Augmented Reality in Professional Training: A Review of the Literature from 2001 to 2020

This study presents a systematic review of literature on the application of augmented reality (AR) in professional training contexts published between 2001 and 2020. A total of 49 articles were selected after a two-stage screening process, and key research findings were analyzed and synthesized using a coding scheme comprising five inter-related aspects: basic information, instructional contexts, technology features, instructional design, and research results. The review results depict the trend patterns in AR-supported professional training in terms of publication, research paradigm, and technological affordances, and report the contextual differences in AR pedagogies and instructional functions over time. Furthermore, a meta-analysis was conducted in the present study to examine the overall effectiveness of AR application in professional training, with the results indicating an overall small effect size (g = 0.268) and nine significant moderating factors. Informed by the review and meta-analysis results, a set of implications for facilitating and investigating AR-supported professional training are proposed and discussed.