Effects of formative assessment in an augmented reality approach to conducting ubiquitous learning activities for architecture courses

Augmented reality (AR) is helpful in leading students to observe real-world learning targets with supports from online learning resources using mobile and wireless communication technologies. In this study, an AR-based learning system for an architecture course is proposed based on a formative assessment mechanism, which guides students to find answers on their own by giving hints when they fail to correctly answer questions. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an experiment has been conducted in the Museum of World Religions for a university architecture course. A total of 39 students were randomly assigned to an experimental group learning with the proposed approach and a control group learning with the conventional AR-based learning. The experimental results showed that the AR-based learning with the formative assessment mechanism significantly improved the students' learning achievements and motivation, while also reducing their cognitive load.