The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of Augmented Reality Technology for Higher Education Curriculum

The present study seeks to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of augmented reality technology for higher education curriculum. This research is of qualitative type and the phenomenological approach were employed. In this study, using purposive sampling method and semi-structured interview tools, 14 samples from three groups (educational technology specialists, curriculum specialists and experienced managers) who participated in the study were interviewed. The thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data. The results revealed that the most important strengths include the immersion and simulation in the learning environment, diversity and flexibility in the curriculum and visualization of educational phenomena and event, while the most important weaknesses include the ignoring interpersonal interactions, inability to interactively manipulate designed environment, and lack of monitoring and control over learning activities. The most important opportunities could be mentioned as innovation and creativity in the field of curriculum, the application of practical areas of curriculum knowledge and the reinforcement of scientific knowledge in the field of curriculum, and the most important threats include the dependence on technology, external risks and teachers' missions being diminished.