Language learning apps or games: an investigation utilizing the RETAIN model

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Combining games with mobile devices can promote learning opportunities at the learners' fingertips and enable ubiquitous learning experiences. As teachers increasingly assign games to reinforce language learning, it becomes essential to evaluate how effective these applications are in helping students learn the content or develop the skills that the games are reinforcing. This article examines two English language learning apps under the RETAIN model (GUNTER; KENNY; VICK, 2008). The findings indicate that although these apps offer some language learning opportunities, they do not present scenario-based quality or gameplay, among other elements, if they are to be considered games. KEYWORDS: Educational mobile games; English language learning applications; evaluation of educational games; RETAIN model. 210 RESUMO: A combinação de jogos e dispositivos móveis pode promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao alcance dos aprendizes e permitir experiências de aprendizagem ubíquas. Uma vez que professores cada vez mais usam jogos para reforçar a aprendizagem de línguas, torna-se essencial avaliar o quão eficiente esses aplicativos são em ajudar os estudantes a aprender o conteúdo e desenvolver as habilidades que eles estão reforçando. Este estudo examina dois apps para a aprendizagem de língua inglesa utilizando o modelo RETAIN. Os resultados apontam que embora esses apps ofereçam algumas oportunidades de aprendizagem de línguas, eles não apresentam cenários ou gameplay entre outros elementos necessários para serem considerados jogos. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Jogos educacionais móveis; aplicativos para aprendizagem de línguas; avaliação de jogos educacionais; modelo RETAIN.

Mobile Assisted Language Learning: Affordances and Limitations of Duolingo

“…Quadros (2014) considers the layout and the execution of the Duolingo lessons as a characteristic of gamification because of its ranking parameter for user performance displayed with progression bars and limited number of mistakes (3) indicated by3 hearts. However, in the present study Duolingo is considered a form of MALL and not of game because the analysis carried out by Gunter, Campbell, Braga, Racilan and Souza (2016) showed that Duolingo does not match the game category, despite presenting features of a game. Culbertson, Wang, Jung and Andersen (2016) suggest that Duolingo uses this game features to keep users engaged according to the RETAIN (Relevance, Embedding, Transfer, Adaptation, Immersion, Naturalization) evaluation model (Gunter;Kenny, & Vick, 2008 cited in Gunter;Campbell;Braga, Racilan, & Souza, 2016).…”

“…However, in the present study Duolingo is considered a form of MALL and not of game because the analysis carried out by Gunter, Campbell, Braga, Racilan and Souza (2016) showed that Duolingo does not match the game category, despite presenting features of a game. Culbertson, Wang, Jung and Andersen (2016) suggest that Duolingo uses this game features to keep users engaged according to the RETAIN (Relevance, Embedding, Transfer, Adaptation, Immersion, Naturalization) evaluation model (Gunter;Kenny, & Vick, 2008 cited in Gunter;Campbell;Braga, Racilan, & Souza, 2016). These authors observed the weakest and strongest aspects of this app, though the evaluation was somewhat affected in some points because the model used for the evaluation is meant for analyzing games for educational purposes not and not apps.…”

Apps para el aprendizaje de idiomas en la Universidad de Murcia

“…Ahora bien, al revisar los resultados en función de las habilidades propias del aprendizaje de idiomas, aparece una relación estadísticamente significativa entre las habilidades de comprensión y expresión oral y comprensión escrita, indicando que los alumnos entienden que aprenden mejor con las Apps. El resultado es similar al hallado en las investigaciones realizadas por Alvarado et al (2016), Demouy et al (2016), García et al (2016), Gunter, et al (2016, Lindaman y Nolan (2015) y Martínez et. al (2016), que también consideraron que las Apps ayudan a trabajar de manera práctica los contenidos de la lengua e incrementan exponencialmente las oportunidades de aprendizaje.…”

Language Difficulty and Prior Learning Influence Foreign Vocabulary Acquisition

“…Similar paired-associate translation tasks have been used to study word learning in general (e.g., Chow 2018; Kaushanskaya and Marian 2009), as well as the effects of word characteristics in particular (de Groot 2006; de Groot and Keijzer 2000; Kaushanskaya and Rechtzigel 2012). Although the relatively decontextualized nature of paired-associate learning may call the ecological validity of the task into question, repetition and memorization remain popular strategies among language learners (Ko and Goranson 2014), are still frequently used in language learning applications (Gunter et al 2016;Wu 2015) and, in some cases, have been shown to be as or more effective than tasks with higher levels of involvement load (e.g., Khoii and Sharififar 2013;Sagarra and Alba 2006). For example, rote memorization and paired-associate learning may be especially effective for more advanced learners (van Hell and Mahn 1997), as well as for establishing connections between form and meaning (Kasahara 2011).…”