Sweeney, T., Pemberton, R. & Sharples, M. (2011) Toponimo: A Geosocial Pervasive Game for English Second Language Learning. Proceedings of the 10th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning (mLearn 2011), 18-21 October, 2011, Beijing, China, pp. 436-440.
Toponimo: A Geosocial Pervasive Game for English Second Language Learning Thomas Sweeney1, Mike Sharples2, Richard Pemberton3 University of Nottingham, UK 1
[email protected];
[email protected]; 3
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
This paper provides an overview of progress on the Toponimo project, a geosocial game for learning simple, location significant vocabulary. At the core, the technology relies on a crowd-sourced database of individual words which are ‘linked’ to physical locations via GPS data. A simple scoring system awards players for collecting and adding words to their environment. When adding words to the shared database, the player also has the option of adding other media such as images and sound files which will be associated with that location. This core mechanic can be expanded upon by a plug-in architecture which allows mini-games to be built ‘on top’ of the core game engine. We expect that these games will present rich opportunities for learners to acquire and rehearse vocabulary. Author Keywords
Language learning, mobile learning, client server, context, vocabulary, motivation, user created content, informal learning, social, location-based, game, geotagging INTRODUCTION
When designing mobile learning technology, a central concern must be not only how the user interacts with technology but how technology can interact with the physical environment to create new contexts for learning (Sharples, Taylor, & Vavoula, 2005). This also has a bearing on how technology can act as a mediator for human-human interactions. This paper provides an overview of the Toponimo project, a current work in progress which combines contextual learning with social networking, crowd-sourced content and location-based pervasive gaming. The aim of Toponimo is to support learning of second language vocabulary by linking words or phrases to locations chosen by the learner and shared with other learners in a social game. BACKGROUND
A prime factor of successful language learning is the frequency and quality of input (Carroll, 1999). Ellis (1991) reports that the frequency of exposure has considerable effect on various aspects of language acquisition including phonology, morphology, vocabulary and syntax, going on to suggest that learners who receive a greater frequency of input generally attain a higher level of proficiency in the target language. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that collaboration amongst peers can provide a rich means for language input, rehearsal and sustaining motivation (Dörnyei & Malderez, 1997). While there has been a number of studies conducted on Mobile Mixed Reality games, e.g. Uncle Roy all Around You (Benford et al, 2004), Can You See Me Now (Benford et al, 2006), Day of the Figurines (Lintham et al, 2007); as of yet, much of this work has occupied a collaborative design space between Computer Science and Fine Art with the intention of creating playful experiences. While there has been some previous work which uses location-based technology for vocabulary learning (Anderson, Hwang, & Hsieh, 2008; Chen & Tsai, 2009; Ogata, Hui, & Yin, 2008), to our knowledge there has been little work which has investigated how location-based learning and crowd-sourced content can be combined with pervasive gaming for second language learning. Montola (2005) helped define three central characteristics unique to pervasive games. They suggest that pervasive games offer: •
Spatial Expansion: The player inhabits a play space which stretches beyond the virtual to the physical. Location-aware technologies allow players to inhabit and play within real spaces as they would with virtual spaces.
•
Social Expansion: Collaboration and communication is promoted via telephonic and digital network-based technologies. Social relationships are strengthened via player and player interactions.
•
Temporal Expansion: Games can be played over lengthened time frames, weaving within daily activities. Games can be played when and where the player chooses, fitting in with space and time constraints. The game can become part of the player’s daily routine, seeping in to the background when needed and allowing the player to be an active participant in the game world even when not actively engaged with the game.
With this framework in mind, we can see how such games may provide a rich and novel method for language learning. The temporal aspect of engagement can provide the learner with a means to ‘dip in’ to the game when needed or at previously unused time slots. This non-intrusive method can supply a relaxed, non-threatening atmosphere for the learner. The spatial play space offers a visually rich playground for the learner to explore, acquire and practice contextually relevant language. The social aspect of pervasive gaming provides the learner with means of interaction, language input and rehearsal. GAME OVERVIEW
There are two aspects to the game, the Core Engine and the Gamelet Layer. Core Engine The core engine incorporates a simple geosocial game mechanic which rewards players for ‘collecting’ and ‘placing’ words in their current environment. The key here is to encourage users to interact with their physical and social environment by rewarding them with vocabulary points. We expect that natural, friendly competition will arise when players attempt to beat each other’s score. Each player starts off with no points. Points are awarded in one of two ways: Collecting: When the user collects words from the database they are added to their word store. The player is awarded a single point for each word collected. Users are allowed to collect the same word more than once although not from the same location. Placing: Players add words to their current location. Each word carries a five point reward. If the word has already been added to the current location (by another player) then only two points are awarded. A player may only add one occurrence of a word to a single location. Users also have the option of placing images of their location to accompany the words they have added. The picture can either be a representation of an object or convey a more narrative aspect of the current context. Gamelets “Gamelets” are mini-games which use the core engine as a base for more complex game mechanics. We are currently developing two gamelets as part of the prototype system. The first is a text adventure game which uses the player’s physical environment as a basis for the game’s underlying narrative. The second is a treasure hunt game where players seek out hidden items in their environment. We envision that both games will have both collaborative and competitive aspects. While these games are simple, they do show how the simple core mechanic of collecting and placing words can be built upon to create more elaborate games. DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
We are developing Toponimo using an iterative design methodology. Wireframe prototypes (Figure 1.) were created using Adobe Photoshop and Powerpoint and were evaluated by a team of staff and students at The Learning Sciences Research Institute and a small research team at Sharp Labs Europe. The feedback from the prototyping sessions has proven valuable in informing further revisions to the design.
