LAUSR

Abstract There is a lack of theory-driven empirical research that evaluates outcomes of location-based augmented reality (AR) applications with the purpose of improving instructional design and use guidelines. The primary aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two historical reasoning guide protocols, one based on prior research by Harley and colleagues (2016a; the other an extension) while learners used a mobile AR app to learn about history. Learners reported significantly higher levels of enjoyment and curiosity from learning about history than using the app itself, though mean levels were high for both—in contrast to negative emotions. Results suggest that the new and extended historical reasoning guide protocol succeeded in fostering higher levels of knowledge than the former. Findings also revealed that learners reported significantly higher levels of task value after the guided tour compared to their pre-guided-tour responses. Implications and future directions are discussed.