Developing an AR language learning system: Comparing the effects of modality on reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition and motivation
Abstract: Today, the use of games as learning materials is no longer a novelty. Nagai & York, (2022) conducted an experiment in which they compared interactive fiction with a traditional textbook-like webpage for learning a foreign language. Unfortunately, they found no difference in learning effectiveness or learning experience. Possible reasons for this were that the game was very basic, and the post-experiment tests were not difficult enough to compare the effects. Location-based learning is a promising field of research, offering contextual benefits for learning, where memorization may be bolstered by associating things with a location. Nakamura et al. (2017) showed that location-based learning may be effective in learning English. In the present study, the researchers examined the differences in learning effects between two different systems of 1) reading a story based on a real location and 2) reading an interactive fiction version in a web browser. Comparing the effects of the systems on reading comprehension skills and vocabulary acquisition resulted in no significant differences. However, in the questionnaire about the learning experience, it was found that compared with the interactive fiction version, the location-based game was considered more enjoyable to learn, although the operation of the system was more difficult. The implications of this are explored in this paper