Limitless or pointless? An evaluation of augmented reality technology in the school and home

Augmented reality technology appears to offer great potential to engage learners and to enhance the process of knowledge construction. However, very little work has undergone formal evaluation, resulting in a lack of a deep and systematic understanding of how AR can enhance learning. We report an extensive evaluation of an AR application developed by the BBC for young learners. This evaluation involved over 300 participants in their homes and school classrooms. Our findings support the claim that AR has the potential to promote learning and to motivate children to engage with learning activities. There is evidence that specific skills can be improved, that learners were motivated and challenged through the interactive problem solving activities and that the technology offered many opportunities for collaboration. Developers will however need a rich skill set in order to create applications that offer the necessary learner control, challenging interactivity and experience coherence