Purpose: This study examines students' emotional responses to augmented reality (AR) applications and their willingness to share on social media. It also compares user experiences of AR and virtual reality (VR). Design/methodology/approach: In line with expectation disconfirmation theory, the study focuses on students' experiences in the post-adoption situation where they had gained actual experiences of AR applications. The participants in this case study included 100 undergraduate students from higher educational institutes. Findings: Augmentation as a value-creating mechanism seems to create surprising emotional reactions, as it created completely new and unexpected experiences for first-time users. This study also shows that positive user experiences increased the students' willingness to share AR content on social media channels. In addition, AR seems to be easier to adopt than does VR with "cardboard-style" VR headsets. Research limitations/implications: More research is needed to determine which specific features of AR applications and pedagogical methods create positively surprising emotional experiences that affect rewarding learning experiences and social media sharing. Practical implications: The results of this study allow designers and educators to select educational technologies that emotionally engage students to use and share them. Positively surprising emotional experiences are important for rewarding learning experiences. The findings also provide hints on the future preferences of new AR users. Originality/value: This study created a new understanding of the emotional determinants of AR adoption and sharing on social media.