ARIEL-Driven Design and Implementation of a Marker-Based Augmented Reality Laboratory Suite for Undergraduate Electronics Education

Abstract

Core concepts of undergraduate electronics - depletion-region dynamics, carrier transport, internal signal flow -are perceptually inaccessible and this conceptual invisibility is a persistent source of fragile, formula-bound understanding. This paper reports the design and implementation of the UG Lab Suite, a marker-based augmented reality (AR) laboratory companion comprising six modules aligned with the undergraduate Electronic Science curriculum. The design is driven by two original constructs: the ARIEL framework (Authenticity, Responsiveness, Immersion, Explicitness, Layering), which translates experiential and multimedia learning theory into enforceable design decisions and the Conceptual Invisibility Score (CIS), a rubric-based metric used to prioritise curriculum content for AR treatment. The suite is realised on a four-layer, event-driven Unity/Vuforia architecture through a seven-stage development pipeline embedded in a design-based research process. Each module couples 3D visualisation to a real-time simulation engine so that manipulating a physical circuit parameter immediately reconfigures the rendered internal phenomenon. A classroom evaluation with 120 undergraduate students showed substantial learning gains for AR-supported instruction over conventional laboratory instruction, high usability (SUS = 81.3) and a strong positive association between module CIS and normalised learning gain (r = 0.89), supporting the hypothesis that AR's pedagogical value concentrates on conceptually invisible content. The paper contributes a reusable design framework; a documented implementation pipeline and curriculum-integration guidance aligned with NEP-2020 and outcome-based education requirements.