A Study on Parents' View of the Augmented Reality Card Use for Pr e-School Education

Abstract

Parents' influence on children's development is generally considered essential. This paper attempts to explore the role of AR in preschool education from the perspective of parents, aiming to help parents better understand the impact of children's use of augmented reality in preschool education. The subjects were parents of children in the preschool age range (3-6 years old), and the experimental equipment was AR cognitive cards. In order to extract parents' views on AR, five parents were invited to conduct an experiment with their children using AR cognition cards, and then an open interview survey was conducted. In the second experiment, the answers obtained from the first experiment were sorted out and formed a questionnaire to conduct a closed-book survey. It shows that parents are satisfied with the characteristics of AR to assist their children's learning. At the same time, parents also value technology, usage management and playing environment. AR can stimulate children's learning initiative. Children like to use AR, AR is suitable for learning, make parents satisfied. But even if AR is suitable for learning, parents will control the time their children use it.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

In general, educating young children can be difficult because young children have different attention spans than adults because they can only focus on something for a short period of time. Therefore, the introduction of interesting interactive learning can attract attention and thus improve the learning attention of preschool children. It is well known that cognitive cards are one of the ways to teach children knowledge about things. At the same time, Augmented Reality (AR for short) is seen as a powerful teaching tool[1]. The study found the potential of AR books as a tool, especially for preschoolers, to create a fun learning environment[2]. So, as for cognitive cards also have the potential for education better with AR. It can be further improved by combining the sound, vision and touch of the cards with appropriate combinations to stimulate children’s several senses.

With the development of information technology, there is an increasing literature on the use of AR in education in off-campus or informal learning environments[3]. Literature also suggests that the environment in which technology is used may be related to learning outcomes[4], But AR mediated education should be considered as a whole and should take into account the wider social or cultural context, such as family and family factors[5]. Home environmental factors are an important issue affecting young children’s use of AR, and there is a widely agreed concept that students’ educational achievement is always supported by their families, which is what the authors hope to find in this study. The most proven advantage of AR is that it promotes improved academic performance[6]. Of course, parents want their children to become excellent by acquiring knowledge, and they are the biggest promoters of AR learning resources. The emergence of COVID-19 has limited the scope of people's activities, which also provides a background for the educational value of AR and the development of playing environment.

1.2 Research scope

The research focuses on augmented reality and pre-school education. It aims to compare data obtained from interviews with children who use AR cognitive cards for learning and attempts to study AR effects in preschool education from a parent's perspective. Based on this goal, the research scope mainly involves: 1. Extract parents' understanding of AR, such as characteristics and limitations; 2. Analyze parents' views on children's use of AR. For example, how to use AR to motivate children in the learning process? Do you think your kids are gaining more knowledge using AR than using traditional methods? Have you observed any significant improvement in your child's reading and writing after using AR? Is your child creative? Is your level of satisfaction related to your child's success with AR?

1.3 Research Purpose and method

By using augmented reality technology and guided by constructivist learning theory, flow theory and sociocultural theory, this paper aims to study parents' views and attitudes towards children’s cognition of using AR Fig. 1, break the limitations of traditional cognition Fig. 2, and provide help for the development of preschool education in the AR field. Stimulate children's interest in learning, use advanced technology to enrich children's cognitive development, and give full play to the practicality and creativity of augmented reality.

Fig. 1. Learning assumption.

Fig. 2. Traditional learning style.

In this paper, literature research method, practical research method and investigation method are adopted Fig. 3. Firstly, the technical theoretical knowledge of AR and the importance of parents' views on children's use of AR are analyzed. Next, the first open questionnaire was used to obtain parents' opinions on AR cards for early childhood education. Based on this, the second closed questionnaire was conducted to extract the factors related to parents' use of AR cards for children. Finally, SPSS analysis is used to determine the importance, feasibility and necessity of the relevant theories studied in this paper.

Fig. 3. Research Process.

2. THEORETICAL STUDY

AR uses computer technology to connect virtual information into the real world and display it through mobile phones, tablet computers and other devices, making its own planar content “alive” Fig. 4, enhancing visual effects and interactive experience, and providing children with interactive environment experience that focuses on learning by concrete image thinking. Azumade[7] scribes AR as a variant of virtual reality (VR), a technology that consists of a user completely immersed in a synthetic environment. In VR, users have no sense of the real world around them. However, it is possible in AR because AR adds artificial information to reality without hiding the real world around it. This provides children with a unique opportunity to interact with both the real world and the virtual world and can help them bypass the difficulties they encounter when moving across media learning[8].

Fig. 4. Display of AR Usage.

AR is a powerful motivational tool, and studies have shown that children respond positively to AR books, and observations of children's behavior confirm that children like AR books and require repeated use of AR books. AR books have the potential as a tool, especially for preschoolers, to create fun learning environments.

