Augmented reality with algorithm animation and their effect on students’ emotions

Abstract

Algorithm animations are a resource that assists in learning algorithms by visually displaying the behavior of an algorithm at a higher level of abstraction than source code. On the other hand, augmented reality is a technology that allows extending visible reality in a mobile device, which can result in greater emotional well-being for the student. However, it is not clear how to integrate algorithm animations with augmented reality. The article makes two contributions to this concern. On the one hand, we describe an architecture that allows generating interactive algorithm animations, integrating them appropriately in the context of immersive augmented reality. This way the user can watch the source code of the algorithm, augmented with textual explanations, visualizations and animations of its behavior. We illustrate the use of the architecture by instantiating it to the well-known Dijkstra’s algorithm, resulting in an augmented reality tool that generates text, 2D and 3D visualizations. On the other hand, the influence of the tool on the user’s emotions has been studied by conducting an experience with face-to-face and online students. The results show that, with the joint use of augmented reality and visualizations, the students: experienced significantly more positive than negative emotions, experienced more agitation and stimulation than inactivity or calm, enjoyed as much as they expected, and their feeling of boredom decreased during the experience. However, students felt anxiety from the beginning and it increased with the use of augmented reality. The study also found that the face-to-face or online learning model influences emotions and learning outcomes with augmented reality.

Augmented reality and education in electronics: Relationship between usability, academic performance, and emotions experienced in learning

“…Concerning the emotions experienced, the results do not indicate significant differences between the experimental and control groups in positive and negative emotions in general. However, anxiety increased in both groups near the experiment's conclusion, as seen in prior augmented reality investigations [41]. Studies in other areas have also demonstrated that anxiety increases in students when they are evaluated [51].…”

Analysis of emotions in the use of augmented reality technologies in education: A systematic review

“…Anxiety and stress are one of the negative emotions most present in the students in the experiences analyzed. It would be interesting to analyze what conditions can trigger this feeling in the learning environment with AR and how it can be mitigated [53].…”

“…The following are, if not all, the main research topics that emerge from this work: Anxiety and stress are one of the negative emotions most present in the students in the experiences analyzed. It would be interesting to analyze what conditions can trigger this feeling in the learning environment with AR and how it can be mitigated [53]. The review presented in this article indicates that several emotion measurement instruments and techniques are applied in the context of AR learning.…”

A Study on Immersion and Intention to Pay in AR Broadcasting: Validating and Expanding the Hedonic Motivation System Adoption Mode

“…Various studies have underscored the impact of curiosity in AR applications across different domains. Perceptual curiosity, as an intrinsic desire involving interest and attention towards novel perceptual stimuli, suggests that AR can offer original interactive experiences, thereby stimulating curiosity and enhancing user experiences [132,133] (Tiwari et al, 2023;Gómez-Rios et al, 2022). AR has been demonstrated to spark curiosity in various scenarios such as museum visits and scientific learning [134], with its use as a learning medium shown to increase children's curiosity [135].…”