Augmented Reality Intersecting Digital Content into Real-Life Environments: A Case of A Rurally Located Institution of Higher Learning, Eastern Cape Province

Augmented Reality Intersecting Digital Content into Real-Life Environments: A Case of A Rurally Located Institution of Higher Learning, Eastern Cape Province

Bulelwa Makena , Ntando Elliot Mpahla & Manitshana Mveleli

Issue: Vol.6 No. 8 2025 Article 6 pp.592 – 606
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2025686 | Published online 22nd August, 2025.
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

174 Downloads

Download Now!

ABSTRACT

This paper explored the incorporation of Augmented Reality (AR) within the educational framework in a rurally located university in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study investigated how digital content within real-lived experiences is augmented by AR technology since the identified research site has embarked on blended teaching and learning modalities to foster an innovative learning landscape within rural communities. As data informants, six students, level 4s and postgraduates, emanating from a rurally located university, were nominated through a purposive sampling technique. The study deemed these participants to be the relevant cohort, as they had already been enrolled before the blended approach existed. This paper considers a pre-and post-course evaluation to extract perceptions of their experiences with technology-infused education. The educational benefits of AR were identified through the administration of qualitative research approaches, as well as some underlying challenges. When administering the thematic analysis, the study identified themes that were discussed in the study findings. These included (i) enhanced learning outcomes identified by the assessment scores, (ii) technological limitations, and (iii) barriers to student and staff training are barriers to the functional implementation of AR integration. The study concluded that the insufficiency of technological infrastructure affected the effective application of AR. The study recommends upgrading technological resources through investments in technological infrastructure. Finally, this paper contributed to scholarship by providing context-specific insights into the challenges and benefits of integrating Augmented Reality (AR) in a rural South African university, highlighting the critical role of technological infrastructure in its effective implementation.

Keywords: Augmented Reality, Blended Learning, Learner-Centredness, Integration of Technology, Active Learning, Hybrid Learning Environments.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Almaiah, Mohammed Amin, Khadija Alhumaid, Abid Aldhuhoori, Noha Alnazzawi, Ahmad Aburayya, Raghad Alfaisal, Said A. Salloum, et al. “Factors Affecting the Adoption of Digital Information Technologies in Higher Education: An Empirical Study.” Electronics 11, no. 21 (November 1, 2022): 3572. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11213572.

Amineh, Roya Jafari, and Hanieh Davatgari Asl. “Review of Constructivism and Social Constructivism.” Journal of Social Sciences, Literature and Languages 1, no. 1 (2015): 9–16.

Anabalón, Yasna Belén Anabalón, and Emmanuel Abraham Vega Roman. “Tutoring in the University. A Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis to the Scientific Production of the Web of Science.” Russian Law Journal 11, no. 3 (April 7, 2023): 1633–45. https://doi.org/10.52783/rlj.v11i3.1819.

Andujar, Alberto, and Fátima Zahra Nadif. “Evaluating an Inclusive Blended Learning Environment in EFL: A Flipped Approach.” Computer Assisted Language Learning 35, no. 5–6 (July 4, 2022): 1138–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1774613.

Anggraini, Seftika, Wahyu Setyaningrum, H Retnawati, and Marsigit Marsigit. “How to Improve Critical Thinking Skills and Spatial Reasoning with Augmented Reality in Mathematics Learning?” Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1581, no. 1 (July 1, 2020): 012066. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1581/1/012066.

Anggrawan, Anthony, Dian Syafitri C. S., and Christofer Satria. “Developing Augmented Reality Learning and Measuring Its Effect on Independent Learning Compared to Traditional Learning.” TEM Journal, May 29, 2023, 975–87. https://doi.org/10.18421/TEM122-44.

Aniskin, Vladimir Nikolaevich, Aleksandr A. Korostelev, Busygina Alla Lvovna, Anatoly V. Kurochkin, and Tatyana G. Sobakina. “Teaching Potential of Integrated Learning Technologies Smart, Stem and Steam.” Revista de La Universidad Del Zulia 11, no. 29 (February 8, 2020): 328–36. https://doi.org/10.46925//rdluz.29.21.

Anuja Phapale, and Aditya Shiledar. “A Decade of Research on the Effectiveness of Augmented Reality on Students with Special Disability in Higher Education.” International Journal of Applied and Advanced Multidisciplinary Research 2, no. 1 (January 30, 2024): 79–86. https://doi.org/10.59890/ijaamr.v2i1.709.

Arzak, Kirana Aureola, and Binar Kurnia Prahani. “Practicality of Augmented Reality Books in Physics Learning: A Literature Review.” JPPS (Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Sains) 12, no. 2 (May 23, 2023): 138–54. https://doi.org/10.26740/jpps.v12n2.p138-154.

