An experiential view to children learning in museums with Augmented Reality

Museums facilitate schoolchildren’s experiential learning, and when combined with Augmented Reality (AR) applications, schoolchildren can benefit from interactive, engaging learning experiences. Experiential learning is, therefore, situated in a context relevant to schoolchildren’s learning experience with digital technologies such as AR in museums, hence, it seems appropriate to employ Kolb’s (1984. Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. NJ: Pearson Education) Experiential Learning Cycle as a theoretical base. A museum in the UK was used as a single case study, and experiments and three focus groups were conducted with 19 schoolchildren and data analysed using thematic analysis. This study revealed three new themes specific to schoolchildren’s experiential learning experiences with AR in museums including: (1) integrating AR could further enhance knowledge acquisition, (2) schoolchildren were able to identify their preferred learning style, and (3) schoolchildren are motivated to continue learning with AR in museums. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are presented, as well as suggestions for future research.

"When comparing the experiences with and without AR technology, the majority of schoolchildren perceived the AR-enhanced museum experience more positively than the prior experiences. This is because the AR application presented novel ways to experience and learn about the museum’s objects and artefacts, which made the overall visit more enjoyable and exciting than previous visits... Each of the schoolchildren expressed enjoyment in learning outside the usual classroom environment and in the museum environment (i.e., the synagogue). More importantly, the AR application encouraged them to explore the environment in new ways, and actively engage with the objects and artefacts... " (Moorhouse et al. 2019: 410-11).