Download to read offline
Uploaded byEducational Technology
Development of a mobile French language learning platform
This document summarizes a master's thesis project that developed a mobile language learning platform for French. The project was motivated by the need for an application to help avoid interference errors for students at levels B1 and B2. Key aspects included categorized exercises and quizzes with multimedia, as well as self-organized learning functionality. The platform was implemented using a database, content management system, and APIs to power both web and mobile applications. An evaluation found the platform worked well when supported by instructors, though better exercise design and faster setup were needed areas of improvement.
More Related Content
Similar to Development of a mobile French language learning platform
Development of a mobile French language learning platform
- 1. www.tugraz.at ◼ W IS S E N ◼ T E C H N I K ◼ L E I D E N S C H A F T u www.tugraz.at Development of a mobile French language learning platform Michael Planitzer Master’s Thesis
- 2. www.tugraz.at ◼ Overview • Motivation •Requirements • Implementation • Evaluation • Outlook Michael Planitzer2
- 3. www.tugraz.at ◼ Motivation • UniGraz, Centre for Language, Plurilingualism and Didactics (Carole Bourgadel) • “to encourage students to actively use sentence structures and to make them aware of the specific problem of interference in French in an unconventional manner” • No adequate self-organizable language learning application for B1 and B2 • Self-organizable, mobile application with focus on lexical, grammatical and syntactical categories. • Scope • Conception, CMS web application, iOS mobile application • Android as part of a Bachelor thesis Michael Planitzer3
- 4. www.tugraz.at ◼ Motivation → Developa prototype to support students during their Language Learning classes (B1 and B2), with the aim to avoid interference errors by providing specific differentiation exercises. Michael Planitzer4
- 5. www.tugraz.at ◼ Requirements • Categorizedexercises • Categorized quizzes • Multimedia • Glossary • Feedback • Self-organizable Michael Planitzer5 1 2
- 6. www.tugraz.at ◼ Requirements • Datamanagement • store, modify, provide and delete data → database • render and access web pages for a user-friendly data management → CMS • Provide data by an interface to be accessible from mobile applications → API, mobile applications • Embedding CMS and database to existing system → TU Graz Learning Lab environment https://learninglab.tugraz.at/ (Accessed 11/22/2020) • Provide tracking possibilities • Multi classes Michael Planitzer6
- 7. www.tugraz.at ◼ Implementation Michael Planitzer7 →Distributed software architecture
- 8. www.tugraz.at ◼ Implementation – Database MichaelPlanitzer8 • MySQL 8.0 database • 5 Major Parts • Project • Glossary • Question • Exercise • Type
- 9. www.tugraz.at ◼ Implementation –Web application • Zend framework 3 • PHP 5.6 • MVC design pattern • Other components • Apigility Controller to run REST API • Authentication/UserManager • File Management (Link to slides with screenshots) Michael Planitzer9
- 10. www.tugraz.at ◼ Implementation –iOS application • General • Swift 4.2 • iOS 11.0 or later • iPhone and iPad • Sends analytics data to Firebase • Main User stories • Registration and Login (Link to slides with screenshots) • Doing exercises (Link to slide with video) • Doing quizzes (Link to slides with screenshots) • Watching learning videos (Link to slides with screenshots) • Glossary – dictionary look-ups (Link to slides with screenshots) • Administrating app settings (Link to slides with screenshots) Michael Planitzer10
- 11. www.tugraz.at ◼ Implementation –Firebase analytics • Crash reports & Event analytics • Embedded in iOS application • Individual measurements • parameters send to firebase course, type, pool, exercise,... • on suitable places quiz/exercise started/exited, get info during challenge, view glossary entry,... • Learning Analytics • How long do students need for which exercises? • For which exercises do they need further information? • When and on which exercise do they start and stop studying? • Which glossary entries are how often and how long looked up? • etc. • Standard visualizations Michael Planitzer11
- 12.
- 13.
