Teacher perspectives on augmented reality : the potential of Metaverse for learning

Abstract

Augmented Reality (AR) assumes that virtual content is intermediated between the viewer and the real world, but the extent of that intermediation, and the ways in which it is intended to enhance the real-world experience, can vary between tools and contexts. The links between an overlay and the physical world may be weak or strong, and the roles of location, collaboration and mobility may differ widely between AR experiences. This variety of options within the AR space means that educators need to be guided in understanding how AR might be used in the classroom and impact on student learning. In this article we report on a study involving teachers, both in-service and pre-service, investigating their attitudes to the application of AR in their practice. The participants were given the opportunity to create mobile AR experiences using the Metaverse AR tool and were invited to respond to a survey designed to capture their responses to its educational potential. Their responses revealed that the evolving nature of AR tools is leading to new ideas about how they may be applied in education, but that generating these new ideas requires a degree of experience that pre-service teachers do not have. We also found that even experienced teachers tended to focus on content rather than on how AR can help students learn. There is therefore a need to provide suitable professional development to teachers of all levels of experience if they are to fully realise the educational potential of AR in their practice.