| Title |
Motivation, students’ needs and learning outcomes: a hybrid game-based app for enhanced language learning
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
SpringerPlus, August 2016
|
| DOI | 10.1186/s40064-016-2971-1 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Anke Berns, José-Luis Isla-Montes, Manuel Palomo-Duarte, Juan-Manuel Dodero |
| Abstract |
In the context of European Higher Education students face an increasing focus on independent, individual learning-at the expense of face-to-face interaction. Hence learners are, all too often, not provided with enough opportunities to negotiate in the target language. The current case study aims to address this reality by going beyond conventional approaches to provide students with a hybrid game-based app, combining individual and collaborative learning opportunities. The 4-week study was carried out with 104 German language students (A1.2 CEFR) who had previously been enrolled in a first-semester A1.1 level course at a Spanish university. The VocabTrainerA1 app-designed specifically for this study-harnesses the synergy of combining individual learning tasks and a collaborative murder mystery game in a hybrid level-based architecture. By doing so, the app provides learners with opportunities to apply their language skills to real-life-like communication. The purpose of the study was twofold: on one hand we aimed to measure learner motivation, perceived usefulness and added value of hybrid game-based apps; on the other, we sought to determine their impact on language learning. To this end, we conducted focus group interviews and an anonymous Technology Acceptance Model survey (TAM). In addition, students took a pre-test and a post-test. Scores from both tests were compared with the results obtained in first-semester conventional writing tasks, with a view to measure learning outcomes. The study provides qualitative and quantitative data supporting our initial hypotheses. Our findings suggest that hybrid game-based apps like VocabTrainerA1-which seamlessly combine individual and collaborative learning tasks-motivate learners, stimulate perceived usefulness and added value, and better meet the language learning needs of today's digital natives. In terms of acceptance, outcomes and sustainability, the data indicate that hybrid game-based apps significantly improve proficiency, hence are indeed, effective tools for enhanced language learning. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profile of 1 X user who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 1 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 335 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1 | <1% |
| Unknown | 334 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Master | 53 | 16% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 38 | 11% |
| Lecturer | 24 | 7% |
| Student > Bachelor | 23 | 7% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 15 | 4% |
| Other | 60 | 18% |
| Unknown | 122 | 36% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Linguistics | 44 | 13% |
| Computer Science | 41 | 12% |
| Social Sciences | 38 | 11% |
| Arts and Humanities | 23 | 7% |
| Unspecified | 11 | 3% |
| Other | 48 | 14% |
| Unknown | 130 | 39% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 05 September 2016.
All research outputs
#15,383,207
of 22,886,568 outputs
Outputs from SpringerPlus
#935
of 1,851 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#233,727
of 361,771 outputs
Outputs of similar age from SpringerPlus
#122
of 218 outputs
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