Collaborative mobile augmented reality (MAR) has emerged as a promising tool in the field of education. This technology enables multiple users to interact with digital content overlaid on the physical world through their mobile devices. Collaborative MAR combined with tangible elements enhances learning by integrating physical objects that can be manipulated and interacted with in the augmented reality environment, providing a hands-on and immersive educational experience.
This study explores the impact of tangible mobile augmented reality on collaboration and object manipulation. Our goal is to understand how mobile devices’ manipulation affects collocated students' collaboration in tangible MAR in terms of ease of use and collaboration. The study involves participants working in pairs to facilitate collaboration through a MAR game for developing the computational thinking skills of primary school students. Our goal is to compare the perceived behaviors and interactions that emerged in two distinct MAR settings: (1) Stand-mounted device condition, where the device is fixed on a mobile stand, and (2) Hand-held device condition, where the device is held by one of the team’s players. The same task is simulated in both settings to allow for direct comparison.
The results of this study can help inform the design and development of future MAR systems and provide insights into the potential benefits and challenges in terms of collaboration and object manipulation.