Evaluating the usability of augmented reality for teaching Multiplication to kids

Zanjani, N.; Fathi, F.; Ajdadi, M.; Eslampoor, M.J.

doi:10.22061/tej.2025.11541.3165

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Paper-English Issue

Authors

¹ Computer Engineering Department, Refah University College, Tehran, Iran

² Mathematics Teaching Department, Refah University College, Tehran, Iran

³ Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22061/tej.2025.11541.3165

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The integration of technology in education has significantly transformed the teaching and learning processes. Among the new technologies, augmented reality stands out due to its ability to provide interactive and engaging educational experiences. This technology has been able to improve students' motivation, participation, and understanding of concepts. On the other hand, multiplication, as a fundamental mathematical operation, poses a challenge for students to learn because of its abstract nature. In math subjects, augmented reality has been used to teach geometry and rarely for other areas. Therefore, further exploring the use of this technology in other areas of teaching math, such as algebra, is worth examining. The objective of this research is to explore the usability of augmented reality applications to teach multiplication. Usability is critical to investigate, as it ensures that young users can easily engage with and benefit from educational content. The difficulty of using applications and the lack of attractiveness will negatively impact user engagement. Therefore, examining usability requirements is of great importance.
Materials and Methods: The research method included an expert review and a user survey. A class of 17 third-grade students was selected from a private school, and the researchers implemented instructional plans in collaboration with teachers. The application used was designed by an Iranian group and included multiplication lessons, tests, and educational videos. Its augmented reality capability allowed students to interactively understand multiplication concepts using the phone's camera. The System Usability Scale questionnaire was used with a 5-point Likert scale that was localized for children and translated into Persian to evaluate the usability. This questionnaire included 13 questions about ease of use, interaction, and overall satisfaction with the program. The content validity of the questionnaire was checked using the CVR index, while Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to check its reliability. The answers were analyzed using SPSS software, and the mean, standard deviation, and correlations were checked.
Findings: This research showed that the augmented reality application for teaching multiplication to children is generally usable and attractive. The questionnaire's validity was confirmed with a CVR score of 0.99, and its reliability was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha of 0.704 at an almost acceptable level. Participants found the program easy to use and engaging, and required little help from adults. Correlation analysis showed that the need for more help was negatively related to decreased confidence in performance, while a better understanding of the program was positively related to willingness to continue working with it.
According to an expert review, the design of the program was compatible with the cognitive needs of children and uses simple design, bright colors, and attractive characters; However, the use of a small font and the lack of in-app audio and visual guides were among its weaknesses. Physically, the app had large buttons, well-spaced components, and simple menus that made it easy to work with. In terms of social-emotional needs, it was possible to choose a male or female narrator and use the augmented reality feature, but there were no customization options such as changing the background or characters, and gamification elements such as scoring or creating a sense of progress.
Conclusions: Incorporating augmented reality applications into math education can increase student engagement and motivation, but considerable attention to usability guidelines and improvements in app design are necessary. This research, in addition to highlighting the principles that are necessary in the design of the user interface of the augmented reality program for teaching multiplication, to make it attractive and easy to use for children, has taken an innovative step in the evaluation of educational programs by presenting the Persian version of the System Usability Scale questionnaire for children, using a systematic approach to translate and localize the questionnaire.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Educational Technology - Augmented Reality

COPYRIGHTS
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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