CoboChild: a blended mobile game-based learning service for children in museum contexts

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a blended mobile game-based learning service called CoboChild Mobile Exploration Service (hereinafter CoboChild) to support children’s learning in an environment blending virtual game worlds and a museum’s physical space. The contextual model of learning (CML) was applied to consider the related influential factors affecting museum learning and to promote children’s continuous learning and revisit motivations. Design/methodology/approach CoboChild provides a thematic game-based learning environment to facilitate children’s interactions with exhibits and other visitors. A practical system has been implemented in the National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS), Taiwan. A questionnaire was used to examine whether CoboChild can effectively fulfill the CML and to evaluate the impacts on museum learning. Findings CoboChild effectively fulfilled the CML to facilitate children’s interactive experiences and re-visit motivations in the blended mobile game-based learning environment. Most children described the system as providing fruitful playfulness while improving their interpretations of exhibitions and learning experiences. Practical implications CoboChild considers the related contextual influences on the effective support of children’s learning in a museum, and builds a child-centered museum learning environment with highly integrated blended learning resources for children. CoboChild has been successfully operating in the NMNS since 2011. Originality/value This study developed a blended mobile game-based learning service to effectively support children’s learning in museum contexts. The related issues are shown to improve the design of blended museum learning services. This innovative approach can be applied to the design of other child-centered services for engaging children’s interactive experiences in museums.

Transformation of educational roles of library-supported mobile learning: a literature review from 2009 to 2018

“…Libraries play the role of knowledge-sharing platforms. For instance, applying the contextual model of learning and social networking service (including online social community, onsite social community) promotes learners' knowledge sharing, collaborative learning and interaction (Hsu et al, 2018).…”

“…Regarding the role of the knowledge-sharing platform, there was only one study that used social media to conduct a thematic game-based learning activity, in which children shared their experience and learning outcomes (e.g. photos or drawings) in special libraries and interacted with the visitors of the libraries to exchange ideas or experience (Hsu et al, 2018).…”

“…As a knowledge-sharing platform, the main research focus of the studies was investigating the affective domain during mobile learning, such as learners' opinions, satisfaction and preferences for library-supported mobile learning (Hsu et al, 2018).…”

Game-Based Learning for Competency Abilities in Blended Museum Contexts for Diverse Learners

“…The interactive museum learning experiences were evaluated by a questionnaire that was adapted from the Contextual Model of Learning Fulfilment questionnaire assessing children's interactive museum experience (Hsu, Liang, Chiou, & Tseng, 2018). The questionnaire included eight questions assessing children's motivation and their interactive experiences with museum exhibitions and the other children.…”

Effect sizes and research directions of technology application in museum learning: Evidence obtained by integrating meta‐analysis with co‐citation network analysis

“…Among these factors, technology is a major element in influencing museum learning through other contextual factors. Researchers have reported that the application of information technology can locate the exhibits, enrich the forms of exhibits, enhance the learning environment experience of the museum, and finally influence museum learning (Bunce, 2019;Hsu et al, 2018;Kim et al, 2020;Mogali et al, 2019).…”