Badilla-Quintana, María Graciela, Eileen Sepulveda-Valenzuela, and Margarita Salazar Arias. “Augmented Reality as a Sustainable Technology to Improve Academic Achievement in Students with and without Special Educational Needs.” Sustainability 12, no. 19 (October 1, 2020): 8116. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198116.

Balakumar, Pitchai, Mohammed Naseeruddin Inamdar, and Gowraganahalli Jagadeesh. “The Critical Steps for Successful Research: The Research Proposal and Scientific Writing.” Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics 4, no. 2 (June 1, 2013): 130–38. https://doi.org/10.4103/0976-500X.110895.

Basheer, Najuah Sael, Gabriela Sulzbach Solanho, Ana Carolina Coelho Baracat, Alice Mecabo, Giovana Nishiyama Galvani, Fábio Luigi Crisgiovanni, Amanda Kuster Roderjan, and Úrsula Bueno do Prado Guirro. “Social Death of the Older Adult Population Reinforced in Pandemic Times.” Revista Bioética 31 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-803420233407en.

Bruggeman, Bram, Jo Tondeur, Katrien Struyven, Bram Pynoo, Anja Garone, and Silke Vanslambrouck. “Experts Speaking: Crucial Teacher Attributes for Implementing Blended Learning in Higher Education.” The Internet and Higher Education 48 (January 2021): 100772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2020.100772.

Buditjahjanto, I Gusti Putu Asto, and Juki Irfansyah. “Augmented Reality on Students’ Academic Achievement Viewed from the Creative Thinking Level.” Journal of Technology and Science Education 13, no. 3 (June 12, 2023): 597–612. https://doi.org/10.3926/jotse.1813.

Buele, Jorge, John Espinoza, Belén Ruales, Valeria Maricruz Camino-Morejón, and Manuel Ayala-Chauvin. “Augmented Reality Application with Multimedia Content to Support Primary Education.” In ICAETT 2022. LNNS, 299–310. Springer Cham, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25942-5_24.

Cakir, Recep, and Ozgen Korkmaz. “The Effectiveness of Augmented Reality Environments on Individuals with Special Education Needs.” Education and Information Technologies 24, no. 2 (March 15, 2019): 1631–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-018-9848-6.

Çetin, Hakan, and Azmi Türkan. “The Effect of Augmented Reality Based Applications on Achievement and Attitude towards Science Course in Distance Education Process.” Education and Information Technologies 27, no. 2 (March 14, 2022): 1397–1415. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10625-w.

Chen, Daili, Chuanjun Liu, and Edgar Emmanuel Nolasco. “Intergenerational Transmission of Moral Decision‐making Inclinations.” Family Relations 73, no. 5 (2024): 3250–68.

Clarke, Emma, and John Visser. “Pragmatic Research Methodology in Education: Possibilities and Pitfalls.” International Journal of Research & Method in Education 42, no. 5 (October 20, 2019): 455–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2018.1524866.

Davis, Everod, Melva Robertson, and Stacey Reynolds. “Human Capital Strategies to Foster Employee Engagement Within Post Pandemic Layoffs.” Compensation & Benefits Review 56, no. 3 (2024): 177–89.

Ebadi, Saman, and Fateme Ashrafabadi. “An Exploration into the Impact of Augmented Reality on EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension.” Education and Information Technologies 27, no. 7 (August 5, 2022): 9745–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11021-8.

Elmira, Orazbayeva, Begaliyeva Rauan, Baigutova Dinara, and Blerta Prevalla Etemi. “The Effect of Augmented Reality Technology on the Performance of University Students.” International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (IJET) 17, no. 19 (October 14, 2022): 33–45. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v17i19.32179.

Fernández-Batanero, José María, Marta Montenegro-Rueda, and José Fernández-Cerero. “Use of Augmented Reality for Students with Educational Needs: A Systematic Review (2016–2021).” Societies 12, no. 2 (February 25, 2022): 36. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12020036.

Fernández-Cerero, José, Julio Cabero-Almenara, and Marta Montenegro-Rueda. “Technological Tools in Higher Education: A Qualitative Analysis from the Perspective of Students with Disabilities.” Education Sciences 14, no. 3 (March 14, 2024): 310. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14030310.

Hartikainen, Susanna, Heta Rintala, Laura Pylväs, and Petri Nokelainen. “The Concept of Active Learning and the Measurement of Learning Outcomes: A Review of Research in Engineering Higher Education.” Education Sciences 9, no. 4 (November 19, 2019): 276. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9040276.

Jang, Jaehong, Yujung Ko, Won Sug Shin, and Insook Han. “Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for Learning: An Examination Using an Extended Technology Acceptance Model.” IEEE Access 9 (2021): 6798–6809. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3048708.

Koç, Özge, Emin Altun, and H. Gülru Yüksel. “Writing an Expository Text Using Augmented Reality: Students’ Performance and Perceptions.” Education and Information Technologies 27, no. 1 (January 14, 2022): 845–66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10438-x.

