Abstract:

During the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, many schools were forced to switch from face-to-face learning to online learning methods. The challenge of educational institutions is finding technologies to help students learn optimally while simultaneously keeping them engaged. Augmented Reality (AR) technology enhances the real-world environment by adding digital visual elements or sensory stimuli to the users' field of vision. The software application of AR technology in education has motivated educators. AR games provide an effective and controllable environment in learning, especially for content that is complicated, potentially dangerous, cost-prohibitive, or critical. This paper adopts AR technology presented to mediate an enhanced visual and cognitive perception in chemistry lessons. The game aims to provide learners with a cognitive strategy that engages and encourages active learning through game situations. The interaction and platform for education tools are crucial if implemented appropriately as they may help to maximize the learner’s sense of presence and to optimize the learning experience. The authors created an AR serious game on a desktop platform with a tactile interaction method as a case study. This paper presented a qualitative learning outcome (pre-test, post-test, and retention test) and usability results of an AR serious game delivering chemistry lessons (name, symbol, and an atomic number of common elements). The paper analyzes how the game concept and a periodic table of elements can be integrated and applied to AR. The authors also present a concept and design principles of an AR (marker-based) serious game for a desktop device for teaching the names, symbols, and atomic numbers of common elements with a tactile interaction technique. The results show that the AR serious game improved participants' scores on the chemistry knowledge test and the more time a participant spends on the AR game leads to higher test scores, which affect positive learning outcomes. This paper also found that the application’s realism, suitability of interaction techniques, comfort, and task complexity are important in developing educational games.

Keywords:

Augmented reality, Serious game, Chemistry learning, AR maker-based.