Using AR in Enhancing EFL Students' Vocabulary Learning through Tabuk University Blackboard

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study examined the use of Augmented Reality (AR), through the Delightex Edu application, to support vocabulary learning among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at the University of Tabuk and other Saudi universities. The study involved 88 participants, including 39 female and 49 male learners. Participants were divided into an experimental group, which studied a 40-item vocabulary list through AR-supported learning, and a control group, which studied the same list through traditional text-based methods. The target vocabulary consisted of selected semantic and pragmatic terms extracted from course-related linguistics textbooks and organized with support from the Compleat Lexical Tutor. Data was collected through an online vocabulary test administered via Google Forms and Tabuk University Blackboard. Descriptive statistics and an independent samples t-test were used to analyze the results. The findings showed that the AR-supported group achieved a higher mean score than the traditional instruction group, suggesting that Delightex Edu may support EFL learners’ acquisition of specialized linguistic terminology. However, because participants self-selected into the two groups and the treatment period was short, the findings should be interpreted cautiously. The study highlights the potential value of integrating AR tools into higher education EFL vocabulary instruction and recommends further research using random assignment, longer treatment periods, and delayed post-tests.