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Motivation, students' needs and learning outcomes: a hybrid game-based app for enhanced language learning
Anke Berns1, José-Luis Isla-Montes2, Manuel Palomo-Duarte2
1Departamento de Filología Francesa e Inglesa, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Cádiz, Avda. Gómez Ulla s/n, 11002 Cádiz, Spain.
Springerplus
|August 23, 2016
Summary
Hybrid game-based apps effectively enhance German language learning by combining individual and collaborative tasks. This approach boosts learner motivation, perceived usefulness, and improves language proficiency for digital natives.
Area of Science:
- Educational Technology
- Applied Linguistics
- Second Language Acquisition
Background:
- European Higher Education increasingly emphasizes independent learning, reducing crucial face-to-face interaction and target language negotiation opportunities.
- Traditional language learning methods often fail to provide sufficient interactive and communicative practice for students.
- Digital natives require innovative pedagogical approaches that align with their technological fluency and learning preferences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the motivational impact, perceived usefulness, and added value of a hybrid game-based application for language learning.
- To assess the effectiveness of a hybrid game-based application in improving German language proficiency among university students.
- To explore the acceptance and sustainability of game-based learning tools in higher education settings.
Main Methods:
- A 4-week case study involving 104 German language learners (A1.2 CEFR) at a Spanish university.
- Development and implementation of the "VocabTrainerA1" app, integrating individual learning modules and a collaborative murder mystery game.
- Data collection through focus group interviews, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) surveys, and pre-test/post-test language assessments.
Main Results:
- Qualitative and quantitative data confirmed initial hypotheses regarding the benefits of hybrid game-based learning.
- Learner motivation, perceived usefulness, and added value were significantly stimulated by the hybrid app.
- The study demonstrated a significant improvement in language proficiency, indicating the app's effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- Hybrid game-based applications, like VocabTrainerA1, successfully bridge the gap between individual and collaborative learning.
- These tools effectively cater to the needs of digital natives, enhancing engagement and language acquisition.
- The findings support the integration of hybrid game-based apps as effective and sustainable tools for advanced language learning.
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