Designing Pre-test Questions as Phone Notifications: Studying the Effects of a Mobile Learning Intervention

Mobile devices are increasingly becoming more pervasive and emerging as part of our daily life, particularly with university students. From these devices developed in tandem with face-to-face class interaction it has opened new possibilities for ubiquitous learning. We present out work on designing a smart-phone Mobile Learning application that streamlines pre-test questions into a “set it then forget it” input system where students can answer quiz items as slide-down notifications within the day prior to a scheduled lecture. Teachers using the application are afforded a web application to create pre-tests in advance and review class scores. The study was conducted to first-year Computer Science and Information Technology students of a university in the Philippines. Data collection techniques used in the study used experience questionnaires, usability tests, interviews, and tests of student learning outcomes. SUS testing showed consistent satisfactory scores across three iterations. Results from the Learning Experience questionnaire maps to the general answers from the focused group discussion presenting indicative of a positive learning experience. Evaluation of the pre and post test scores signified that using the mobile application can be an effective substitute to class administered tests

Development and Field Testing of a MALL for Filipino with a Reusable Framework for Mobile-Based Drills

This paper describes the development and field testing of Ibigkas! Filipino, a mobile game that exercises learners’ fluency in identifying synonyms (kasingkahulugan) and antonyms (kasalungat) in the Filipino language. Twenty-four students from Grades 4, 5, and 6 were invited to play and answer comprehension tests to determine whether the game helped them improve their understanding of the content. Self-report questionnaires assessed the extent to which they enjoyed it. Additionally, three teachers were invited to a focus group discussion (FGD) to gather their insights about the game and how they may use it in their classes. Self-report feedback from students showed the game was fun, interesting, and sufficiently challenging. A significant increase in the post-test comprehension scores of the Grade 4 participants was found. This shows the potential of the game to make learning fun while helping realize learning goals. Teachers indicated they can use the game to supplement their Filipino classes and that the students will be receptive to the idea of utilizing a game for learning

Development and Field Testing of a Narrative-Centered Digital Game for English Comprehension

This paper describes the development and field testing of Learning Likha: Rangers to the Rescue, a narrative-centered, mobile-based digital game for practicing English comprehension. Twenty-seven (27) student participants from Grades 4, 5, and 6 were invited to play the game and answer a comprehension test to determine their level of understanding of the game’s contents. Self-report questionnaires were also used to assess the extent to which they enjoyed playing the game. Three (3) teachers were likewise invited for a focus group discussion (FGD) to gather their insights about the game and how they may use it in their classes. Student’s self-reported feedback indicated they found the game fun, interesting, and sufficiently challenging. Post-test comprehension scores were generally good. Younger participants scored lower than their older peers but the differences were found to be not significant. Teachers indicated the game has the potential to be used as a supplement for their classes and that their students would enjoy playing it

For People and Planet: Teachers’ Evaluation of an Educational Mobile Game and Resource Pack

For People and Planet: An SDG Adventure refers to a freely available Android-based narrative adventure game and teacher resource pack that helps learners see the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their day-to-day lives. In this paper, we describe the results of an evaluation of both the game and the resource pack by eight (8) middle school teachers. After playing the game and reading the resource pack, teachers gave their feedback about what they liked best and least about the materials, how they could use these resources for their classes, and how these resources could be improved further. Overall, teachers’ feedback was positive. They complemented the game’s visuals and sound design and appreciated the game’s contextualization. They affirmed the relevance of the game’s contents to their lessons and the usefulness of the teacher resource pack as it provided them with notes, additional activities, and sample assessments. They gave some useful suggestions such as the need for more visual cues within the game and tutorials for the mini-games, and glossary of terms for the teacher resource pack. The game and resource pack underwent some revision following the feedback of the teachers. Performing the user test was essential to ensuring the quality of the game and the resource pack, and to increase the probability that the game will actually be used in schools

Tuklas: Design, Development and Testing of an Augmented Reality Experience for a Children’s Museum

We describe the design, development, and testing of Tuklas, an augmented reality experience for children visiting Museo Pambata (Children\u27s Museum) in Manila, Philippines. Because the target audience was 7 years old and below, the game minimized the use of text. Instead, it adopted an aim-and-click interaction style coupled with a collection mechanic to increase the children\u27s engagement with the museum exhibits. During the post-game interviews with the children\u27s parents or guardians, feedback was highly positive. The interface was easy to use, and the game mechanic was easy to understand. The children enjoyed watching the animations after completing each scene

A RECIPE for Teaching the Sustainable Development Goals

Every individual is responsible for sustainable development and therefore awareness of sustainability should begin at a young age, when mindsets and habits are formed. One form which sustainability education takes is computer-based games. We describe how we used Nicholson’s Meaningful Gamification framework to design For People and Planet: An SDG Adventure, a narrative-based adventure game that teaches middle school children about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In this paper, we describe the framework’s six elements--play, exposition, choice, information, engagement, and reflection--and show how our design choices align with these elements