Motivation, students’ needs and learning outcomes: a hybrid game-based app for enhanced language learning

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.

Mobile collaborative language learning: State of the art

“…Berns et al . () 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 .…”

“…Berns et al . () combined opportunities for both individual and collaborative language learning (vocabulary, grammar and communication practice to solve a murder mystery) through the use of a hybrid game‐based app; such a combination is seen to “motivate learners, stimulate perceived usefulness and added value, and better meet the language learning needs of today's language learners” (p. 19).…”

Agenda colaborativa para el aprendizaje de idiomas: del papel al dispositivo móvil

“…mosalingua.com/es/apps/), la mayoría de estas se centran en el aprendizaje individual del estudiante, sin aprovechar el potencial de los sistemas móviles para fomentar la colaboración e interacción entre múltiples usuarios en lengua meta (Burston, 2013;Palomo-Duarte, Berns, Cejas, Dodero y Caballero, 2016;Berns, Isla-Montes, Palomo-Duarte y Dodero, 2016). Sin embargo, en los últimos años se observa una tendencia a explotar el potencial educativo de apps colaborativas que promueven no solo la interacción y negociación entre múltiples usuarios sino también el trabajo de la competencia comunicativa a partir del uso escrito de la lengua meta.…”

“…Lo que diferencia a esta app de otras es que obliga a sus usuarios a interactuar y negociar en lengua meta mediante un chat de texto implementado dentro de la propia app, permitiendo trabajar la competencia comunicativa. En términos de aprendizaje y motivación, los resultados indican que esta app, híbrida de tareas individuales y colaborativas, gozó de gran aceptación entre los estudiantes (Berns, Isla-Montes, Palomo-Duarte y Dodero, 2016).…”

Maximizing L2 Speaking Practice through iPads

“…Several studies have investigated the affordances of mobile gaming and have reported mixed results of specifically designed games on the participants' language learning, though they may promote more interaction [38]. Most studies report positive student feedback on mobile gaming [39,40]. Others have suggested that mobile games can be effectively combined with content-integrated language learning activities [41] and that place-based mobile games are a great opportunity to connect students with local contexts [42].…”