Augmented Reality in Nursing Education: Addressing the Limitations of Developing a Learning Material for Nurses in the Philippines and Thailand

Abstract

The application of Augmented Reality (AR) in nursing education is relatively new. When used as a learning tool, AR provides new digital media that result in teaching and learning enhancement. However, there seems to be a gap in the development and use of AR tools between the learners in the developed world and those who are in the developing world. Most, if not all, of the existing AR initiatives in nursing originated from economically and financially advanced countries. There is a limited number of researches and case studies done in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) where a majority of the countries are developing. For this reason, this exploratory study aims to provide a proof of concept for budget constrained and technologically challenged implementers from developing countries such as the Philippines and Thailand. An appropriate AR tool was chosen among the reviewed authoring tools. Utilizing the selected tool, a learning material prototype on English nursing communication was developed to aid nurses in potentially improving their English competency. The prototype, a talking comic strip that consists of a clinical scenario, was well-received. A majority of the respondents agreed that the AR-enhanced material was better than the printed material alone and that it enhanced their learning experience. It was also found to be usable, receiving a system usability score of 68.5937, which is higher than the mean global score of 68.