Enhancing Early Learning with an Augmented Reality Zoo App

Enhancing Early Learning with an Augmented Reality Zoo App

Nurul Syazwani Rohizat., Haslinah Mohd Nasir., Noor Mohd Ariff Brahin., Suraya Zainuddin., Nurul Syuhada Mohd Shari., Amirah Nakhlis Ozali

Faculty of Electronics & Computer Technology & Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Jalan Hang Tuah Jaya, Melaka, 76100, Malaysia

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.909000553

Received: 10 September 2025; Accepted: 17 September 2025; Published: 17 October 2025

ABSTRACT

This study presents the preliminary design, development, and evaluation of an Augmented Reality (AR) Zoo application, intended as an interactive tool for children science education. The COVID-19 pandemic restricted children’s mobility for nearly two years, limiting opportunities for outdoor exploration, including visits to zoos, and shifting most learning into the home environment. This disruption highlighted the need for innovative, home-accessible educational tools to support experiential learning. To address this gap, this preliminary work explored the potential of AR technology for children’s learning by developing and testing an AR application using the Unity platform. The AR Zoo prototype was created in Unity3D with marker-based AR technology via the Vuforia SDK, selected for its robust and stable object tracking to ensure a reliable and distraction-free experience suitable for children. Designed for Android devices (versions 5.0–12.0), the application currently includes four 3D animal models namely tiger, horse, elephant, and zebra, accompanied by descriptive text and realistic animal sounds to foster multisensory learning and curiosity. A child-friendly interface was intentionally designed to minimize cognitive load, featuring only two main functions; ‘Play’ and ‘Quit’ buttons within a visually engaging, flashcard-style layout. Usability was evaluated using a modified System Usability Scale (SUS), resulting in a mean score of 76.25, which exceeds the benchmark of 70 and indicating good usability. Participants reported increased interest in learning about animals and rated the interface as easy to use and child-friendly. As this work represents an initial stage, future development will focus on expanding the animal library, integrating interactive quizzes and mini-games, enhancing animations and enabling cross-platform deployment to further enrich engagement and educational value.

Keywords: Augmented-Reality (AR) application; Mobile learning; Educational technology; Children education; Interactive learning

INTRODUCTION

The global COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted traditional modes of education, particularly for children whose learning relies on sensory exploration and real-world interaction. Public health concerns and movement restrictions limited visits to educational venues such as zoos, museums, and nature parks [1], reducing opportunities for hands-on learning experiences. These disruptions risk impeding cognitive, social, and emotional development, as early childhood is a critical period for developing problem-solving skills, curiosity, and creativity [2]. The sudden shift to home-based learning exposed a significant gap between conventional teaching resources and the need for engaging, interactive tools that could sustain children’s development beyond the classroom. Educators and parents increasingly sought technology-driven solutions that provide safe, meaningful, and motivating learning experiences without requiring physical access to outdoor environments [3].

Augmented Reality (AR) has emerged as a promising technology to address this challenge. By overlaying digital content such as 3D models, animations, audio, and text onto real-world objects via smartphones or tablets, AR can create enriched environments where learning is both interactive and context-aware. Unlike Virtual Reality (VR), which immerses users in completely simulated worlds, AR enhances the learner’s real environment, allowing interaction with context-rich objects in situ [4]. This blended experience creates opportunities for hands-on exploration and experiential learning, making abstract concepts more tangible and memorable [5]. Prior research has shown that AR-based learning can improve motivation, sustain attention and deepen conceptual understanding, particularly in science-related subjects where visualization of objects and phenomena is crucial [6][7]. For young learners, this multisensory approach combining visual, auditory and textual cues activates multiple cognitive pathways, reinforce memory and supports holistic development [8][9][10]. For example, a recent study found that AR activities helped preschool children to improve comprehension in environmental education topics compared with traditional methods like coloring pages [11]. Similarly, a systematic review of AR applications in children education reports benefits in motivation, social-emotional development and academic performance [12][13][14]. By encouraging young learners to actively engage with their surroundings, AR reflects key principles of constructivist learning theory, where knowledge is built through exploration, interaction and personal experience [15][16].

Building on these advantages, this preliminary work presents the design, development, and evaluation of an AR-based virtual zoo application aimed at bridging the gap created by limited outdoor educational opportunities. AR Zoo was developed using Unity3D and the Vuforia SDK and operates on Android devices to maximize accessibility. It features lifelike 3D models of four animals which are tiger, horse, elephant, and zebra that appear when users scan flashcards (image markers) with a smartphone camera. Each model is accompanied by descriptive text and realistic sounds, creating a playful yet educational experience that stimulates curiosity and supports cognitive growth.

