Augmented reality (AR) as a learning material in special needs education

In this study, general information about augmented reality (AR) technology is given to be a resource for special education researchers and teachers who are interested in using AR as a learning/teaching material. Additionally, the researches that use AR as a learning material in the education of individuals with special needs are examined and the findings obtained are revealed. In the education of individuals with special needs, 19 articles published between 2013 and 2019, addressing the use of AR as learning material, and meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed using descriptive content analysis in terms of general characteristics. Also, the properties of AR contents and development environments were examined in detail. The findings of the researches indicate that the use of AR as a learning material gives positive results in the education of individuals with special needs. AR contents are mostly used to support effective teaching strategies. In most research, portable devices such as smartphones and tablets are used to show AR content to students. AR content, which is used as a learning material, has often been developed specifically for research purposes. Also, AR content development environments used in the researches are introduced and suggestions were made about different applications, software development environments, and hardware that can be used in the education of individuals with special needs.