1. Introduction - Enhancing Student Motivation with Augmented Reality Tools
Background
Augmented reality is one of the latest technologies that facilitate an interactive session making the educational course interactive and it enhances the comprehensiveness of complex topics in the different fields of subjects. Mathematics is a subject that deals with a lot of hypothetical values and real-life examples to conduct an arithmetic calculation associated with particular problems. In this case, visual thinking is necessary to evaluate a situation.
Figure 1: digital learning tools being used in the US by subjects
Interaction with digital platforms for younger generations and online sources has heightened over time. As of 2019, around 23% of grade 6-12 mathematics teachers in the US use digital tools for education purposes (statista.com, 2023). Facilitation of proper technological resources and equipment has become increasingly important for students to make the study program more interactive and motivating. Students in current times use laptops, phones, and tablets for educational purposes and thus an interactive AR would be academically motivating for students to learn mathematics more immersive.
Aim: This research aims to assess the effectiveness of augmented reality in enhancing visual thinking and academic motivation in mathematics education.
Objectives:
To assess the requirement of technologies in developing education programs for students and coming generations
To emphasize the need for academic motivation among the younger generation of students in mathematics and other education programs
To evaluate the importance of visual thinking and associated tools for learning mathematics
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It has been extensively important for technologies to be adopted in educational programs. Overall usage of modern technologies has become a necessity in current times to be adopted in educational processes as the conventional educational processes are getting out of date for future generations. Digital devices like mobile, tablets, and laptops are now mainstream channels for education among students. As opined by Maj-Wa?niowska et al. (2023), AR has also penetrated the field of education through the inclusion of industry 4.0 technologies, and the education market is projected to reach 19.6 billion USD by the last quarter of 2023. The aspects of e-learning processes that have gained popularity among students involved in primary schooling to the ones involved in post-doctoral studies.
Mathematics is a subject that requires thorough critical analysis of a particular problem at hand. The primary requirement to learn mathematics requires an individual to be good with numbers and skilled in assessing particular situations and problems to derive calculative solutions. As opined by Szymkowiak et al. (2021), the students are required to be facilitated with fundamental solutions that help them foster visual thinking and develop their skills to derive solutions following a calculation with numbers. The core focus of development in current times lies in facilitating students with proper accommodation that makes the learning process informative and interactive at the same time such that the engagement with the subject garners motivation among students to pursue in the near future. Mathematics is one such critical subject that is required to be made interesting to students to improve their learning and analytical skills.
The usage of AR in educational platforms improves the interactive process of learning for students. Augmented Reality through its interactive nature of visual aspects is known to improve the learning and communication process. As opined by Chetty et al. (2019), it ponders on the visual and auditory approach of learning that helps the students visualize the core factors of a problem and thereby develop the interaction of particular subjects. The usage of 2D and 3D technologies in the digital educational process is liable to improve the comprehensibility of solutions to mathematical problems.
2. Literature Review
Technologies in educational programs
People in current times are readily inclined towards using modern technologies that help promote ease of access and improve interactivity. As opined by Sheik-Ali et al. (2019), it has been extensively important to address the attraction factor of a particular module which makes the particular work process motivating. Technologies like AR are used in education in current times to make study modules and programs interactive and interesting to students. Globally, expenditure on AR and associated technologies in the Edtech platforms is projected to reach a market value of 12.6 billion dollars by 2025 (statista.com, 2023). The span of the pandemic noted a rapid rise in the usage of technologies in education programs through digital platforms like mobile, phones, tablets, and laptops. It projected the emphasis on the interactivity of education programs that are required to be promoted among students.
Figure 3: AR expense by 2025
AR is one such modern technology that is being readily used in the educational process. As opined by Elmqaddem (2019), the aspects of 2D and 3D technologies associated with this program help students visualize and improve effectiveness with the problem thereby motivating them to improve the learning process. This focuses on the model of the cognitive approach to the learning process and its implementation in the education process. Instead of just learning and reading the theories from books, visualizing them would improve the comprehensibility of the topic.
Motivation for learning
Motivation is an important factor that is required to be addressed when it comes to educating an individual. It is that intrinsic feeling of confidence that helps an individual to pursue a particular field. Young students are required to be motivated in a particular direction. Especially in the field of education and it is necessary to facilitate them with proper guidance and resources that would help them choose the particular field of education that piques their interest the most. Often issues arise when a demotivated student loses interest in one education overall and it affects their academic performance and mental health alike. It was found that globally around 1 out of 5 students under 17 years are affected by depression or other diagnosable mental health conditions from minor to serve degrees due to a lack of motivation in studies (Bell et al. 2019).
