Design and Usability Evaluation Framework for an Augmented Reality-Based Civic Education Application

Abstract

Augmented reality can support civic education by connecting abstract concepts with contextual three-dimensional objects, interactive scenarios, and location-aware learning activities. However, educational relevance does not by itself demonstrate that an augmented reality application is technically usable, reliable, or deployable. This conceptual design article develops an engineering and usability-evaluation framework for an augmented reality-based civic education application. The framework covers requirements analysis, content-object mapping, interaction design, marker or markerless tracking, asset optimization, device compatibility, privacy, functional testing, and user evaluation. It recommends measuring task completion, learnability, efficiency, error rate, interface consistency, tracking stability, rendering performance, and perceived usability. Educational outcomes may be evaluated as secondary evidence, while the primary contribution remains the design and validation of the technological system. The analysis identifies major risks including low-end device limitations, unstable tracking, excessive cognitive load, inaccessible interaction patterns, and inadequate protection of student data. A staged evaluation process is proposed, beginning with expert inspection and laboratory testing, followed by small-scale usability testing and field validation. The framework enables future researchers to report augmented reality educational applications with clearer technical specifications, reproducible procedures, and measurable performance criteria.