This study reports initial functionality and usability testing results and explores the potential of AR Zoo application through user testing, providing initial insights into its potential as a low-cost, scalable, and user-friendly tool for technology-enhanced children education. As preliminary research, its findings are intended to help informed future development and set directions for broader evaluation.

METHODOLOGY

This project adopted a structured, user-centered methodology to ensure both technical reliability and educational effectiveness. The development process comprised four main phases: system design, image target registration, AR object design, and application deployment as depicted in Fig. 1. This workflow provided a systematic transition from conceptualization to deployment while maintaining a focus on usability and learning outcomes for young learners. As this study represents preliminary work, the methodology was scoped to develop a proof-of-concept application and gather early usability feedback rather than conducting a large-scale pedagogical impact study.

Fig. 1 Project block diagram

Phase 1: System Design

The initial design phase emphasized child-centered user interface (UI) development and content creation aligned with early learning principles. The system was carefully planned and design to create an engaging learning platform that introduces children to animals through interactive and multisensory experiences.

A minimalistic UI was developed in Unity 3D with two buttons, ‘Play’ and ‘Quit’ to support intuitive navigation and reduce cognitive load for young users. Flashcards and background visuals were designed using Adobe Photoshop, incorporating child-friendly aesthetics, high contrast, and simple icons to maximize accessibility.

In this project, the educational content included four 3D animal models; tiger, horse, elephant and zebra sourced from open repositories. These models were enhanced with animations such as walking, roaring, and grazing to stimulate engagement and curiosity. Authentic animal sounds and textual descriptions including name, features, and key characteristics were intentionally kept minimal to align with the project’s preliminary scope while still providing multisensory stimulation, vocabulary acquisition and reinforcing knowledge through visual, auditory, and textual cues. This design approach aligns with constructivist learning theory, where children actively build understanding through interactive experiences.

The content was designed to be simple, colorful, and visually clear while incorporating informative elements to engage young learners and support early childhood education. The design encourages children to explore and learn about animals, even within a home environment, thereby extending learning beyond the classroom.

Table 1 interactive FEATURES with description

Phase 2: Image Target Registration

In this stage, flashcards were prepared and registered as image markers in the Vuforia database. These markers function as visual triggers, enabling the application to detect and track them in real time through the smartphone camera. Once detected, the system calculates the marker’s position, scale, and orientation, ensuring that the corresponding 3D animal is accurately superimposed within the live camera feed.

This process transforms static flashcards into interactive learning tools, as children only need to hold and scan the card to activate the augmented content. Such minimal interaction is particularly suitable for early childhood education, where usability and simplicity are crucial [13][17]. The marker-based AR approach was chosen for its stability, low computational demand, and high recognition accuracy, making it effective on widely available Android devices [18][19].

Furthermore, the use of physical flashcards supports tactile learning by combining traditional hands-on materials with digital augmentation. This integration enhances children’s engagement, attention span, and memory retention, while reinforcing animal recognition and vocabulary development through multimodal cues [6][20].

Phase 3: Augmented Reality (AR) Objects Design

Following the registration of image targets in Vuforia, the next stage involved designing the virtual objects that appear once the flashcards are scanned. The target images served as precise pinpoints for superimposing 3D content within the AR environment. The Vuforia database was first downloaded and imported into the Unity3D framework, providing the foundation for integrating virtual objects with the markers. Since Unity3D offers only a limited set of built-in 3D models, external assets were imported for this prototype, enriching the visual library while remaining within free or low-cost resources suitable for early-stage development.

For this preliminary work, four animals; tiger, horse, elephant, and zebra were developed and imported into Unity3D. Each animal model was scaled and positioned to align with the detected marker. To enhance realism and learner engagement, animations simulating natural behaviors such as walking, grazing, and roaring were programmed, along with synchronized animal sounds. Textual descriptions of each animal were intentionally kept simple to avoid overloading young users and to reflect the proof-of-concept nature of this study.

Navigation and interactivity were implemented using C# scripts, enabling children to scan a flashcard, instantly view the corresponding 3D animal, and seamlessly return to the main menu or switch to another card. This transformation of static flashcards into dynamic, interactive educational content illustrates how AR can blend visual, auditory, and textual stimuli to foster engagement, motivation, and cognitive development in early childhood education.