Lai, Ah‐Fur, Chih‐Hung Chen, and Gon‐Yi Lee. “An Augmented Reality‐based Learning Approach to Enhancing Students’ Science Reading Performances from the Perspective of the Cognitive Load Theory.” British Journal of Educational Technology 50, no. 1 (January 19, 2019): 232–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12716.

Lee, Joohi, Candace Joswick, and Kathryn Pole. “Classroom Play and Activities to Support Computational Thinking Development in Early Childhood.” Early Childhood Education Journal 51, no. 3 (March 4, 2023): 457–68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01319-0.

Lim, Kyungeun. “Expanding Multimodal Artistic Expression and Appreciation Methods through Integrating Augmented Reality.” International Journal of Art & Design Education 41, no. 4 (November 19, 2022): 562–76. https://doi.org/10.1111/jade.12434.

Marrahi Gomez, Victor, and Jose Belda-Medina. “The Integration of Augmented Reality (AR) in Education.” Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal 9, no. 12 (January 5, 2023): 475–87. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.912.13689.

Martinez-Alpiste, Ignacio, Gelayol Golcarenarenji, Qi Wang, and Jose Maria Alcaraz-Calero. “Smartphone-Based Real-Time Object Recognition Architecture for Portable and Constrained Systems.” Journal of Real-Time Image Processing 19, no. 1 (February 1, 2022): 103–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11554-021-01164-1.

Maulyda, Mohammad Archi, Sugiman Sugiman, and Wuri Wuryandani. “Integration of Augmented Reality Technology for Learning: An Qualitative Meta-Analysis Study.” Progres Pendidikan 5, no. 3 (September 30, 2024): 260–73. https://doi.org/10.29303/prospek.v5i3.1269.

Medina, Mireles, Carrillo García, and Montes Olguín. “Planning and Allocation of Digital Learning Objects with Augmented Reality to Higher Education Students According to the VARK Model.” International Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence 5, no. 2 (2018): 53–57. https://doi.org/10.9781/ijimai.2018.02.005.

Mills, Kathy A., and Alinta Brown. “Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) for Digital Media Making: Transmediation Is Key.” Learning, Media and Technology 47, no. 2 (April 3, 2022): 179–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2021.1952428.

Modjadji, Mathukhwana Masutane. Bridging Divides: Tackling Technological Change, Inequality, and Digital Illiteracy in a Fragmented South Africa. European University Institute, 2025.

Moloja, Dina. “Exploring the Impact of Augmented Reality Applications on Student Engagement in Higher Education in South Africa: A Review.” In ITNG 2024: 21st International Conference on Information Technology-New Generations, 255–61, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56599-1_34.

Murrah-Hanson, Laurie, Brittani Lee, and Pamela Bloch. “Connecting Diverse Communities through a 4-H Urban-Rural Experience.” Journal of Extension 60, no. 4 (December 19, 2022). https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.60.04.08.

Nurpandi, Finsa, and Agung Gumelar. “Augmented Reality Chemical Reaction with User-Centered Design.” MATEC Web of Conferences 218 (October 26, 2018): 04012. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201821804012.

Oh, Ju Young, Ji Hyung Park, and Jung-Min Park. “Virtual Object Manipulation by Combining Touch and Head Interactions for Mobile Augmented Reality.” Applied Sciences 9, no. 14 (July 22, 2019): 2933. https://doi.org/10.3390/app9142933.

Olivares Gavino, Guido Fare, Marco Antonio Nolasco-Mamani, Uriel Rigoberto Quispe-Quezada, Ronal Raul Florez Díaz, María del Rocio Haro Echegaray, Paulo Cesar Chiri Saravia, Segundo A. V. Llanos, et al. “Improving The Scientific Research Methodology’s Component Parts for Language Teaching.” World Journal of English Language 13, no. 6 (June 5, 2023): 303. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v13n6p303.

Pande, Mandaar, and S. Vijayakumar Bharathi. “Theoretical Foundations of Design Thinking – A Constructivism Learning Approach to Design Thinking.” Thinking Skills and Creativity 36 (June 2020): 100637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100637.

Pasalidou, Christina, and Nikolaos Fachantidis. “Teachers’ Perceptions Towards the Use of Mobile Augmented Reality.” In Internet of Things, Infrastructures and Mobile Applications. IMCL, edited by M.E. Auer and T. Tsiatsos, 1039–50. Springer, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49932-7_97.

Pottle, Jack. “Virtual Reality and the Transformation of Medical Education.” Future Healthcare Journal 6, no. 3 (October 2019): 181–85. https://doi.org/10.7861/fhj.2019-0036.

