Pedagogical strategies with immersive technologies for teaching and learning the Japanese language

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Pedagogical strategies with immersive technologies for teaching and learning the Japanese language

Abstract

The article addresses the choice of pedagogical strategies for application of immersive technologies in foreign language teaching and learning, using the Japanese language as an example. The authors defined and substantiated the main pedagogical strategies using immersive technologies: inquiry-based approach, project-based learning, mixed learning, flipped learning, mobile learning, game learning, joint learning, and independent learning. A study was conducted on the aspects of application of immersive technologies by 3^rd year students of the Education and Research Institute of Philology of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv during their educational projects. The students' attitude to pedagogical strategies using augmented and virtual reality was analyzed. It has been determined that it is difficult for students to apply these technologies, because they do not have enough experience of using them in language learning. Nevertheless, these tools significantly help them in the formation and development of research skills, digital competence, expand their ability to use information and communication technologies in learning Japanese. In our further research, we plan to actively implement augmented and virtual reality in the teaching of the Japanese language to students using basic pedagogical strategies, especially through the inquiry-based approach and project-based learning, combined with other applicable pedagogical strategies - such as blended learning, flipped learning, mobile learning, game-based learning, collaborative learning and self-directed learning.

ПЕДАГОГІЧНІ СТРАТЕГІЇ З ІММЕРСИВНИМИ ТЕХНОЛОГІЯМИ ДЛЯ ПРОЦЕСІВ ВИКЛАДАННЯ ТА НАВЧАННЯ ЯПОНСЬКОЇ МОВИ

кандидат педагогічних наук, завідувачка відділу технологій відкритого навчального середовища Інститут цифровізації освіти НАПН України, м. Київ, Україна pedagogical strategy immersive japanese language

Анотація. У статті розглядається проблема педагогічних стратегій із застосуванням імерсивних технологій у навчанні та викладанні іноземних мов, зокрема японської мови. Авторами визначені та обґрунтовані основні педагогічні стратегії з використанням імерсивних технологій (підхід на основі запитів, проєктне навчання, змішане навчання, перевернуте навчання, мобільне навчання, ігрове навчання, спільне навчання, самостійне навчання). Проведено дослідження щодо особливостей використання студентами 3 курсу ННІФ Київського національного університету імені Тараса Шевченка імерсивних технологій при виконанні ними навчальних проєктів. Проаналізовано ставлення студентів до педагогічних стратегій із використанням доповненої та віртуальної реальностей. Визначено, що студентам важко застосовувати ці технології, оскільки у них недостатньо досвіду щодо їх використання у вивченні мови, але ці інструменти значно допомагають у формуванні і розвитку дослідницьких навичок, цифрової компетентності, у вдосконаленні їх умінь використовувати інформаційно-комунікаційні технології при вивченні японської мови, сприяють поліпшенню їх міжкультурної комунікації. У подальших наших дослідженнях планується активне впровадження доповненої і віртуальної реальностей у навчання студентів японської мови через використання основних педагогічних стратегій, особливо через підхід на основі запитів та проєктне навчання, при використанні яких можна враховувати інші педагогічні стратегії: змішане навчання, перевернуте навчання, мобільне навчання, ігрове навчання, спільне навчання, самостійне навчання.

INTRODUCTION

Information and communications technologies (ICT) assume an important role in all areas of our society. Schools and universities, acting as a ground for formation of 21st century skills in young people, should be able to satisfy the needs and overcome the difficulties that students have, preparing them for the constant development of technologies.

The inclusion of new technologies in the educational context opens up new opportunities for teachers to innovate in their teaching methods and creates conditions for students to overcome learning difficulties and strengthen their 21st century skills. At the same time, it is important for the teacher to use various pedagogical strategies, which can be based on immersive technologies (ITs).

The problem statement. Pedagogical strategies have different definitions.

A. Muelas, E. Navarro note that a pedagogical strategy is a model of cognitive operations aimed at guiding students to understand the problem, their research and the correct solution to this problem [1]. Researchers have considered pedagogical strategies as procedures and methods that are used during the planning of student learning, which have goals and educational content related to their processing of new information to achieve understanding of educational material. Creating a quality learning process requires a variety of learning strategies that are appropriate for the learning environment or situation.