AR support the teaching process in many ways and can interact with features on the interface[9]. In addition to display flat images and text on the cognitive card, children have the option to view a 3D model of the object on the card. Additional features on the AR interface, including English and Chinese teaching, theme animation and knowledge explanation Fig. 5. The literature shows that these characteristics do generate excitement, engagement and enjoyment in learning processes. From the perspective of technology approval, previous studies have shown that preschoolers and their parents give positive evaluations of AR[10].

Fig. 5. UI for AR Stimulus.

Constructivism learning theory is a continuation of Piaget’s cognitive development learning theory. It is a theory about knowledge and learning. It emphasizes the initiative of learners. It holds that the construction of knowledge depends on concreteness, image, representation, which “learning is the experience of a real situation”.Studies have analyzed the behavioral relationship between children and their parents’ reading of AR books to determine children’s cognitive ability. The study concluded that AR books create conditions for “children as dominators” and “interactive parent-child relationship” behaviors. Children can explain the art works they see or use their imagination to describe the content of the books, and children show a high level of cognition[11]. Studies have also shown that reinforcement technology has been used in music education for young children[12].

First proposed by Csikszentmihalyi in 1975, flow theory was defined as the feeling that one’s mental energy is completely invested in an activity, which is accompanied by a high sense of excitement and fulfillment[13]. AR technology truly presents objects through 3D images, providing various forms of interaction. Such as making sound and represent 3D animation when clicking, multi-angle observation by rotating objects with fingers Fig. 6. It created an immersive learning environment for children and improving their attention. The age stage of preschoolers are characterized by lack of conservation[14]. Therefore, these concrete features of AR technology provide children with a real simulation environment, enhance children’s initiative to explore knowledge and increase the fun of learning.

Fig. 6. Interactive Gesture of AR Cards. (a) Click and (b),(c) Zooming Function.

On the other hand, researchers have conducted a large number of studies on various activities involving parental involvement in children’s education, and have concluded that there are three main aspects of parental involvement: attitudinal components, behavioral aspects, and parental perceptions[15]. Attitude components include parents’ expectations for their children's educational success; Behavioral aspects include parental help with homework or attendance at parent-teacher meetings. Therefore, parental support may be a key foundation for the successful implementation of AR education[16] to promote cognition[17]. Because parents can provide technical resources, create learning opportunities and communicate their own values and aspirations about their children's use of AR[18].

In summary, existing research suggests that family background, in particular parental influence, has an overall impact on children's use of educational technology, which in turn has an impact on education. Therefore, it is clear that there is a link between parental influence and children’s use of AR for educational purposes, and this study attempts to advance knowledge in this area.

3. EMPIRICAL RESEARCH

3.1 Problem Description

This study attempted to extract specific factors of parents’views on preschool children’s use of AR cards. The following research questions were set in the first and second experiments: 1. Extract parents’ understanding of AR cards, such as features and limitations; 2. Analyze the main factors of parents’views on children’s use of AR cards.

3.2 Research design and procedures

In order to verify the research problem, the following experimental process Table 1 was used for the study: 1. Preliminary experimental study. In order to extract parents’ opinions on AR cards, the first experiment was conducted. Five parents were invited to lead their children to use AR cards for learning, and then an open interview survey was conducted to summarize parents’ opinions on AR cards and explore the feasibility of the application of AR in preschool education. 2. Secondary experimental study. Through the SQ questionnaire and the research topic questionnaire, the parents who meet the age requirements of preschool children were surveyed in a closed form. In the second experiment, the questionnaire was formed by sorting out the answers obtained from the first experiment. In order to verify the feasibility and reliability of the extracted factors, factor analysis was carried out. Finally, we understand the correlation between the factors of parents’ views on AR cards.

Table 1. The experimental process.

3.2.1 Preliminary experimental study

In order to extract parents’views on AR cards for early childhood education, five parents were invited to play AR cards with their children Fig. 7, and an open questionnaire was conducted to parents after it. The open questionnaire consists of five questions Table 2. On January 21to 29 in 2021, the survey was conducted.

Table 2. The preliminary experimental questionnaire.

On the basis of the interview, parents’views on children’s use of AR cards are obtained, including the characteristics of AR cards, the educational nature of AR cards, the similarities and differences between traditional cognitive textbooks and AR educational cards, the limitations of AR cards, and how to use them Table 3.

Table 3. Preliminary experimental questionnaire results.

3.2.3 Secondary experimental study

In the second experiment, we tried to verify the feasibility and reliability of parents' opinions on children’s use of AR cards extracted from the first experiment. The questionnaire is consisted of 5 questions for selecting subjects (SQ) and 17 questions for research purposes. The research objective questions are composed of the factors extracted from the preliminary experiment, and the selected items are measured by 5-point Likert scale Table 4. After collating the collected data, factor analysis was carried out. On this basis, the feasibility and credibility of the extracted parents' views on children's use of AR cards are verified. Finally, we understand the correlation between parents’ view on AR cards.

Table 4. The questionnaire.

