Exploring the viability of augmented reality game- enhanced education in WhatsApp flipped and blended classes versus...

The application of augmented reality games (ARG) as an emerging innovative technology has become a significant component of instructional learning contexts in recent years. ARG-based education as a form of student-centered learning situates students in a learning environment that integrates virtual elements with physical environments through three-dimensional pictures and videos on mobile devices for educational purposes. To connect the use of digital tools into the language classrooms and allow learners to view the real world, this study examined the viability of ARG-enhanced education on English foreign language (EFL) learners' learning of giving and asking for directions in flipped and blended contexts. The study involved 60 EFL elementary students of homogenous English proficiency, organized into two comparative and one control group, with 20 participants in each group. For the pre-test, an 18-item multiple-choice test with one written and oral question was administered to assess the learners' knowledge of asking for and giving directions. After taking the pre-test, the two comparative groups received 16 sessions of ARG-enhanced education (one with a blended and the other with a flipped classroom approach), while the control group received placebo instructions. The flipped group received the instructional materials preceding the online group, while the blended group received instruction in both online and face-to-face classes. The control group received instruction in a face-to-face context. After 8-weeks of treatment sessions, all participants of the study took the post-test. According to the results, both flipped and blended groups receiving ARG-enhanced education performed better than the control group in learning how to give and ask for directions. The results of this study may pave the way for EFL teachers and students to use ARG-based technology in online and traditional classes.