Presentation 1: Designing Contextually: An investigation of design-based research to promote situated Irish language identity through virtual reality (Full Paper #74)
Authors: Naoise Collins, Brian Vaughan and Charlie Cullen
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The Irish language is a minority language within the island of Ireland with only 5% of speakers using it daily outside the education system. This paper presents the results of the third case study in a mixed methods design-based research experiment with the aim of improving the situated Irish language identity of Irish language learners. A situated virtual reality game was designed by the researchers in order to improve Irish language identity among its players. We outline the design decisions of the game along with the results of a five-week study with a context group of Irish language learners. Data gathered through the iterative process of the design based research cycles has informed the design decisions of the study. The study evaluates the change in attitudes, ideal self and vocabulary retention as a result of interaction with the virtual reality game.
Presentation 2: A collaborative, immersive language learning environment using augmented panoramic imagery (Short Paper #60)
Authors: Samuel Chabot, Jaimie Drozdal, Matthew Peveler, Yalun Zhou, Jonas Braasch and Hui Su
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Augmenting immersive technologies with AI for foreign language learning is a relatively unexplored, multidisciplinary, and complex research paradigm. The Cognitive and Immersive Room at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute facilitates cultural and foreign language learning beyond a traditional classroom setting. Exploration of virtual environments and real-world renderings occur at human-scale by groups of students and teachers simultaneously. Students visit a Virtual World and engage in sophisticated dialogues with AI agents and travel to true-to-life Panoramic Scenes to learn authentic cultural knowledge and practice vocabulary amidst the same surroundings they would use such knowledge while traveling abroad. Multimodal input allows students to engage with the system through gesture, voice, and spatial positioning, creating a dynamic language learning experience.
