Foreign language learning using a gamificated APP to support peer-assessment

Abstract

Whilst in recent years there has been an increasing trend to design mobile APPs for foreign language learning, most of the available APPs support mainly one way teacher-to-learner interaction and use mobile devices to deliver content rather than encouraging learners to interact amongst each other. To address this lack and to provide learners with more versatile opportunities to communicate amongst each other, by sharing, assessing and co-constructing their knowledge, we designed an APP based on a highly interactive, ubiquitous and constructive learning approach. This means that learning contents are not just being delivered to our learners but, instead of this, they are being integrated into versatile tasks that although individually performed, affect the community of learners. The current paper presents our first experience using the Guess it! Language Trainer APP. Firstly, we detail how the APP was used to support students' language learning outside the classroom, secondly, how it helped learners to get actively involved in their own learning process by adding themselves content to the knowledge base, and thirdly, we show how the data on students' usage of the APP and participation in the learning process is used to automate the assessment of different competences by the language instructor. A pre-posttest comparison showed very good results on students' language acquisition. This is complemented with the analysis of the system logs that highlight firstly, that students dedicated to playing the APP much longer time than we estimate they usually employ for independent learning and secondly, that they significantly improved their learning outcomes whilst using the APP. Additionally, other objective indicators on proficiency of other skills such as the ability to explain terms in a foreign language or the competence to assess definitions of mates were obtained automatically.