Authors:
Pantelis M. Papadopoulos
1
;
Zeinab Ibrahim
2
and
Andreas Karatsolis
3
Affiliations:
1
Aarhus University, Denmark
;
2
Carnegie Mellon Qatar, Qatar
;
3
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
Keyword(s):
Educational Games, Tabletop Surface Computer, Language Learning, Modern Standard Arabic, Early Childhood.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Computer-Supported Education
;
e-Learning
;
e-Learning Hardware and Software
;
Game-Based and Simulation-Based Learning
;
K-12 Students
;
Learning/Teaching Methodologies and Assessment
;
Social Context and Learning Environments
Abstract:
This paper presents initial evaluation regarding the use of simple educational games on tabletop surface computers to teach Kindergarten students in Qatar the Arabic alphabet. This effort is part of the “Arabiyyatii” research project, a 3-year endeavor aimed to teach 5-year-olds Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). The paper describes a naturalistic study design, following the activities of 18 students for a period of 9 weeks in the project. All students were native speakers of the Qatari dialect and they were early users of similar surface technologies. The paper presents three of the games available to the students, along with data collected from system log files and class observations. Result analysis suggests that these kinds of games could be useful in (a) enhancing students’ engagement in language learning, (b) increasing their exposure to MSA, and (c) developing their vocabulary.