A study on learning analytics of using mobile augmented reality application to enhance cultural competence for design cultural creation in higher education.

Background: Taiwan's higher education institutions prioritize interdisciplinary knowledge and cultural competence in cultural design, emphasizing the value of immersion in the local environment to develop cultural competence. However, challenges arise from the disappearance of traditional local lifestyles and limitations of traditional outdoor lectures such as group size and learning environment. Mobile augmented reality technology serves as a personal learning tool to overcome these challenges, enabling learners to uncover hidden knowledge in scenic locations and improving learning efficiency. Objective: The study utilized learning analytics to investigate the impact of using mobile augmented reality on enhancing learners' cultural competence. Methods: The study used both qualitative and quasi‐experimental quantitative research to evaluate the effects of mobile augmented reality on cultural competence. A total of 78 third‐year university students participated in the study, with 37 of them using mobile augmented reality to learn about culture. The researchers utilized both the Mann–Whitney U test and interviews to compare the effectiveness of mobile augmented reality with that of a 'real' tour guide in field courses. Results: The experimental results indicate that learners were able to continuously seek and find information about local culture through field exploration with mobile augmented reality, resulting in similar effects to those of attending a live lecture. Conclusions: It showed that incorporating mobile AR into field visits can create gamified and active learning scenarios that enhance immersion and drive active learning in local culture. The results in greater cultural knowledge and understanding, leading to the development of cultural competence in students. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: There is a heightened emphasis on cultivating and demonstrating cultural competence across various fields due to the significantly grow of cultural and creative industries.Relying solely on traditional classroom teaching for learning about local culture may result in a diminished impact, as a comprehensive understanding of culture necessitates a keen sense of life.To address the limitations of traditional classroom lectures, educators continuously strive to enhance teaching methodologies by developing innovative approaches, such as experiential learning and community‐based learning, which involve hands‐on activities and real‐world engagement to foster increased learning motivation and improved effectiveness.Augmented reality (AR), a technology that overlays virtual images onto real scenes in real time, has gained extensive usage in diverse fields such as medicine, national defence, education, and entertainment, offering interactive gaming experiences and providing an opportunity to experience the culture and past lives of locals in the field, enhancing learners' understanding of cultural history and creating immersive encounters during visits.Particularly in digital learning, the integration of AR enables learners to engage with additional content through mobile devices, fostering an immersive and gamified learning experience. What this paper adds: The use of the AR app for learning about the local culture yielded comparable outcomes to traditional guided tours.Participants actively engaged in self‐directed learning and demonstrated a sense of initiative while utilizing AR.The flexibility and autonomy provided by field learning, which extended beyond the course period, allowed participants to revisit the field and explore at their own pace using AR.Demonstrates that participants took control and responsibility for their own learning, leading to an enhancement in learner autonomy.Participants who utilized the Roaming Jingliao AR system to explore cultural scenarios exhibited enhanced knowledge and attitudes regarding cultural competence, specifically in areas such as cultural understanding, rice food cultural knowledge, Songjiang folk arts, and skills and practices, which can be attributed to the immersive and autonomous nature of AR‐based knowledge learning in outdoor guided courses, minimizing the influence of external environmental factors and facilitating a deeper understanding of the content compared to traditional guided tours. Implications for practice and/or policy: The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering the limitations associated with a relatively small sample size when conducting research within a university curriculum. To enhance the validity and reliability of future studies, practitioners and policymakers should prioritize the inclusion of larger and more diverse samples, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of AR technology on cultural learning and informing evidence‐based practices and policies.The study's focus on a specific group of participants and their contextual background highlights the need for future research to include participants from diverse educational settings and cultural backgrounds, ensuring that the findings are more applicable and relevant to a broader population. Practitioners and policymakers should consider the importance of inclusivity and diversity when designing and implementing cultural learning interventions using AR technology.The recognition of technological limitations highlights the importance of considering the specific AR system used in cultural learning interventions. Practitioners and policymakers should be cautious when adopting AR technologies and recognize that different AR systems or platforms may yield different outcomes. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of various AR systems and platforms to inform decision‐making regarding the selection and implementation of AR technologies for cultural learning initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]