Connolly, Thomas. 2001 An alternate reality game or language learning: ARGuing for multilingual motivation

Connolly, Thomas. (2011). An alternate reality game or language learning: ARGuing for multilingual motivation. Computers Education, 57 (1) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131511000261

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usage of ARG games in relation to learning a foreign language. The study that was created was implemented as a project within the European Commission Comenius project to be used in secondary schools across Europe. The purpose of the study was to implement cooperation and learning within the school environment as well as to support the use of ARGs in teaching and show different learning tactics. The general outcome of the “experiment” was calculated using pre- and post- questionnaires to gauge student feedback on the project. According to the article student feedback was fairly positive toward the use of the ARG and seemed to motivate the students in a way that had not been done before. Many students in the ending survey stated that they would be willing to partake of the game for an extended amount of time. Although much of the feedback that came back negative was to improve the overall image and style of the gameplay stating, “the ARG story, characters and realism did not meet students’ expectations.” As well as making it a little more complicated and open-ended. So putting this comment aside, which can be attested to the fact that students are used to playing much more visually advanced games, concludes the project fairly successful in their goal to harness a positive, cooperative, and motivated learning environment.

This project “involved 6 project partners, 328 secondary school students, and 95 language teachers from 17 European countries.” It began with a pre-study questionnaire that was created to understand the learner better and collect background information on them in regards to foreign language learning experience and skills. After having completed the survey students were divided into two groups and were given the opportunity to play the Tower of Babel ARG at both home and school over a period of ten days. The first group, “based within a school controlled and managed the ‘game desktop’ and sent challenges to players in the field to guide their activities, as well as receive information back in the form of photos, audio or video evidence that a challenge had been met.” The second group on the other hand primarily, “used a range of mobile devices such as smartphones, PDAs, laptops, GPS devices to navigate the game territory while completing tasks and challenges within the game.” After playing for the ten-day period both groups were given post-study questionnaires to detail how well they were able to learn, adapt and retain the knowledge learned within the gameplay.

This research compares to research done on the Duolingo app and its ability to help high school students to practice and learn secondary language skills and the ability of retention within the app and the frequency it is used. It does however, not include the use of additional study methods, including, but not limited to: writing it down, conversing with others outside of the app, listening to music, movies, exercises, and playing games outside of the app which the article on Duolingo did discuss.

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