Using Augmented Reality Toward Improving Social Skills: Scoping Review (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Augmented Reality (AR) has emerged as a promising technology in educational settings, especially for teaching science. However, apart from applications aimed at the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population, AR’s potential in social-emotional learning receives less attention. OBJECTIVE This systematic scoping review aims to map the range and characteristics of AR applications that teach social skills. METHODS Two independent researchers screened 2748 records derived from three databases–PubMed, IEEE Explore and ACM Guide to Computing Literature. RESULTS Seventeen records met the inclusion criteria. Ten describe applications for autistic children, primarily teaching about reading emotions in facial expressions. Seven describe applications for a general population, targeting both children and adults, with a diverse range of teaching goals. The methodological quality of evaluation studies was found to be weak. CONCLUSIONS The majority of applications are designed to be used alone, even though AR is well-suited to facilitating real-world interactions during a digital experience, including interactions with other people. Future AR applications could therefore endorse social skills in a general population in more complex group settings.