AR-Classroom: Investigating User-App-Interactions to Enhance Usability of AR Technology for Learning Two and Three Dimensional Rotations

AR-enabled applications have the potential to contextualize math concepts within a concrete situation, like rotating an aircraft, where students can physically manipulate objects and develop their spatial skills. The AR-Classroom application utilizes AR to make 2D and 3D rotations underlying matrix algebra visible and interactive, enabling embodied learning. Previous usability tests on the AR-Classroom assessed user-app interactions, the functionality of app features, and overall ease of use. The findings from the previous studies led to several modifications and improvements to the app. The present study uses a mixed-method approach to assess the usability of the latest version of the AR-Classroom. Results indicate that the latest version is associated with improved user experience, increased ease of use, and an overall increase in users’ understanding of the app’s functionality. Findings are discussed in the context of previous user studies with earlier AR-Classroom versions. Implications for conducting iterative usability studies and recommendations for developing educational technologies are provided.