Development, application and evaluation of augmented reality mobile application for computerized design applications course

This study aims to examine the effect of Augmented Reality (AR) mobile application to be used in Computerized Design Applications course taught in vocational high schools on students' learning, motivation and interest levels. In the study, a mobile application named "AR Tech Draw" (Augmented Reality Technical Drawing) was developed for perspective views of 2D drawings. The application was applied to 10th grade students studying in the field of Information Technologies at Aksaray Central Fatih Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School. A total of 30 students participated in the study. Mixed method was adopted in the study and experimental design was used. Before the four-week training, spatial visualization and mental rotation tests were applied to the experimental and control groups as pretests. The students' 9th-grade course averages were used as the pretest for academic achievement. During the training process, both groups were taught with the same geometric drawings. At the end of the training, academic achievement, spatial visualization, and mental rotation scales were applied to both groups as post-tests. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the experimental group. The quantitative data obtained from the study were analyzed with parametric and nonparametric analyses. Qualitative data obtained from semi-structured interviews were analyzed with the descriptive analysis method. According to the findings of the analysis, AR application increased academic achievement. However, it did not have a statistically significant effect on students' spatial visualization and mental rotation skills. However, this technology increased students' interest and motivation towards education. The most important contribution of this study is that the developed AR application can be used in the future by educators who will teach the Computerized Design Applications course due to its user-friendly interface and accessibility via Google Play. In addition, the study expands the literature on the use of AR technology in education and sheds light on future research in this field.