Therefore it is important that are engaged in the learning process which helps them to understand the subject properly and get a good grasp on it this would intrinsic model of motivation among the students to explore and quite autonomy on the subject. As opined by Mazana et al. (2019), Mathematics is one such subject that provides lucrative opportunities for a career. Hence it becomes increasingly important that the students are facilitated with proper technologies and resources that improve immersion in the subject in context and embolden their motivation to pursue mathematics.
Visual tools for learning mathematics
In the overall learning process, the visual thinking process becomes readily helpful in making a partial topic interesting to the learners. Visual aid helps in processing the information properly and makes the particular topic more immersive. In terms of neuroanatomy, the visual images are processed in the primary cortical region, which is commonly termed the "visual cortex" (Bakhtiari et al. 2021). This region helps in processing the information rapidly and combined with the optic nerves, the visual images create a strong impression and study suggests that this process helps in learning a topic effectively and is helpful in memory retention as well. In mathematics, often the theories and problems can get complicated for students. As opined by Garzón et al. (2019), visual tools like Augmented Reality and its visual projection of the theories aligned with a hypothetically relatable situation make the topic more comprehensible for students. In current times, the Edtech industries are booming by including modern technologies in the learning process that is helping students solve critical problems in no time.
3. Methodology
Introduction
The approach of methodology addresses the ways of collecting and analyzing the data acquired from various sources. In this topic, secondary data analysis has been considered which has been elaborated on in this section. This research approach with its set of advantages has been highly helpful in gathering relevant information associated with the effectiveness of AR in improving visual thinking and professing motivation among students regarding mathematics.
Research approach
A qualitative approach of the secondary research process has been considered for this particular sturdy that outlines the effectiveness of AR in improving visual thinking and academic motivation in learning mathematics. The qualitative approach has helped derive proper information regarding the topic and assess the information through a humanistic thought process that cannot be readily quantified in numbers (Turale, 2020). A conventional, directed, and summative approach has been taken up to derive a thematic analysis of the importance of AR in education programs and its benefit in improving visual thinking thereby promoting motivation among younger students. This approach has been especially beneficial in gathering necessary data through targeted journals and authentic articles and has helped the research to get conducted successfully.
Research design
The usage of AR and associated technologies and their influence have been readily helpful in education programs to improve the quality of visual thinking and academic motivation. This inference has been derived in this research through a descriptive design. This design has been readily helpful in serving secondary qualitative data and information (Turale, 2020). This approach for this study has helped maintain the cost efficiency of the research process furthermore has helped in deriving comprehensive data associated with the learning process with AR that has enhanced the visual thinking and motivation among students regarding the learning process of mathematics. A descriptive research design has been readily helpful in deriving associated qualitative information about this educational aspect and inferring the traits of progress that can be attained by including technological factors in mathematics thereby promoting motivation among the learners.
Data analysis
The data associated with the usage and benefit of AR technologies in improving visual thinking and motivation among students regarding mathematics subjects has been derived through a secondary approach. This approach has been readily helpful in gathering descriptive data through a secondary process and conducting a thematic analysis for this particular topic of discussion (Braun and Clarke, 2019). This approach to data analysis has been data taken up to derive conclusive pieces of evidence from the existing journals and studies on the importance of AR in current times to promote the motivation of mathematics education among students and improve their visual thinking. This data analysis technique has been helpful to get the proper information that supports the conclusive pieces of evidence associated with this particular topic. Also, this data analysis technique readily helped in ensuring cost efficiency in resource management in conducting this report where the authentic journals and sources have been taken into consideration.
Research method
Figure 4: Research method
In this report, a qualitative research method has been considered through secondary sources of information to evaluate the available data and assert the importance of AR in the education process to improve visual thinking among students and motivate them towards mathematics and the associated education process. A descriptive research method has helped gather systematic information to describe the importance of AR in the current education process (Skarbek, 2020). This research method has been helpful through an archival study of the available journals and relevant online articles to derive information regarding this topic
4. Discussion and Data Analysis
The information from various archives, authentic journals, and articles h through a secondary data analysis approach has been helpful in gathering information about the prevalence of AR in modern gadgets. The usage of augmented readily in modern gadgets has grown rapidly, especially in the span of the COVID-19 pandemic when students were restricted within their homes and carried out their education through online platforms (Saleem et al. 2021). Their interaction with digital media has witnessed significant growth since 2019 and the number is only going to increase in the near future.
