Augmented reality for story-related activities in primary education : insights from the cyprus implementation of the cars project

Abstract

This paper presents findings from the Cyprus implementation of the Children as Creators of Augmented Reality Stories (CARS) project, focusing on how primary-school learners engaged in the design and development of augmented reality (AR) stories as part of English language learning. The study was conducted in a multicultural sixth-grade classroom and followed a Learning Experience Design (LXD) approach that combined structured narrative instruction, project-based learning, and scaffolded use of AR creation tools. Over eight lessons, students explored a folktale, collaboratively authored original stories, and transformed them into interactive AR scenes using the Zapworks platform. Data were collected through language pre/post assessments, classroom observations, student questionnaires (including the Geneva Emotion Wheel), class-wide discussions, and teacher interviews. Results demonstrate that AR functioned as a meaningful and motivating medium for language learning. Students reported high levels of interest, joy, and pride, especially when seeing their narratives “come to life” through their own digital artefacts. Language assessments revealed significant improvements in the use of the English simple past tense, with the largest gains observed among students who began with lower baseline scores. Students also developed new digital and design competencies, including the use of 3D assets, basic scene sequencing, and AI-generated visual elements. Collaboration emerged as a key dimension of the experience, with students learning to negotiate ideas, distribute roles, and appreciate peers’ contributions within mixed-ability groups. Teachers described the intervention as enriching, engaging, and well aligned with students’ digital habits and curricular needs. They highlighted opportunities for creativity, storytelling, multimodality, and interdisciplinary teaching. At the same time, several challenges surfaced: platform complexity, time constraints, technical issues, and ensuring equitable participation for students with diverse linguistic and digital profiles. These challenges underscore the need for co-teaching models, prior training, careful task orchestration, and dedicated time for iterative design work. Overall, the Cyprus case illustrates how AR storytelling can support language development, foster digital literacy, and cultivate positive emotional engagement in primary education. The findings contribute practical insights for educators seeking to integrate immersive authoring tools into literacy instruction and inform broader recommendations for designing scalable, pedagogically grounded AR learning experiences.