Figure 1: Mockup of the ‘places’ and ‘add things’ screens.
2
Even at this early stage several problems and questions were raised such as how the crowd-sourced material will be evaluated for authenticity, i.e. how can we ensure that the language presented to the player is relevant to their location? Another, associated concern is how to accommodate change in the environment such as people and objects being tagged and photographed but not being present in the environment on subsequent visits? In response to these concerns we have implemented a simple (plus/minus) ranking system which will allow users to ‘rate’ words based on their perceived relevancy to the environment. A simple Bayesian average algorithm ensures that even with a limited amount of ratings, words remain within the average rating of all items.
Technical Infrastructure
Toponimo is a client/server application. The server side runs on a traditional LAMP software stack. Communication between the MySQL database and the client side is handled by custom software written in PHP. The client runs on Android 2.2 devices and connects to the centralized server either via a Wi-Fi or a 3GS connection. EVALUATION
The first working prototype is nearing completion. Trials will be conducted using ESOL students attending a local Further Education College here in Nottingham using a quasi-experimental nonequivalent groups design. All students will undergo a baseline pre-test phase as a measure of their basic vocabulary skills. All words used in the pre-test phase will be words encountered later during the evaluation of the mobile application. Two versions of the software will be used in this study. The first version will place the user in a purely receptive role, delivering contextual language to the user based on their location. The second version will allow the user to interact with the application by adding words and phrases to the application based on location. Participants will be split into two groups with a version of the software allocated to each group for a period of two weeks. After this period the participants will undergo a vocabulary level test using the same materials as the pre-test. As a secondary consideration, attitudinal data will be collected via questionnaires and focus group discussion. This will help ascertain the desirability of the system and potentially highlight any weaknesses in the interface and aesthetics of the application. From here we expect to gain valuable data which can be used to further the design and development of the game. CONCLUSION
While we are currently at the early stages of software development for the Toponimo client we would hope that the informal style of interaction afforded by the application will allow players to interweave their language learning with everyday life, providing exposure to language which is contextually relevant to the learner. Additionally, we envision that the game aspect of the application will help sustain learner motivation over time, allowing players to ‘dip-in’ to the games when needed.
3
REFERENCES
Anderson, T. A. F., Hwang, W. Y., & Hsieh, C. H. (2008). A study of a mobile collaborative learning system for Chinese language learning. Proceedings of International Conference on Computers in Education (p. 217–222). Benford, S., Crabtree, A., Flintham, Martin, Drozd, A., Tandavanitj, N., Adams, M., et al. (2006). Can You See Me Now?. Benford, S., Flintham, M, Drozd, A., & Anastasi, R. (2004). Uncle Roy All Around You: Implicating the city in a location-based performance. ACEʼ04. Singapore. Carroll, S. E. (1999). Putting “input” in its proper place. Second language Research, 15(4), 337-388. Chen, C.-M., & Tsai, Y.-N. (2009). Interactive Location-Based Game for Supporting Effective English Learning. 2009 International Conference on Environmental Science and Information Application Technology, 3(1), 523-526. Dörnyei, Z., & Malderez, A. (1997). Group dynamics and foreign language teaching. System, 25(1), 65–81. Ellis, R. (1991). The Interaction Hypothesis: A Critical Evaluation. Regional Language Centre Seminar. Singapore. Lintham, M., Smith, K., Benford, S., Capra, M., Green, J., Greenhalgh, C., Wright, M., Adams, M., Tandavanitj, T., Row Farr, J., and Lindt, I. (2007). Day of the Figurines: A Slow Narrative-Driven Game for Mobile Phones Using Text Messaging. 4th International Symposium on Pervasive Gaming Applications (PerGames 2007). Salzburg, Austria, 2007. Montola, M. (2005). Exploring the edge of the magic circle: Defining pervasive games. Proceedings of DAC 2005 Conference. Copenhagen. Ogata, H., Hui, G. L., & Yin, C. (2008). LOCH : supporting mobile language learning outside classrooms Takahito Ueda and Yasuko Oishi Yoneo Yano. Learning, 2(3), 271-282. Sharples, M., Taylor, J., & Vavoula, G. (2005). Towards a theory of mobile learning. Proceedings of mLearn 2005, 1–9. University of Birmingham.
4
