Writing a Descriptive Paragraph Using an Augmented Reality Application: An Evaluation of Students’ Performance and Attitudes

Abstract

Augmented reality (AR) is a new technology that consists in mixing virtual and real information. Although several studies have assessed the use of AR in various educational contexts, few contributions have examined its potential impact on students’ writing performance. The current study evaluates the use of AR in a university setting by comparing the quality of descriptive paragraphs written by three distinct groups of students: weak, average, and good. It could be argued that if weak and reluctant students are able to write paragraphs of a similar quality to those written by good students, then the use of AR in the writing classroom could be supported. Before the start of the experiment, participating students (n\u2009=\u200932) were pre-assessed using a traditional non-AR writing activity. Then, students were assigned to complete a descriptive writing activity using AR. After completion of the writing activity, students were requested to provide their opinions about the usefulness and ease of use of the AR tool. Later, focus interviews were held with five volunteer students in order to better understand their attitudes towards the use of AR during the writing activity. Students were generally satisfied with their AR experience. When students’ final products were rated, results demonstrated that scores earned by weak and average students were similar to the scores of good students across the four major features of writing which indicates that AR can result in a reduction of variability in students’ writing performance. Overall, samples of students’ work and feedback demonstrate the utility of AR as an effective intervention for enhancing interest in writing and improving students’ writing performance.