limitations?
- The review's findings are limited by the quality and scope of the existing literature on MAR in education.