Augmented reality is a field with a versatile range of applications used in many fields including recreation and education. Continually developing technology spanning the last decade has drastically improved the viability for augmented reality projects now that most of the population possesses a mobile device capable of supporting the graphic rendering systems required for them. Education in particular has benefited from these technological advances as there are now many fields of research branching into how augmented reality can be used in schools. For the purposes of Holocaust education however, there has been remarkable little research into how Augmented Reality can be used to enhance its delivery or impact. The purpose of this study is to speculate regarding the following questions: How is augmented reality currently being used to enhance history education? Does the usage of augmented reality assist in developing long-term memories? Is augmented reality capable of conveying the emotional weight of historical events? Will augmented reality be appropriate for teaching a complex field such as the Holocaust? To address these, multiple studies have been analysed for their research methodologies and how their findings may assist with the development of Holocaust education.

With the rapid expansion of technology and hardware availability within the field of Augmented Reality, building and deploying Augmented Reality learning environments has become more logistically viable than ever before. In this paper, we focus on the development of a new mobile learning experience for a museum by combining multiple technologies to provide additional Human–computer interaction possibilities. This is both to reduce barriers to entry for end-users as well as provide natural interaction methods. Using our method, we implemented a new approach to gesture-based interactions for Augmented Reality interactions by combining two devices, a Leap Motion and a Microsoft HoloLens (1st Generation), via an intermediary device with the use of local-area networking. This was carried out with the intention of comparing this method against alternative forms of Augmented Reality to determine which implementation has the largest impact on adult learners’ ability to retain information. A control group has been used to establish data on memory retention without the use of Augmented Reality technology, along with three focus groups to explore the different methods and locations. Results found that adult learners retain the most overall information when being educated through a traditional lecture, with a statistically significant difference between the methods; however, the use of Augmented Reality resulted in a slower rate of knowledge decay between testing intervals. This contrasts with existing research as adult learners did not respond to the technology in the same way that child and teenage audiences previously have, which suggests that prior research may not be generalisable to all audiences.

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