ASCILITE Live! webinar: Examining the design and engagement in a mobile-based “scavenger hunt” educational game for Chinese language learning through the lens of situated cognition

In one of New Zealand’s leading universities, more than 60% of the students enrolled in the Chinese program are distance learners, who are mostly full-time employees across the country and from around the world. Due to individual availability and geographical disparity, their engagement with peers (on-campus and online) and teachers has become deficient. Taking the opportunity of Chinese Language Camp, which aims to provide an immersive learning environment and enhanced learner engagement, a series of innovative educational interventions was created and assembled into one educational game, namely Big Hunt@Library or Big Hunt@Home. The game hosted on the GooseChase platform and its embedded digital tools facilitates a new form of learner engagement that affords cognitive, affective, sociocultural constructive and situated learning, and enables the development of intercultural communicative competence in a game-supported real-life context. The game was well received by students and educators alike, and has shown to influence meaningful student engagement and learning.

This webinar examined the design features of the scavenger hunt game and the theoretical foundation that informed its design. Through the processes of Design-based Research, we also aimed to examine the criticality of multi-disciplinary partnerships and collaborations that enable the successful development and implementation of the game. In these processes, the need for reflection and reflexivity is highlighted, such that the professional growth of all concerned manifest in a way that personal and collective agency become a focal point for learning and development.

There is much to learn from this educational innovation, from the perspectives of students, educators and designers. Indeed, it has received the ASCILITE 2020 Innovation Award, paving the way for continued educational and technological re-imagination of the student learning experience. The implication is discussed, pertaining to the intersections of game-based, traditional and digital learning opportunities.

Presenters

Dr Grace Y. Qi is a Lecturer in Chinese Studies in the School of Humanities, Media and Creative Communication at Massey University, New Zealand. Her research interests lie in the areas of languages education, language policy and planning, innovation and technology for learning, and intercultural communication in the process of language acquisition and cultural exchange. Her recent publications focus on language policy and planning in Australasia, intercultural learning/teaching, multilingualism, blended learning pedagogy and implementation strategies, communities of practice for student engagement and online teacher training and professional development.

Mr Kevan Loke is a Technology-Enhanced Learning Specialist, National Centre for Teaching and Learning, at Massey University, New Zealand. His areas of interests are virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, 3D scanning, photogrammetry and other digital technologies. He works with the lecturers to create engaging online learning activities that will enhance the students learning experience and boost their retention.