Usability Analysis of Augmented Reality-Based Learning Applications for Kids: Insights from SUS and Heuristic Evaluation

In today’s fast-paced world, augmented reality (AR) has emerged as a widely accepted and profitable approach for engaging children in interactive learning experiences. However, the rapid development of this technology has left many individuals struggling with even basic interactions due to a lack of prior expertise and usability. While various studies have explored the use of AR functionalities in learning applications, few have addressed the associated usability problems. To integrate AR-based applications into children’s learning platforms effectively, ex- tensive research on user adaptability is needed. The primary goal of this study is to provide a set of heuristics for evaluating the usability of AR-based learning applications for kids and to compare heuristic evaluation and System Usability Scale (SUS) evaluation results to assess their applicability. Seventeen heuristics, including Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics, were employed to evaluate four AR applications designed for children’s learning. The findings revealed significant heuristic problems in all applications, with SUS scores falling below the acceptance thresh- old. Moreover, the study demonstrated that both heuristic evaluation and SUS evaluation methods yield comparable results, confirming the efficacy of the proposed heuristics in assessing the usability of AR-based learning applications for children.