Elsevier

Computers & Education

Volume 106, March 2017, Pages 137-149
Computers & Education

Learning English with Augmented Reality: Do learning styles matter?

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.12.007Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Two AR educational games were developed for third graders to learn English.

  • One game used a self-directed learning approach not limiting the learning sequence.

  • The other one used a task-based learning approach assigning learning sequence.

  • The students using the self-directed system revealed higher flow experience.

  • The students with a serial learning style had lower mental effort and anxiety.

Abstract

This study attempted to develop and compare two Augmented Reality (AR) educational game systems for third graders to learn English vocabulary in free and situated surroundings. One system was developed based on a self-directed learning approach which did not restrict the learning sequence, while the other was based on a task-based learning approach which limited the learning sequence. The flow experience, cognitive load, foreign language learning anxiety, and learning effectiveness of the students with different learning styles (i.e., serial or global) were assessed. The results showed that the students using the self-directed or task-based AR educational game system had similar and high learning effectiveness, although those using the self-directed system revealed higher flow experience. However, the students with a serial learning style had lower mental effort and foreign language learning anxiety regardless of using the self-directed or the task-based AR educational game system. It was found that the challenge and control of the system conformed to the students' proficiency. The learning objects (e.g., pen, pencil, book, chair, desk, eraser, ruler, etc.) did not have a restrictive learning sequence. Providing free learning steps was preferable, and restricting which step to begin with was not necessary. This study confirms that the mental efforts of students are greater when they experience more learning anxiety at the same time; however, it is not the case that lower learning anxiety and mental effort is better for learning. On the contrary, a little learning anxiety and mental effort, but not too much, is helpful for learning.

Introduction

Many studies have pointed out that different types of knowledge should be connected on the basis of proper stimulations so as to become meaningful knowledge (Knobelsdorf, 2015). Knowledge is learned, internalized and applied so as to achieve value and meaning in the situated learning context. The learning scenario for English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners is of vital importance (Golonka, Bowles, Frank, Richardson, & Freynik, 2014). Situated learning could simulate an authentic or virtual condition which the learners may confront abroad or in their daily life (Anderson, Reder, & Simon, 1996). The feature of situated learning is to provide warm-up practice which can achieve the effects of transferring learning from the teacher-centered to the student-centered approach. The learners should combine and apply their knowledge with the new information just gained in the situation (Suchman, 1987). In this way, learners experience how to apply the English they have learned, and understand the essentials for learning English (Preston et al., 2015). Another feature of situated learning is that learners can organize what they have learned to achieve knowledge-internalization. Situated learning has not only improved the traditional one-way teaching, but has also allowed students to actively observe and look for information in the environment by themselves. Finally, the students experience how to use English properly in realistic conditions or solve problems in certain situations using the knowledge they have learned and organized. As a result, the role of teachers has changed from being instructors to advisors or facilitators giving opinions, scaffolding, or providing feedback (Cobb & Bowers, 1999).

Although situated learning provides students with a virtual environment which mimics the real world, directly using Augmented Reality (AR) in the real world could more effectively support students in achieving the learning objectives. A previous study mentioned three AR features, namely the integration of the virtual and real worlds, interaction in real time, and operation in three-dimensional (3D) space (Azuma, 1997). Fig. 1 shows how AR extends the real world. A meaningful learning activity emphasizes that students can apply their knowledge and skills in the real world, and teaching should connect with real life experience. When AR is effectively applied in education, it can increase students’ learning interest and concentration (Wu et al., 2013, Zhang et al., 2014).

This study explored the cognitive load, flow state, foreign language learning anxiety and learning effectiveness of students who used AR educational games to assist their language learning based on self-directed learning and task-based learning approaches. Following is a review of the studies related to cognitive load, self-directed learning, task-based learning, learning styles, flow state and AR.

Section snippets

Literature review

There is a real need for teachers or instructional designers to design learning activities for AR (Kesim & Ozarslan, 2012). Scholars have identified some features and affordances of AR applications for learning, such as ubiquitous and situated learning and learners' senses of presence and immediacy. They have classified three different learning approach characteristics which place emphasis on engaging learners in different roles, learners' interactions with the physical locations, and the

System development of the AR educational game

The AR educational game systems developed for this study aimed at helping third-grade students in an elementary school to spell and learn English vocabulary in real-life situations. There are two English AR learning systems each containing the same vocabulary learning material and both with seven situational stations and checkpoints named the pen station, the pencil station, the eraser station, the ruler station, the book station, the chair station and the desk station. Some screenshots of the

Experimental results

Students' learning styles have attracted much attention from researchers in recent years. Accordingly, this study investigated the impact of the AR educational games using the two different learning approaches on the flow state, cognitive load and learning achievements of the students with different learning styles. The students were classified into serial and global learners based on their questionnaire ratings.

Discussion and conclusions

Each student was equipped with a tablet PC in this study because previous research has confirmed that mobile learning results in better learning effectiveness for students (Al-Fahad, 2009), and especially the effective use of AR (Liu & Chu, 2010). The students had excellent learning effectiveness regardless of whether they used the self-directed or the task-based AR educational game system in this study. Many studies have also confirmed that students with different learning styles have

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  • Cited by (0)

    This study is supported in part by the Ministry of Science and Technology in the Republic of China under contract numbers MOST MOST 103-2628-S-003-003-MY2 and MOST 105-2628-S-003-002-MY3.

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