- 14. www.tugraz.at ◼ Tracking Flow MichaelPlanitzer14 2 1 3 4
- 15. www.tugraz.at ◼ Evaluation Used sinceSummer Semester 2020 • ~90 students (60% Android, 40% iOS) • No crashes registered by Firebase Students • In general intuitive, design could be more friendly • Highly accepted → included into final exam • Most liked feature: multimedia content • Mouth gestures • Listening Comprehension • Can be used everywhere and everytime • Really big improvements only with app not achievable • Exercises too reproductive Michael Planitzer15
- 16. www.tugraz.at ◼ Evaluation Teachers • Veryhigh administrative effort • ~350 exercises with images and audio records • 25 videos • 20 pdf description • → ~180h • Colleagues fear about technology • No interest about deep analytics evaluations Keynote at Arqus “Virtual language learning in Europe” (06/24/2020) https://european-university.uni-graz.at/de/neuigkeiten/detail/article/grenzenlos/ (Accessed 11/22/2020) Michael Planitzer16
- 17. www.tugraz.at ◼ Evaluation /Outlook • Platform works, if responsible person (teacher)... • ...is behind it. • ...is not afraid about technology. • ...has time to feed the platform with data. • Students are using it… • …if content is part of class and exam. • …because of the mutimedia elements. • …because of the uncomplicated, everywhere/everytime availability. • Platform has to get… • …better thought out, diversified exercises. • …faster setup possibility. → Platform can only be a supporting element to other teaching methods. Michael Planitzer17
- 18. www.tugraz.at ◼ Outlook • EducationalPaper “Interlingual Interference Phenomena in French Courses” by Carole Bourgadel, (in progress) https://treffpunktsprachen.uni-graz.at/en/research/didactics/projekte0/aktuelleprojekte/interlingual- interference-phenomena-in-french-courses/ (Accessed 11/22/2020) • Two „must” improvements • Faster project setup • Better thought out, diversified exercises. • Would make sense • Administration and organization build on already established systems (TU Graz TeachCenter) • Utilize analytics data Michael Planitzer18
- 19. www.tugraz.at ◼ Thank youfor your attention iOS: https://apps.apple.com/at/app/appell/id1449511915?l=en (Accessed 11/22/2020) Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.tugraz.appell (Accessed 11/22/2020) Michael Planitzer19
- 20. www.tugraz.at ◼ Web application- Screens (1|3) https://schule.learninglab.tugraz.at/Appell/ Michael Planitzer20
- 21. www.tugraz.at ◼ Web application- Screens (2|3) https://schule.learninglab.tugraz.at/Appell/ Michael Planitzer21
- 22. www.tugraz.at ◼ Michael Planitzer22 Webapplication - Screens (3|3) https://schule.learninglab.tugraz.at/Appell/
- 23.
- 24. www.tugraz.at ◼ Michael Planitzer24 iOSApp – Screens Register/Login
- 25. www.tugraz.at ◼ Michael Planitzer25 iOSApp – Screens Exercises
- 26. www.tugraz.at ◼ Michael Planitzer26 iOSApp – Screens Quiz
- 27. www.tugraz.at ◼ Michael Planitzer27 iOSApp – Screens Videos
- 28. www.tugraz.at ◼ Michael Planitzer28 iOSApp – Screens Glossary
- 29. www.tugraz.at ◼ Michael Planitzer29 iOSApp – Screens More
- 30. www.tugraz.at ◼ Michael Planitzer30 iOSApp – Screens More
- 31. www.tugraz.at ◼ Evaluation –Pre-Release • Lot of meetings (agile process) • Functionality • Usability • Usability tests with persons involved during implementation and colleagues/students of Carole • Performance • Compatibility • PHP 5+7, ZF3/Laminar, iOS 11.0, Firebase, UserManager • Maintainability • Portability Michael Planitzer31
- 32. www.tugraz.at ◼ Implementation –Technology Stack Michael Planitzer32 • MySQL 8.0 database • Doctrine 1.1 ORM • Zend framework 3 • PHP 5.6 • File storage • Native mobile apps • Android: Java (Bachelor Thesis) • iOS: Swift 4.2 • REST API • Apigility 1.4 • Firebase 5.17