An experiential view to children learning in museums with Augmented Reality

Museums facilitate schoolchildren’s experiential learning, and when combined with Augmented Reality (AR) applications, schoolchildren can benefit from interactive, engaging learning experiences. Experiential learning is, therefore, situated in a context relevant to schoolchildren’s learning experience with digital technologies such as AR in museums, hence, it seems appropriate to employ Kolb’s (1984. Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. NJ: Pearson Education) Experiential Learning Cycle as a theoretical base. A museum in the UK was used as a single case study, and experiments and three focus groups were conducted with 19 schoolchildren and data analysed using thematic analysis. This study revealed three new themes specific to schoolchildren’s experiential learning experiences with AR in museums including: (1) integrating AR could further enhance knowledge acquisition, (2) schoolchildren were able to identify their preferred learning style, and (3) schoolchildren are motivated to continue learning with AR in museums. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are presented, as well as suggestions for future research.