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Using Interactive Virtual Reality Tools in an Advanced Chinese Language Class: a Case Study

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Abstract

This case study explored college students’ use of interactive virtual reality tools (Google Cardboard and Expeditions) for learning Chinese as a foreign language. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to probe into students’ perceived benefits and challenges of using VR tools for Chinese language and culture learning. Twelve students were paired and role-played as virtual tour guides for six locations throughout a semester. Every two weeks, each dyad studied a particular Chinese tourist attraction or location and presented orally in Chinese as virtual tour guides by using the VR tools. Data collection included class observations of all presentations by each dyad, 24 reflections (two per participant, after the first and fifth presentations), and individual follow-up interviews. The study indicated that the real-life view VR tools offered an authentic context for Chinese language learning, sparked interest in the virtually presented locales, and encouraged students to further explore the target culture.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, College of Education, Northern Illinois University, Gabel Hall 101D, DeKalb, IL, 60115, USA

    Ying **e

  2. Department of World Languages & Cultures, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA

    Lanhui Ryder

  3. Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Yan Chen

Authors
  1. Ying **e
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  2. Lanhui Ryder
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  3. Yan Chen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ying **e.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

There is no potential conflict of interest with the study we reported. All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

The application of using human subjects was approved by the University’s Human Subjects Committee on January 17, 2017 (Study Number: HS17–0008). All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Appendices

Appendix A Reflection Paper Guiding Questions

  • Describe how you and your team member tackled the task: what tools you used, the process your team went through etc.

  • How did you feel about the task (difficult/easy, fun/boring) and why?

  • How do you like your presentation? If you had to do it differently, what would you do?

  • How did you like the google tools? Were you anxious or nervous when using them when you were the guide? Why and why not?

  • When using google tools as an audience, how did you feel? Were you able to follow the guide? Why or why not? Did you feel it became easier or harder to learn the content, language and/culture and why?

  • Did you learn anything from this project? What are they (use examples)

  • Do you feel more confident now than when we started? Why and why not?

Appendix B Interview Protocol

  1. 1.

    You used Google Cardboard and Google Expeditions for several of your in-class projects. Could you please describe

    1. a.

      How you and your partner prepared your presentations?

    2. b.

      What you did when presenting with the tools?

  2. 2.

    When you were using the tools as an audience (while others are presenting), how did you like this experience?

  3. 3.

    How did you feel about the projects?

  4. 4.

    How did you like the projects and why?

  5. 5.

    How did using these tools affect your Chinese learning?

Appendix C Observation Guide

Date: ______ Location__________ Pair # _____ Participant # _____ and # ______.

General impressions:

Points of interests selected for presentation:

Supporting materials:

Composure:

Special notes about the presenters:

Notes about audience:

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**e, Y., Ryder, L. & Chen, Y. Using Interactive Virtual Reality Tools in an Advanced Chinese Language Class: a Case Study. TechTrends 63, 251–259 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-019-00389-z

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