Phase 4: Application Deployment

The final phase focused on deploying the AR Zoo application as a functional prototype. Following integration and initial testing, the project was exported as an Android Package Kit (APK) and installed on smartphones running Android versions 5.0–12.0. These versions were chosen to ensure broad compatibility with devices commonly available in households and schools, thereby reinforcing the accessibility and inclusivity of the application in diverse learning environments.

Deployment served as a feasibility test, validating the ability of the system to operate outside the development environment and gathering preliminary user impressions. Children could now engage directly with the application by scanning flashcards to trigger interactive 3D animal models, synchronized with sounds and text descriptions.

This phase demonstrated the potential of the application to support early vocabulary acquisition, multisensory engagement and curiosity-driven exploration. However, the scope remained intentionally limited to verify usability and technical stability before scaling to a full educational trial.

RESULTS & ANALYSIS

The AR Zoo application was successfully implemented and evaluated on Android devices, demonstrating stable functionality and real-time responsiveness. Developed on the Unity3D platform with the Vuforia SDK, the system employed a marker-based augmented reality (AR) framework that enabled flashcards to serve as triggers for virtual content. It effectively recognized four animal image targets; horse, elephant, tiger, and zebra. Upon detection, the corresponding 3D model was rendered with accurate alignment, scale, and orientation. Each animal model was accompanied by synchronized audio of the animal’s natural sound and a brief textual description. This multimodal integration was designed to enhance vocabulary development and support engagement through combined visual, auditory, and textual cues. Table 2 illustrates the system interaction flow, from application launch to AR display, highlighting the simplicity and clarity of the user interface. As this study represents a preliminary stage, these results should be interpreted as an early proof-of-concept demonstration rather than a comprehensive evaluation of learning outcomes.

Table 2 Augmented Reality (AR) ZOO interfaces

No.	Interface	Description
1		Main menu Entry screen with Play/ Quit options
2		Camera activation Triggered when player player clicks the ‘Play’ button.
3		AR Image 1 The 3D horse model and its description displayed when camera detected the horse marker.
4		AR Image 2 The 3D elephant model and its description displayed when camera detected the elephant marker.
5		AR Image 3 The 3D tiger model and its description displayed when camera detected the tiger marker.
6		AR Image 4 The 3D zebra model and its description displayed when camera detected the zebra marker.

The system was tested on multiple devices running Android versions 5.0 (Lollipop) through 12.0 (API 31), confirming broad compatibility. Performance evaluation indicated smooth rendering of 3D objects and reliable audio playback with minimal latency. Vuforia’s tracking algorithm maintained stable augmentation under varied lighting conditions and moderate background motion, ensuring consistent usability. Such robustness is encouraging at this early stage, as stability is critical for young learners who may not hold devices steadily.

Overall, the findings indicate that the AR Zoo application met its preliminary objectives of demonstrating feasibility and technical stability as an engaging educational tool. The integration of marker-based AR with commonly available mobile devices reinforces accessibility, while observed stability and responsiveness suggest suitability for both classroom and home-based learning. These outcomes are consistent with previous studies highlighting the advantages of marker-based AR in educational applications, particularly its accuracy, efficiency, and low computational demand [21].

Usability Evaluation

In addition to the technical implementation, a user experience (UX) study was conducted to evaluate usability in an educational context. After completing the AR Zoo tour, 12 participants, including children (ages 5–8) and educators responded to a post-experience questionnaire consisting of five statements rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree). A modified System Usability Scale (SUS) approach was applied, following the original scoring procedure [22] but using five representative items. Scores were scaled to a 0–100 range to provide a relative measure of usability [23][24]. Given the small sample size, these results should be considered exploratory but provide useful insight into initial user perceptions. The statements used in the questionnaire are listed in Table 3.

Table 3 Post-Experience Questionnaire Items For Evaluating Ar Zoo Usability

The SUS analysis is presented in Table 4 resulted a mean usability score of 76.25 with standard deviation (SD) of 9.6, indicating prototype of the AR Zoo application achieved good usability according to published interpretation guidelines [25][26], which suggest that SUS scores above 70 are considered acceptable to good usability. The median score of 77.5 and absence of scores below 60 suggest consistently positive ratings, with the maximum score of 95 reflecting near-excellent experience from some participants. This suggested that participants found the application intuitive and easy to use during this preliminary study.

Item-level analysis revealed higher agreement for ease of use and overall satisfaction, with slightly more neutral ratings for learnability, suggesting that improvements to onboarding or brief tutorial prompts may enhance future versions.

