Abstract:

Technology has remarkably changed the world as a result of the rapid increase in technological developments over time. It is a fact that the rapid spread of technology all over the world affects life in all aspects. The technology newly developed leads to a number of innovations in the field of education. The use of technology in the courses concerned with foreign language teaching and learning also draws researchers’ attentions, who are engaged in the field of foreign language teaching. When the literature is reviewed, it is obviously clear that very few studies can be found on the integration of Arabic writing skills with the use of augmented reality technology. Since some efforts to supplement writing skills in Arabic language as in other languages are required, and the applications used in mobile mediums have already become popular worldwide, the applications which can be updated using augmented reality mobile technology that arouses or stimulates some interest in today’s students are necessary. This means that augmented reality mobile technology- based mediums are needed to assist language skills be relatively more easily acquired. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of augmented reality technology in terms of such writing skills. For the qualitative and quantitative data obtained to be analyzed, an embedded mixed method research design was used in the study. A single group pre-test and post-test design method was used in the quantitative part of the research. Considering the gains or skills determined, ArabicAR, a mobile application supplemented with augmented reality technology, was used in the study group. Using pre and post-test before and after the application, the effect of ArabicAR, a mobile application supported with augmented reality technology, was determined on students’ writing skills. In the qualitative part of the study, case study method was conducted in order to establish the effect of technology-use on writing skills in the Arabic language. The portfolio files created in parallel with the course content were studied in order to obtain some information of students’ development and progress. In this respect, the contribution of technology-use to writing skills was determined based on document reviews. In addition, the information of user experiences on mobile applications developed based on augmented reality technology was obtained using an interview form. The study was conducted with 86 voluntary undergraduate students in Higher Education Institutions during the 2019-2020 Academic Year. The study group was determined with an appropriate sampling method, which is one of the non-random sampling methods. Considering the technical support and infrastructure status, it was deemed appropriate to select a study group from among the students who are still studying in the institution where the researcher is already employed. As a data collection tool, a questionnaire developed by the researcher was used to determine the contribution of augmented reality technology to writing skills in the Arabic language. The questionnaire includes six items, all of which are based on positive statements, but one of which is open ended. The other five items in the questionnaire are based on 5-point Likert-type instruments. When the data obtained from the study were analyzed, it was found that the pre-test mean score of the students was 2.92 and the post-test mean score was 3.48. There is a difference of 0.56 points between the mean scores of the two tests. When the related samples were studied to test the significance of the difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores, it was concluded that there was a statistically significant difference between the pre and post-test according to the t-test results (p<.05). Considering the arithmetic means of this difference, it is obvious that there exists a significant difference in favor of the post-test. When the data obtained from the student portfolio files, it was found that the percentage of errors related to the letter-writing incorrectly connected with the pre or post letter-writing was 17% before the application, but 8% after the application, the letter’s correct position and arrangement in the word was 17% before and 8% after the application and that the physical, formal and stylistic defects of letters when written were 32% before and 10% after the application. Based on the data obtained, it can be said that the augmented reality technology makes positive contributions to the improvement of students’ writing skills in Arabic. A large proportion (70%) of students newly encountered augmented reality technology for the first time in life, and a large percentage of the students (63%) reported that ArabicAR application made positive contributions to writing Arabic. More than half of the students (57%) recommended this software to their friends. The data obtained from this study on student satisfaction of using ArabicAR software showed that most of the students (65%) were highly positive of Arabic AR software and satisfied with the new application. In addition, it was also found that the new application positively affected students’ self-efficacy perception of writing Arabic. In conclusion, it can be said that the application developed based on augmented reality technology has positive effect on students’ performance of writing in the Arabic language and helps students correctly write the Arabic letters in the preliminary writing stage in Arabic. The results obtained from the study indicated that besides its positive contributions to writing skills in Arabic, the new application developed based augmented reality technology is also expected to make an indirect positive contribution to writing skills in the Ottoman Language. Therefore, this new application developed based on augmented reality technology is recommended for use in language teaching and learning to help students acquire and develop essential language skills and ensure the integrity of applications.

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