Abstract
A challenge of language learning is to support its content with visual elements to add visual memories to textual and auditory recall. Whereas the depiction of nouns that portray objects is straightforward, verbs which describe actions require actors to clearly communicate the content. Here, mixed reality agents can guide the learner by demonstrating the action. In this paper, we investigate how such mixed reality agents can be utilized for language learning by combining them with the language learning method of total physical response. We compare the resulting open-source application to traditional flashcards in a between-subjects user study. There is no significant difference between the learner’s performance with mixed reality and the flashcards but students preferred the mixed reality application with regard to engagement and technology acceptance. The study highlights the potential of accessible mixed reality agents which can be expanded into general tutoring systems with personalized tasks and individual feedback.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research for their support within the project “Personalisierte Kompetenzentwicklung und hybrides KI-Mentoring” (tech4compKI; id: 16DHB2213).
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Hensen, B., Bekhter, D. (2023). Mixed Reality Agents as Language Learning Tutors. In: Frasson, C., Mylonas, P., Troussas, C. (eds) Augmented Intelligence and Intelligent Tutoring Systems. ITS 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13891. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32883-1_50
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