Volume 16 (2025) Download Cover Page

Augmented Reality as a Tool for Inclusive Education: Improving Literary Psychology Learning for Students with Special Needs

Article Number: e2025256  |  Available Online: June 2025  |  DOI: 10.22521/edupij.2025.16.256

Onok Yayang Pamungkas , Suci Paresti , Tjaturningsih Rosdiana , Ika Mustika , Tatang Subagyo , Fitri Puji Rahmawati

Abstract

Background/purpose. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of integrating Augmented Reality (AR) technology in literary psychology education for students with special needs in the context of inclusive education.

Materials/methods. Using a mixed-method approach, the study involved 120 students from three disability categories (dyslexia, autism, blind) and a control group. The main instruments used were the Adaptive Literary Comprehension Test (ALCT), User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), AR application interaction logs, and semi-structured interviews with teachers and students.

Results. Quantitative results showed a significant improvement in ALCT scores in the experimental group, especially in visually impaired (+40.2%) and dyslexic (+34.5%) students. Correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between the duration of interaction with 3D objects and an increase in ALCT scores (r = 0.61; p < 0.001). Qualitatively, teachers and students reported increased participation and emotional understanding through adaptive audio and visual features. The heatmap data supported these findings by identifying favorite areas of interaction according to the sensory needs of each group. The integration of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in AR application design has been proven to be able to expand access, increase engagement, and deepen literary understanding.

Conclusion. This research makes an important contribution to the design of inclusive technology-based learning, and recommends the expansion of trials at the higher education level and diverse local cultural contexts.

Keywords: Compound Intelligence, Literacy, Character Education, Item Response Theory, Bayesian IRT

References

References   

Aghasafari, S., Needles, T., & Malloy, M. (2025). Multimedia arts learning: connecting STEAM among special education students. Discover Education, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00440-7

Akçayır, M., & Akçayır, G. (2017). Advantages and challenges associated with augmented reality for education: A systematic review of the literature. Educational Research Review, 20, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2016.11.002

Al-Azawei, A., Parslow, P., & Lundqvist, K. (2017). The effect of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) application on e-learning acceptance: A structural equation model. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(6), 54–87. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i6.2880

AR, A. R. (2024). The Synergy of Augmented Reality (AR) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Inclusive Education. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1405-0.ch006

Babchuk, W. A. (2016). Review of Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation (2016) by SB Merriam & EJ Tisdell. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741713616671930

Blum-Smith, S., Yurkofsky, M. M., & Brennan, K. (2021). Stepping back and stepping in: Facilitating learner-centered experiences in MOOCs. Computers and Education, 160, 104042. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.104042

Bond, M., Buntins, K., Bedenlier, S., Zawacki-Richter, O., & Kerres, M. (2020). Mapping Research in Student Engagement and Educational Technology in Higher Education: A Systematic Evidence Map. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0176-8

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, Vol. 11, pp. 589–597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806

Camacho, A., Alves, R. A., & Boscolo, P. (2021). Writing Motivation in School: a Systematic Review of Empirical Research in the Early Twenty-First Century. Educational Psychology Review, Vol. 33, pp. 213–247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09530-4

Chen, L., Zhao, H., Shi, C., Wu, Y., Yu, X., Ren, W., Zhang, Z., & Shi, X. (2024). Enhancing Multi-Modal Perception and Interaction: An Augmented Reality Visualization System for Complex Decision Making. Systems, 12(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12010007

Chow, W. S. E., de Bruin, K., & Sharma, U. (2023). A scoping review of perceived support needs of teachers for implementing inclusive education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, Vol. 28, pp. 3321–3340. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2023.2244956

Clark, R. S., & Clark, V. L. P. (2022). The use of mixed methods to advance positive psychology: A methodological review. International Journal of Wellbeing, 12(3), 35–55. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v12i3.2017

Cunningham, R., & Hansen, C. G. (2022). The Hippo pathway in cancer: YAP/TAZ and TEAD as therapeutic targets in cancer. Clinical Science, Vol. 136, pp. 197–222. https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20201474

DeMatthews, D. E., Serafini, A., & Watson, T. N. (2021). Leading Inclusive Schools: Principal Perceptions, Practices, and Challenges to Meaningful Change. Educational Administration Quarterly, 57(1), 3–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X20913897

Fadeev, A., & Milyakina, A. (2021). Multisensory learning environments. Research project Education on Screen. SHS Web of Conferences, 130, 02003. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202113002003

Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A., & Lang, A. G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G* Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41(4), 1149–1160.

Florian, L., & Black-Hawkins, K. (2011). Exploring inclusive pedagogy. British Educational Research Journal, 37(5), 813–828. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411926.2010.501096

Haug, P. (2017). Understanding inclusive education: ideals and reality. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 19(3), 206–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/15017419.2016.1224778

Helena Martins, M., Borges, M. L., & Gonçalves, T. (2018). Attitudes towards inclusion in higher education in a Portuguese university. International Journal of Inclusive Education, Vol. 22, pp. 527–542. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2017.1377299

Hermanto, H., & Pamungkas, B. (2023). Teacher Strategies for Providing Access to Learning for Students with Special Needs in Elementary Schools. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(4), 345–361. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.4.20

Jang, J., Ko, Y., Shin, W. S., & Han, I. (2021). Augmented reality and virtual reality for learning: An examination using an extended technology acceptance model. IEEE Access, 9(6), 6798–6809. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2020.3048708

Jayedi, A., Khan, T. A., Aune, D., Emadi, A., & Shab-Bidar, S. (2022). Body fat and risk of all-cause mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. International Journal of Obesity, Vol. 46, pp. 1573–1581. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-022-01165-5 

Jdaitawi, M., & Kan’an, A. (2021). A Decade of Research on the Effectiveness of Augmented Reality on Students With Special Disability in Higher Education. Contemporary Educational Technology, 14(1), 332–347. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/11369

Karisa, A. (2023). Universal design for learning: not another slogan on the street of inclusive education. Disability and Society, 38(1), 194–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2125792

Keene, M. A., Haegele, J. A., Ball, L. E., Nowland, L. A., & Zhu, X. (2024). Exploring Blind and Visually Impaired Students’ Views on How to Improve Physical Education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 43(3), 416–424. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2023-0013

Kennedy, J., Missiuna, C., Pollock, N., Wu, S., Yost, J., & Campbell, W. (2018). A scoping review to explore how universal design for learning is described and implemented by rehabilitation health professionals in school settings. Child: Care, Health and Development, Vol. 44, pp. 670–688. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12576

Khowaja, K., Al-Thani, D., Banire, B., Salim, S. S., & Shah, A. (2019). Use of augmented reality for social communication skills in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): A systematic review. ICETAS 2019 - 2019 6th IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technologies and Applied Sciences, 8, 78779–78807. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICETAS48360.2019.9117290

Khowaja, K., Al-Thani, D., Hassan, A. O., Shah, A., & Salim, S. S. (2020). Mobile augmented reality app for children with autism spectrum disorder (asd) to learn vocabulary (marvoc): From the requirement gathering to its initial evaluation. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Including Subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), 12211 LNCS, 424–437. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50164-8_31

Klein, A. Z., Kunatharaju, S., O’Connor, K., & Gonzalez-Hernandez, G. (2023). Automatically Identifying Self-Reports of COVID-19 Diagnosis on Twitter: An Annotated Data Set, Deep Neural Network Classifiers, and a Large-Scale Cohort. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e46484. https://doi.org/10.2196/46484

Kryszewska, H. (2017). Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive ClassroomsSpecial Educational Needs. ELT Journal, 71(4), 525–528. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccx042

Lai, C., Wang, Q., & Huang, X. (2022). The differential interplay of TPACK, teacher beliefs, school culture and professional development with the nature of in-service EFL teachers’ technology adoption. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(5), 1389–1411. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13200

Low, H. M., Wong, T. P., Lee, L. W., Makesavanh, S., Vongsouangtham, B., Phannalath, V., Che Ahmad, A., & Lee, A. S. S. (2021). Can pictorial narration offer a solution to teacher training on the effective inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder in low-resource settings? Investigation on knowledge and stigma change. Autism, 25(5), 1216–1233. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361320984899

Mason, G. M., Goldstein, M. H., & Schwade, J. A. (2019). The role of multisensory development in early language learning. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 183, 48–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2018.12.011

Menke, K., Beckmann, J., & Weber, P. (2019). Universal design for learning in augmented and virtual reality trainings. In Universal Access Through Inclusive Instructional Design: International Perspectives on UDL (pp. 294–304). https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429435515-39

Moriña, A. (2017). Inclusive education in higher education: challenges and opportunities. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 32(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2016.1254964

Nave, L. (2020). UDL in Online Environments: The why of learning. Journal of Developmental Education, 44(1), 30–31.

Nunes, A. R. (2016). Book review: seven steps to a comprehensive literature review: a multimodal and cultural approach by Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie and Rebecca Frels. LSE Review of Books, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.21505/ajge.2019.0006

O’Shea, P. M. (2011). Augmented Reality in Education. International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations, 3(1), 91–93. https://doi.org/10.4018/jgcms.2011010108

Olson, C. B., Matuchniak, T., Chung, H. Q., Stumpf, R., & Farkas, G. (2017). Reducing achievement gaps in academic writing for Latinos and English learners in grades 7-12. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000095

Pivoda, K., & Stickney, D. (2020). Review of Reaching and teaching students in poverty: Strategies for erasing the opportunity gap. Education Review, 27. https://doi.org/10.14507/er.v27.2851

Prasertpong, P., Charmondusit, K., Taecharungroj, V., Rawang, W., Suwan, S., & Woraphong, S. (2023). Factors influencing science and environmental education learning of blind students: A case of primary school for the blind in Thailand. International Journal of Education and Practice, 11(2), 295–307. https://doi.org/10.18488/61.v11i2.3338

Quintero, J., Baldiris, S., Rubira, R., Cerón, J., & Velez, G. (2019). Augmented Reality in Educational Inclusion. A Systematic Review on the Last Decade. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01835

Sarpy, N. L. (2016). The meaning baccalaureate nurse educators ascribe to their remediation experiences: Qualitative study. Meaning Baccalaureate Nurse Educators Ascribe to Their Remediation Experiences: Qualitative Study, p. 1. Capella University.

Schwandt, T. A. (1996). Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook. Evaluation and Program Planning, 19(1), 106–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/0149-7189(96)88232-2

Shams, L., & Seitz, A. R. (2008). Benefits of multisensory learning. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(11), 411–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2008.07.006

Shore, L. M., Cleveland, J. N., & Sanchez, D. (2018). Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Human Resource Management Review, 28(2), 176–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.07.003

Tangye, S. G., Al-Herz, W., Bousfiha, A., Cunningham-Rundles, C., Franco, J. L., Holland, S. M., Klein, C., Morio, T., Oksenhendler, E., Picard, C., Puel, A., Puck, J., Seppänen, M. R. J., Somech, R., Su, H. C., Sullivan, K. E., Torgerson, T. R., & Meyts, I. (2022). Human Inborn Errors of Immunity: 2022 Update on the Classification from the International Union of Immunological Societies Expert Committee. Journal of Clinical Immunology, 42(7), 1473–1507. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-022-01289-3

Tatz, J. R., Undorf, M., & Peynircioğlu, Z. F. (2021). Effect of impoverished information on multisensory integration in judgments of learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning Memory and Cognition, 47(3), 481–497. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000953

Tjahjani, J., & Jinanto, D. (2021). Teaching French language through films: The cultural contents in French and Francophone films. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 11(2), 382–391. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v11i2.29450

Tobin, M. T. (2018). Multimodal Literacy. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-7365-4.ch009

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). 4-Vygotsky.

Watson, A., Wozniak-O’Connor, V., & Lupton, D. (2023). Health information in creative translation: establishing a collaborative project of research and exhibition making. Health Sociology Review, 32(1), 42–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/14461242.2023.2171802

Wong, L. L., Phuah, K. C., Dai, R., Chen, H., Chew, W. S., & Adams, S. (2021). Bond Valence Pathway Analyzer-An Automatic Rapid Screening Tool for Fast Ion Conductors within softBV. Chemistry of Materials, 33(2), 625–641. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.0c03893

Wong, P. W., Lam, Y., Lau, J. S., & Fok, H. (2021). The Resilience of Social Service Providers and Families of Children With Autism or Development Delays During the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Community Case Study in Hong Kong. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 561657. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.561657

Yegorina, D., Armstrong, I., Kravtsov, A., Merges, K. R., & Danhoff, C. (2021). Multi‐user Geometry and Geography Augmented Reality Applications for Collaborative and Gamified STEM Learning in Primary School. Review of Education, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3319

Young, M. (2019). Excellence gaps in education: Expanding opportunities for talented students [Book Review]. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 28(1), 1–446. https://doi.org/10.21505/ajge.2019.0006