Innovation and practice of an augmented reality–based teaching model for engineering graphics education

In response to persistent challenges in traditional engineering graphics instruction—including difficulties in cultivating students’ spatial imagination, low efficiency in developing graphical cognition, and a disconnect between practical activities and real-world objects—this study explores an AR-assisted teaching model aimed at enhancing instructional effectiveness. By integrating augmented reality (AR) technology into the curriculum, a learning environment characterized by virtual–real integration and interactive inquiry was established. An AR-based engineering graphics teaching system was developed, and a student-centered, inquiry-oriented instructional approach based on an iterative drawing–modeling–verification process was implemented. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a comparative teaching experiment was conducted with 94 first-year mechanical engineering students, including 47 students in a control group and 47 in an experimental group. Learning outcomes were evaluated through view recognition and view transformation assessments, three consecutive practical drawing exercises, and a post-course questionnaire. The experimental group achieved significantly higher scores than the control group in both assessments ( p < 0.001), with large effect sizes, and also demonstrated consistently higher drawing qualification rates. Questionnaire results indicated positive student perceptions of the AR-assisted learning experience and high overall internal consistency of the instrument (Cronbach's α = 0.937). The findings suggest that integrating drawing, modeling, and virtual–real verification into a continuous inquiry process can support students’ graphical cognition, spatial transformation, and practical drawing performance. The proposed approach provides a practical framework for integrating AR into engineering graphics education and other engineering courses involving spatial visualization and graphical reasoning.