An Analysis of Readiness for the Adoption of Augmented and Virtual Reality in the South African Schooling System

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have emerged as useful tools to enhance learner and instructor performance in the learning process. E-learning researchers have mentioned that these technologies motivate students and make learning enjoyable. Despite the pronounced benefits of AR and VR in schools, the adoption of these tools in the education sector has been slow. For users to gain most of the benefits of these technologies it is best to measure readiness for adaptation before utilizing these technologies. This study investigated the level of readiness for South African schools to adopt AR and VR. A quantitative method was used. A readiness model was proposed, and data was collected using questionnaires. Three hundred and fifteen (315) useable questionnaires were used for the analysis of a total of 325 received. Reliability and validity requirements were met using Cronbach Alpha and regression. The model extracted a KMO of .723 which is greater than 0.5, the lowest acceptable score. With a p-value of 0.00, this illustrates that factor analysis is suitable. The regression results show that all the ten hypothesis tests showed a positive influence between variables tests. Mean averages of all variables are above 3.9 indicating a high level of readiness to adopt AR and VR in schools in Gauteng. The model can be used to test readiness for adoption in other areas in SA to enable a more structured and systematic approach to e-learning implementation, increasing the likelihood of success in leveraging technology for educational purposes.