Regnault, Antoine, Tom Willgoss, and Skye Barbic. “Towards the Use of Mixed Methods Inquiry as Best Practice in Health Outcomes Research.” Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes 2, no. 1 (December 11, 2018): 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41687-018-0043-8.

Rezwan Shihab, Sk, Nahida Sultana, and Abdul Samad. “Pedagogy Designing With Augmented Reality: A Paradigm Shift in Educational Approaches.” Interdiciplinary Journal and Hummanity (INJURITY) 2, no. 11 (November 17, 2023): 878–92. https://doi.org/10.58631/injurity.v2i11.136.

Robertson, Jeandri, Caitlin Ferreira, Jan Kietzmann, and Elsamari Botha. “Message on a Bottle: The Use of Augmented Reality as a Form of Disruptive Rhetoric in Wine Marketing.” Journal of Wine Research 35, no. 2 (April 2, 2024): 119–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571264.2024.2310292.

Salmee, Mohd Sufi Amin bin, and Faizah Abd Majid. “A Study On English Teachers’ Perceptions Towards The Use Of Augmented Reality (AR) In Secondary School ESL Classroom.” Asian Journal of University Education 18, no. 2 (April 30, 2022): 499–509. https://doi.org/10.24191/ajue.v18i2.18065.

Sat, Mustafa, Fatih Ilhan, and Erman Yukselturk. “Comparison and Evaluation of Augmented Reality Technologies for Designing Interactive Materials.” Education and Information Technologies 28, no. 9 (September 21, 2023): 11545–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11646-3.

Smajic, Emina, Dijana Avdic, Aleksandra Pasic, Alden Prcic, and Maja Stancic. “Mixed Methodology of Scientific Research in Healthcare.” Acta Informatica Medica 30, no. 1 (2022): 57–60. https://doi.org/10.5455/aim.2022.30.57-60.

Syed, Toqeer Ali, Muhammad Shoaib Siddiqui, Hurria Binte Abdullah, Salman Jan, Abdallah Namoun, Ali Alzahrani, Adnan Nadeem, and Ahmad B. Alkhodre. “In-Depth Review of Augmented Reality: Tracking Technologies, Development Tools, AR Displays, Collaborative AR, and Security Concerns.” Sensors 23, no. 1 (December 23, 2022): 146. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23010146.

Triplett, William J. “Impact of Technology Integration in STEM Education.” Cybersecurity and Innovative Technology Journal 1, no. 1 (September 11, 2023): 16–22. https://doi.org/10.53889/citj.v1i1.295.

Voon, Xin Pei, Su Luan Wong, Lung-Hsiang Wong, Mas Nida Md. Khambari, and Sharifah Intan Sharina Syed-Abdullah. “Developing Computational Thinking Competencies through Constructivist Argumentation Learning: A Problem-Solving Perspective.” International Journal of Information and Education Technology 12, no. 6 (2022): 529–39. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijiet.2022.12.6.1650.

Vygotsky, Lev. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978.

Yilmaz, Rabia Meryem, Fatma Burcu Topu, and Ayşegül Takkaç Tulgar. “An Examination of Vocabulary Learning and Retention Levels of Pre-School Children Using Augmented Reality Technology in English Language Learning.” Education and Information Technologies 27, no. 5 (June 1, 2022): 6989–7017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-10916-w.

Zhang, Tong, Zaffar A. Shaikh, Alexei V. Yumashev, and Monika Chłąd. “Applied Model of E-Learning in the Framework of Education for Sustainable Development.” Sustainability 12, no. 16 (August 10, 2020): 6420. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166420.

AUTHOR(S)

Bulelwa Makena is an Associate Professor of Language Education and a Deputy Head of the Department (HoD). She has served as a member of the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee and Ethics Committee at Walter Sisulu University, South Africa. As a self-motivated and achievement-oriented, she is a scholar and an author who has extensively published scientific papers on DHET-accredited platforms. Her area of interest is language acquisition and education management.

Ntando Elliot Mpahla is a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of the Department (HoD) with a Doctor of Philosophy in Education in the Faculty of Education, Department of Adult & Education Foundations. He is a research supervisor for BEd Honours & Master of Education students. The areas of interest in research are education policy imperatives and teacher professional development. He has published in conference proceedings and in DHET-accredited Journals.

Manitshana Mveleli is an ICT Technician within the ICT Department in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. As an emerging scholar, he has collaboratively published diverse manuscripts in DHET-accredited platforms. Due to the nature of his job, he has since developed an interest in investing the probable impacts of technology-infused pedagogies as institutions of higher learning had to abruptly adapt to the blended mode of instruction.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Makena, Bulelwa, Ntando Elliot Mpahla, and Manitshana Mveleli. “Augmented Reality Intersecting Digital Content into Real-Life Environments: A Case of A Rurally Located Institution of Higher Learning, Eastern Cape Province.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 6, no. 8 (2025): 592 – 606. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2025686.