Short answer
Prioritize intuitive user interfaces and clear storytelling alongside innovative AR features when designing educational games for cultural heritage, ensuring both engagement and effective learning.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Scientific Reports (2025)
- Method
- Descriptive evaluation design
- Sample
- 20 participants (10 children aged 6-12, 10 parents)
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Augmented reality (AR) serious games can effectively improve 21st-century skills and engagement with cultural heritage among children. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Scientific Reports. Using Descriptive evaluation design with 20 participants (10 children aged 6-12, 10 parents), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Prioritize intuitive user interfaces and clear storytelling alongside innovative AR features when designing educational games for cultural heritage, ensuring both engagement and effective learning.
Augmented Reality Games Enhance Cultural Tourism Skills in Children
Augmented reality (AR) serious games can effectively improve 21st-century skills and engagement with cultural heritage among children.
Scientific Reports · 2025
Key Findings
- 01Perceived improvements in critical thinking/problem-solving (Children: Mean = 4.57, SD = 0.45; Parents: Mean = 4.30, SD = 0.33) and adaptability (Children: Mean = 4.47, SD = 0.55; Parents: Mean = 4.17, SD = 0.32).
- 02Children reported higher ratings in scientific literacy (Mean = 4.47, SD = 0.48) compared to parents (Mean = 3.83, SD = 0.36).
- 03High user satisfaction with audio aesthetics (Mean = 4.90, SD = 0.32), creative freedom (Mean = 4.65, SD = 0.67), and AR features (Mean = 4.65, SD = 0.78).
- 04Usability (Mean = 4.43, SD = 0.69) and narrative clarity (Mean = 4.30, SD = 0.74) were identified as areas for improvement.
Application
Design takeaway
Prioritize intuitive user interfaces and clear storytelling alongside innovative AR features when designing educational games for cultural heritage, ensuring both engagement and effective learning.
How to apply
Consider using AR to create interactive exhibits or educational modules for museums, historical sites, or cultural festivals, focusing on gamified learning experiences for children.
Project actions
- 01When designing an educational game, think about how to make the learning objectives clear through gameplay.
- 02Test your AR features with your target audience early and often to identify usability issues.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Utilizes emerging technology (AR) for educational purposes.
- +Addresses a relevant challenge in cultural tourism engagement.
- +Includes feedback from both children and parents for a broader perspective.
Limitations
The findings are based on a small group of participants, and the perceived improvements might not reflect actual skill gains without more objective testing.
Reliability & validity
The study's validity is supported by the use of established Likert scale measures for user satisfaction and perceived skill development. Reliability could be enhanced by using objective skill assessments and a larger, more diverse participant sample.
Think critically
To what extent can the perceived improvements in 21st-century skills be attributed to the AR technology itself versus the gamified learning design, and how might these findings translate to other educational domains beyond cultural tourism?
Design Principles
"Immersive technologies, when thoughtfully integrated with user-centred design principles, can significantly enhance learning outcomes and engagement in specialized domains."
This research highlights the potential of integrating immersive technologies like AR into educational experiences, particularly for cultural tourism. By leveraging interactive gameplay, designers can create more engaging and effective learning tools that resonate with younger audiences, bridging the gap between traditional heritage and modern digital expectations.
What This Means for Your Design
Using augmented reality games can make learning about culture and history more fun and effective for kids, helping them think better and solve problems.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing the effectiveness of interactive technologies in educational contexts or for engaging specific user groups with heritage.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Research indicates that augmented reality serious games can significantly enhance 21st-century skills such as critical thinking and adaptability, particularly among younger users engaging with cultural heritage (Liamruk et al., 2025). This suggests that interactive, technology-driven approaches are effective in bridging generational gaps in cultural appreciation and learning.
Source
Scientific Reports
Development and evaluation of an augmented reality serious game to enhance 21st century skills in cultural tourism
journal · 2025
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about augmented reality games enhance cultural tourism skills in children?
- Prioritize intuitive user interfaces and clear storytelling alongside innovative AR features when designing educational games for cultural heritage, ensuring both engagement and effective learning. Evidence: Scientific Reports (2025).
- Why does "Augmented Reality Games Enhance Cultural Tourism Skills in Children" matter for design?
- This research highlights the potential of integrating immersive technologies like AR into educational experiences, particularly for cultural tourism. By leveraging interactive gameplay, designers can create more engaging and effective learning tools that resonate with younger audiences, bridging the gap between traditional heritage and modern digital expectations.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Prioritize intuitive user interfaces and clear storytelling alongside innovative AR features when designing educational games for cultural heritage, ensuring both engagement and effective learning.
- What were the main findings?
- Perceived improvements in critical thinking/problem-solving (Children: Mean = 4.57, SD = 0.45; Parents: Mean = 4.30, SD = 0.33) and adaptability (Children: Mean = 4.47, SD = 0.55; Parents: Mean = 4.17, SD = 0.32).. Children reported higher ratings in scientific literacy (Mean = 4.47, SD = 0.48) compared to parents (Mean = 3.83, SD = 0.36).. High user satisfaction with audio aesthetics (Mean = 4.90, SD = 0.32), creative freedom (Mean = 4.65, SD = 0.67), and AR features (Mean = 4.65, SD = 0.78).. Usability (Mean = 4.43, SD = 0.69) and narrative clarity (Mean = 4.30, SD = 0.74) were identified as areas for improvement.
- What research method was used?
- Descriptive evaluation design with 20 participants (10 children aged 6-12, 10 parents).
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Scientific Reports.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- Consider using AR to create interactive exhibits or educational modules for museums, historical sites, or cultural festivals, focusing on gamified learning experiences for children.
- What are the limitations?
- Small sample size, reliance on perceived skill development rather than objective measures, and the specific context of cultural tourism may limit generalizability.