Figure 5: Global AR user device 2019-2024
Mobile phones, tablets, and laptops alike are now equipped with technologies like the gyroscope, AR and VR that make the visual experience more interactive for people. This would readily enhance visual thinking among people. The usage and accessibility of AR technologies are projected to rise significantly. By 2024, it is estimated that around 1.7 billion mobile Augmented Reality devices around the world to be accessed by common people. It exhibited a rise of around 1.5 billion devices from the 200 million devices seen in 2015 (statista.com, 2023). This value states the rise of demand among people regarding the usage of AR technologies in the coming times.
Over time AR technology is being used by Edtech companies to promote more interactive education sessions to the student and gather attention. Global investment in AR in the education program is expected to reach 41.8 billion US dollars by 2027 at a CAGR of a staggering 77.2% (Kljunet al. 2020). This aspect emphasizes the popularity and need for the introduction of modern technologies in the education sector to improve the learning process. The journals and academic sources reveal that the need for motivation is important among students. According to Collie (2020), this aspect emphasized the prevalence of the competence theory of motivation, which asserts the aspect that students when acquiring a strong grasp on a particular subject can further promote overall confidence and motivation that they are competent in executing tasks. This thought process is highly needed to be preached and cultivated among young students so they can explore their strengths and proceed with a choice of subject effectively. It has been found that the traditional way of teaching process can be stressful for the newer generation who are more used to and acclimatized with modern gadgets to gather new information. The traditional approach to teaching mathematics can be hard to comprehend at times and thus students get disoriented
In this case, technological advancements in learning processes have made considerable contributions to promoting effectiveness in the overall learning process. Augmented reality uses 2D and 3D technologies in the visual learning process. It makes the module more interactive for the students. This factor has helped the education process to be interactive and immersive for students. Even complex mathematical theories and topics are simplified through this visual and auditory approach to the learning process which helps the students solve mathematical queries with ease (Al-Tahan and Mohsenzadeh, 2021). This technology has been found to provide a platform to improve visual thinking among students and has been helpful in promoting motivation among students.
5. Conclusion and recommendations
Recommendations
Over time technological advancements are being observed in the education process which is readily helpful for young students. However certain measures are required to be taken up to enhance efficiency in the course of progress.
The motivation of young learners is to be addressed properly otherwise they will not be able to find a direction of progress. Prevalence of expectancy-value theory in learning is necessary; it is associated with the aspect that a student's academic motivation will increase if they can find out that their action will result in producing effective results (Eccles and Wigfield, 2020). This theory of learning is to be readily incorporated while teaching mathematics to younger students. This approach can help them to learn complex theories, problems, and mathematical equations, which will further help them motivate them to pursue mathematics properly.
It is necessary to include this approach in the learning process in educational institutes as well. The majority of the global education programs are still inclined towards the traditional educational process which not only hinders the growth of the education process overall but is also contradicting the ambiance of education a student is exposed to in their home, tuition. Educational institutes are required to be equipped with industry 4.0 technologies (Simaet al. 2020). The introduction of modern technologies such as AR and other interactive programs, make the educational process more interesting to students.
Visual thinking skills improve the adaptability of young minds. The brain during the teenage period is more adapted to processing newer information, this approach can be improvised by visual techniques like virtual tours, slide shows education modules education videos, and quizzes can enhance the interactiveness of the education process. A Kinaesthetic approach to the learning process can be helpful for younger students to process information (Bokariyaet al. 2020). This approach is a resilient measure of the overall educational infrastructure.
Conclusion
Over time technologies and modern gadgets have become inseparable parts and parcels of our daily lives which have readily improved the ease of accessibility. Technologies like augmented reality are readily getting used in digital devices and thus are used by education course designers to utilize this technology to improve the visual quality of educational modules. Over time, the usage of AR technologies in mathematics education has held in easing complex mathematics concepts into easier units to comprehend through visual and auditory techniques which have helped improve visual thinking among students. This research derives conclusive evidence associated with the benefit of AR in improving mathematics education programs. In the future adoption of this approach to education is projected to grow further. This study in the future will help assess the rate of progress of this technology in the education process at par with the time.
References
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Websites
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