Investigating Augmented Reality as a mode of representation for hearing and hearing-impaired preschool children

This paper presents an empirical study of 33 hearing preschool children and 22 preschool children with a hearing impairment, examining the effects of Augmented Reality (AR) as a mode of representation to support perceptions of abstract time concepts in the solving of mathematical problems. The findings indicate that an AR representation mode has the potential to present more comprehensive information, enhance cognitive understanding and encourage the active learning experiences of preschool children. The effects were especially significant for those children with a hearing impairment. We have discussed how presenting information through an AR mode can aid the perception of time and sequence by preschool children, especially hearing-impaired children, resulting in improved skills for solving mathematical problems.