Table 4 Sus Analysis Result

Figure 2 presents the distribution of participant responses for all questionnaire items, Q1 to Q5. The first item, which asked whether the AR Zoo prototype increased participants’ interest in learning about animals, received overwhelmingly positive responses, with more than 90% of participants agreeing or strongly agreeing. This result underscores the application’s potential to improve motivation as an important factor for technology-supported learning environments. Similar positive agreement was observed for informational retrieval in the second item, Q2 which showed strong agreement that AR Zoo facilitated quick access to relevant information through its 3D visualizations. These findings indicate that the application prototype successfully delivers content in a way that supports efficient learning, aligning with other research that highlights AR’s effectiveness for improving conceptual understanding in science education [27].

Responses to the third item, Q3 confirmed that participants generally found the application easy to operate, suggesting that the interface design was intuitive and did not create unnecessary usability barriers. The fourth item, Q4 which assessed potential negative impacts, received a neutral or slightly cautious response, with a notable proportion of participants selecting ‘Neutral’ or ‘Disagree’. This suggests that participants were mindful of issues such as screen time or distraction. This aligns with prior studies recommending balanced integration of AR to protect children’s digital well-being. The fifth item, Q5 received the highest agreement overall, affirming that the interface design, layout and navigation were user-friendly and appealing.

Fig 2. Distribution of participant responses for all questionnaire items (Q1–Q5) on a 5-point Likert scale, showing strong positive agreement for learning interest, information retrieval, ease of use, and interface usability, with more neutral responses observed for perceived negative impact (Q4).

These findings are consistent with prior research indicating that AR-based educational tools significantly enhance student engagement and motivation, particularly among young learners [28]. The intuitive design, minimalistic interface and immediate feedback loop (visual + audio + text) contribute to a positive user experience, reducing cognitive load and supporting independent exploration.

Overall, the findings indicate that the prototype of AR Zoo application provides a positive and engaging user experience, excelling in sparking interest, supporting information access, and offering an intuitive interface. The more neutral responses regarding potential negative effects suggest an opportunity for future work to include usage guidelines or onboarding prompts, helping learners navigate the experience confidently while addressing concerns about screen time.

Together, these results highlight potential of the AR Zoo application as a practical and effective educational tool that meaningfully enhances learner engagement.

Educational Implications

The AR Zoo application supports multisensory learning by engaging visual, auditory, and kinesthetic channels simultaneously to enhance comprehension and retention [29]. Children can see lifelike 3D animal models, hear their sounds, and read accompanying descriptions, catering to diverse learning styles and reinforcing conceptual understanding. This is especially valuable in early childhood education, where abstract concepts are best learned through concrete, interactive experiences. The application’s design reflects constructivist learning theory, where learners actively build knowledge through exploration and interaction [30]. Rather than passively receiving information, children participate in the learning process by scanning flashcards and observing how virtual content responds, fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity.

Additionally, AR Zoo provides a form of situated learning by delivering knowledge in a meaningful, real-world context. Although children may not physically visit a zoo, the AR experience simulates authentic encounters with animals, making lessons more memorable. Teachers can integrate the AR Zoo application into lessons on animal classification, habitats, or biology, turning static textbook content into dynamic, interactive activities. As a preliminary prototype, these findings primarily confirm feasibility and positive engagement of AR Zoo, paving the way for future work and its potential as a blended learning tool that complements traditional teaching. The AR Zoo can be used during classroom activities, group projects, or at-home assignments, supporting both individual and collaborative learning while enhancing overall engagement.

CONCLUSION

This preliminary study successfully developed and conducted an initial usability evaluation of the Augmented Reality Zoo application for children’s education using Unity3D and Vuforia. The application allows users to interact with three-dimensional (3D) lifelike animal models, listen to their realistic sounds, and access descriptive information by scanning flashcards. The usability results indicated good functionality and a positive user experience, suggesting that AR Zoo has strong potential to enhance engagement, interactivity and learning motivation among young learners.

These findings are particularly relevant in the post-pandemic era, where restrictions on physical field trips have emphasized the importance of alternative, technology-driven learning tools. However, as this work represents an early-stage exploration, it was limited in scope featuring only four animal models and a small participant sample, meaning results should be interpreted as indicative rather than conclusive.

Building on these results, future work will focus on expanding the animal library, integrating interactive quizzes and mini-games, enhancing animal quality and exploring cross-platform deployment. Additionally, larger-scale studies with diverse participant groups will be conducted to assess educational impact more comprehensively, including learning outcomes such as knowledge retention, attention span and curiosity development.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We would like to thank Universiti Teknikal Malaysia (UTeM) for preparing research workplace in Faculty of Electronics & Computer Technology & Engineering. Not forgotten to the participant that involved during the project testing.

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