Analysis of recent studies and publications. A number of studies have uncovered the significant potential of immersive technologies in language learning, such as: AR in language learning, including their impact on increasing motivation among Chinese college students learning English (S. Li and Y. Chen, 2014 [3]); study on the influence of adventure games on English reading confidence, motive and self-efficacy (Lu, Lou, Papa & Chung, 2011 [4]); introduction of VR and AR features of Google Earth application for foreign language learning, including the Japanese language, which allows users to visit different locations throughout the world, meanwhile supporting their own learning of various studies i.e. history, political studies, international relations, etc. (Frazier, Erin & Bonner, Euan & Lege, Ryan, 2019 [5]); encouraging students to speak the Spanish language outside of classroom with game-based pedagogical strategies (Holden & Sykes, 2011 [6]); impact of Augmented Reality game on learning words in different languages (J. Barreira, M. Bessa, L.C. Pereira, et al., 2012 [7]); impact of Immersive language learning environments on student's English language learning (X. Huang, G. Han, J. He, et al., 2018 [8]); the role of ITs in the development of intercultural competence of students studying a foreign language (X. Zhang, M .Zhou, 2019 [9]).

The research goal. The purpose of the article is to highlight pedagogical strategies of application of augmented and virtual reality for organizing the language learning - especially for supporting and organizing the Japanese language learning.

Fig. 1. Classification of pedagogical strategies

The inquiry-based approach in learning process means that students have the opportunity to discover something new while learning, offer explanations of the phenomena studied, develop concepts and build processes, check the progress of their work (assess) and evaluate its results (evaluate) on the basis of the received data [10]. In addition, inquiry-based learning is the learning process where students are at center of this process and take the lead in their own learning [11].

The project-based learning takes students through all the steps of scientific research: ask a question, develop a hypothesis, plan how to test this hypothesis, collect data, analyse the results and share it with peers [10].

Many researchers focus on the application of game-based pedagogical strategies to improve students' acquisition of foreign language knowledge [6] [8] [12] [13] [14].

S. Kim et al. define game-based approach as a set of steps to solve an obstacle that takes the characteristics of game-related elements [12]. IT-based games, the main purpose of which is not entertainment but learning, are examples of how IT can bring added value to the educational field, as they can entertain users during learning, particularly during foreign language learning, where it is necessary to immerse the student in special language environment and specific culture of native speakers [13] [14].

The blended learning (hybrid learning) is a teaching approch that integrates ICT with traditional classroom activities, giving students more flexibility to customize their learning experiences [10].

The flipped learning is a teaching approch that allows teachers to prioritise active learning tasks during class time by assigning students lecture materials and presentations to be viewed at home or outside of class [15].

The mobile learning is learning across multiple contexts, through social and content interactions, using personal electronic devices [16]. It is a form of distance education, that allows students to use a a mobile device based educational technology at their convenience.

Mobile technologies give the possibility to implement new forms of organization of education, which involve the interaction of subjects of education with each other not only during the lesson, but also outside it. Instant delivery of educational material helps to increase the student's work productivity. The use of mobile devices and a large amount of interactive educational material activates students' educational and cognitive activities. Compactness, small dimensions and wireless access to the educational environment enable students to be in the "online learning" mode almost constantly and regardless of location/

2. RESEARCH METHODS

To achieve the purpose of our study and also to clarify the problem of utilization of immersive technologies for the Japanese language teaching and learning together with traditional pedagogical strategies, we used the following methods: systematic and comparative analysis of pedagogical, psychological, philosophical, sociological works, methodological and specialized literature; analysis of the pedagogical experience of usage of immersive technologies at the Education and Research Institute of Philology of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; synthesis and generalization to formulate the main points of the study; interpretation of the research results by student survey and analysis of results in students' projects.

The research hypothesis is based on the assumption that teaching the Japanese language will be effective if the following pedagogical strategies are implemented together with application of ITs: inquiry-based approach, problem-based learning, blended learning, flipped learning, mobile learning, self-directed learning, collaborative learning, game-based learning.

THE RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

We offered several educational projects to Philology students of the 3rd year of study (38 students participated in the projects), namely: «Teaching the Japanese language to elementary school students with the help of ICT», «Students for schoolchildren: the linguistic and cultural aspect of the Japanese language with the help of ICT», «Lexicology of the Japanese language for those acquiring the professional competence of translators at JLPT 4-5 level (Official Worldwide Japanese-Language Proficiency Test) with the help of ITs», «Game world for mastering Japanese Kanji Characters and lexicology». The projects had the goal of creating a collection of educational materials for teaching Japanese to students at different levels of education and for students studying particularly difficult grammatical constructions of the Japanese language, such as complex verbs, alongside stylistics and cultural aspects of the

Japanese language, which they had to reflect in their project results and, in particular, master ICT for teaching and translating Japanese, as well as creating their didactic materials.

Students were set in groups according to project topics. They were especially interested in the projects «Students for schoolchildren: the linguistic and cultural aspect of the Japanese language with the help of ICT» (12 students) and «Game world for learning Japanese Kanji Characters and Lexicology» (11 students).

We showed students the options for using such ITs for different levels of Japanese language learning (Japanese language learning levels are available at https://www.jlpt.jp/) as: