Evaluating listening and speaking skills in a mobile game-based learning environment with situational contexts

Abstract

2015): Evaluating listening and speaking skills in a mobile game-based learning environment with situational contexts, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Game-based learning activities that facilitate students' listening and speaking skills were designed in this study. To participate in learning activities, students in the control group used traditional methods, while students in the experimental group used a mobile system. In our study, we looked into the feasibility of mobile game-based learning activities. One experiment was carried out and the results revealed that the experimental-group students significantly outperformed the control-group students on the verbal post-test. However, the performance of the two groups was equal on the listening post-test. Two variables (the average score for the interactive jigsaw game and the number of designed cards) were found to be the most important factors for influencing students' performance in the verbal post-test. Furthermore, most students had positive perceptions toward learning activities that are supported by a mobile system. These results suggest that game-based learning activities can significantly improve students' speaking skills if driven by a mobile system. Furthermore, these results suggest that learning activities with a mobile system foster students to (1) practice speaking English as a foreign language (EFL) more frequently as well as to reflect on their speech; (2) create meaningful sentences and speak with greater accuracy and confidence; and (3) practice speaking EFL in an authentic context.

Mobile collaborative language learning: State of the art

“…Long‐term language practice is emphasised by Wong, Chai, Zhang, and King () and by Berns, Isla‐Montes, Palomo‐Duarte, and Dodero (). Hwang, Shih, Ma, Shadiev, and Chen () highlight the application of new knowledge to real situations and student creation of meaningful learning material leading to more frequent practice. Andujar () notes access to an authentic “new hybrid of spoken, written and electronic chat discourse” (p. 64); while Wong and Hsu () stress timely feedback from teachers.…”

“…Likewise, Hwang et al . () designed and evaluated game‐based learning activities that facilitated listening and speaking skills; students could find clues outside of class to finish the game.…”

“…Berns et al (2016) present and evaluate a hybrid game-based app, which combines opportunities for individual learning with a collaborative game for the purpose of real-life-like communication in the studied language. Likewise, Hwang et al (2016) designed and evaluated game-based learning activities that facilitated listening and speaking skills; students could find clues outside of class to finish the game.…”

Mobile Learning Application Development for Improvement of English Listening Comprehension

“…Four classes of 30 minutes were conducted, two groups of 20 female students were made and named as control-group and experimental group. Results showed that students who learned from mobile-system have more improvement than who have learnt through traditional method [18].…”

Development of a Mobile Application for Listening and Scaffolded Autonomous Summary Speaking and Its Effectiveness for Increasing Fluency

“…In the system of Morton et al (14) , learners could conduct a realistic interactive conversation with a virtual agent using certain scenarios. Hwang et al (15) created a game-based learning environment in which learners could tell information or news based on photos or pictures they collected. These systems offered repetition tasks like reading aloud and tasks that promoted their own output.…”