An exploratory study of augmented reality-enhanced portfolio assessment in primary-secondary school transition language learning

The primary-to-secondary school transition presents challenges for language learners owing to pedagogical discontinuities and heightened self-regulation demands. Augmented reality (AR) and portfolio assessment (PA) have each demonstrated benefits for language learning, yet how they can be synergised to support young learners deserves further investigation, particularly in contexts with constrained digital access. This exploratory case study examined the use of AR-assisted PA in an out-of-school English programme with ten Chinese EFL students during the summer before secondary school entry. Data from the teacher interview, teaching materials, students’ writing samples, peer evaluation forms, and students’ end-of-programme self-reflection were analysed thematically and through content and multimodal analysis. Findings revealed that AR functioned as cognitive scaffolding for vocabulary acquisition and subsequent extended writing tasks, while PA documented learning trajectories visible to multiple stakeholders and fostered emerging metacognitive awareness. One major drawback was that students required substantial scaffolding for peer feedback. Pedagogical implications are discussed.