3.3 Outcome analysis of parents’ views on children’s use of educational AR cards

3.3.1 Factor analysis and reliability analysis

After the questions collected in the second experiment were sorted out by SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) v.12.0 Statistical software was used for principal component analysis and reliability analysis.

Firstly, the KMO and Bartlett tests of parents’ views on children’s use of AR cards are studied. The results show that the values meet KMO>0.5 and the significance is <0.05, which is suitable for factor analysis. The 27th question in the questionnaire (limiting children's use of AR play time) were excluded from this study because they did not meet the criteria for forming an independent factor structure Table 5.

Table 5. Reliability and validity test.

Secondly, five factors were extracted according to the analysis results in table 5, and cumulative variance was above 63%. Next, the reliability analysis of each factor is carried out. The reliability of the five extracted factors was investigated, and it was found that factor 1=744, factor 2=668,factor 3=712, factor 4=511, factor 5=397, and overall factor =881.It determines that Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, which represents confidence, is above 0.6, indicating that there is no problem with confidence. Considering each questionnaire, extract the name to five factors: factor 1 is “AR is good for learning”, is composed of four questions, includes “help children to understand things more easy, are representational and immersive, expand children's cognitive range, teach more knowledge than parents know”. Factor 2 is “AR increases children's initiative”, is composed of five questions, includes “The sound and picture elements of AR cards bring learning pleasure, help children to complete the cognitive process independently, good for children to observe things from multiple angles, help children to take the initiative, keeps children interested in learning”. Factor 3 is “technical satisfaction”, consisting of three questions, including “attitude towards children's access to digital products, willingness to spend the cost of AR cards, more convenient to carry”. Factor 4 is “use management”, consisting of two questions, including the content that “children are easy to become dependent on electronic devices and limit their imagination”. Factor 5 is “playing environment”, consisting of two questions, including “satisfaction with family activity environment, like to buy teaching AIDS and toys”.

Table 6. Factors results.

3.3.3 Correlation analysis

In order to understand the close relationship between the factors, correlation analysis was conducted Table 7. According to the technical statistics of the relevant analysis results, among the five factors divided, “AR increases children’s initiative” is most closely related to “parents’ views” (r=852**), followed by “AR is good for learning” (r=804**). The other three factors, “technical satisfaction”, “usage management” and “playing environment”, were also closely related to parents’ view (r=747**, r=541**,r=522**). “Technical satisfaction” was proved to closely related to the “children’s initiative”(r=607**), This proves that AR technology can stimulate children’s initiative in learning and it is also closely related to that “AR is good for learning”(r=788**), thus forming a positive cycle, which will make children like to use AR, and AR is suitable for learning, so it can make parents satisfied . At the same time, the “AR is good for learning” is also correlated with “usage management”, “playing environment” and “technical satisfaction” to a certain extent (r=222**, r=288**, r=520**). This proves that even if AR is suitable for learning and immersive, parents can control and manage the time their children spend using technology. “Playing enviroment” is related to “children’s initiative” (r=330**), “technical satisfaction” (r=226**)，and “technical satisfaction” is also related with “usage management”(r=229**), “usage management” is also related with “children’s initiative”(r=254**). This proves that AR technology improves children’s learning initiative, enhances the learning environment, satisfies parents, and at the same time strictly manages the time spent using it. At last, The results showed that “usage management” was not correlated with “playing environment” (P>0.05).

Table 7. Correlation analysis of various factors.

** At 0.01 level (double-tailed), the correlation was significant.

4. CONCLUSION

This article reports on a study of parent’s view of AR technology when their preschoolers use AR. Firstly, the preliminary experiment directly faced the subjects with a open questionnaire survey. The questions can be as follows: characteristics of AR cards, the educational value of AR cards to children, the difference between AR cards and traditional books, the limitations of AR cards and how to manage and use.

Table 8. Parent’s view on AR.

On this basis, the second experimental questionnaire is constructed. In order to verify the feasibility and reliability of questions extracted from the first experiment ,the factor analysis and reliability analysis were carried out. Finally, in order to understand the close relationship between the extracted factors, correlation analysis was conducted. The comprehensive analysis results are as follows:

First, through the preliminary experiment and the second experiment, the results were divided in to five factors, which are “AR is good for learning”, “AR increases children’s initiative”, “technical satisfaction”, “usage management”, and “playing environment”.

Secondly, according to the correlation between the extracted factors, on the one hand, it shows that parents are satisfied with the characteristics of AR to assist their children’s learning. At the same time, parents also value technology ,usage management and playing environment. On the other hand, AR can stimulate children's learning initiative. Children like to use AR, AR is suitable for learning, make parents satisfied. But even if AR is suitable for learning, parents will control and manage how much time their children spend using technology. The playing environment is related to children’s initiative and technical satisfaction, which proves that AR can satisfy children’s learning motivation and improve their learning enthusiasm. Finally, these 5 factors are positively correlated with each other, which proves that these factors influence each other.