2022 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Virtual Ryugaku: measuring iconicity in VR in relation to language acquisition and cross-cultural communication
| Project/Area Number |
21K00778
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Hakodate National College of Technology |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
taquet david 函館工業高等専門学校, 一般系, 准教授 (50710901)
|
|---|
| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
小野 真嗣 室蘭工業大学, 大学院工学研究科, 准教授 (10369902) [Withdrawn]
オレクサ ロバート 函館工業高等専門学校, 一般人文系, 准教授 (40803713)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
|
| Keywords | Virtual Reality / Iconicity / Language / Education technology / 多文化コミュニケーション |
|---|
| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
One of the focus of the R4 year, was the diffusion of our research which would in turn allow us to make contacts with researchers from other universities in related field (language learning, ED tech, bio measurements, etc..). We have participated and presented in 5 conferences. First the JALT CALL 2022 (Playful Call) which was geared towards using fun and lucidicty in classrooms to imporve on language speaking. Gamification, board games, and VR were very appropriate subjects. Our presentation, titled “Usability factors of commercially available Virtual Reality applications for EFL” listed and explained several VR applications which can be used to encourage, stimulate, and enhance the EFL learning experience of Japanese students.
|
| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
We have selected a few students (3 so far, but we are hoping for 6) who are planning to go abroad to Belgium in a few month and are curently getting familiar with the VR headset as well as a VR Chat room. This room, JAP-EN chatroom is a safe environment and has been used for several years for people who would like to study both English and Japanese. We have devised a research protocol that would allow us to compare the language use of these students within VR, and later, after they come back from their internship abroad. We will give them specific questionnaire and compare the answers with students who have only done the VR part of the research. Finally, in order to understand the effect of visual fidelity and realism on leanring in VR, we have started taking the free Unity course, using powerful PC hardware. This would later allow us to develop our own chat room.
|
| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In February of 2023, we attended a forum at Sojo University: the “Teaching and Learning Forum: Reflections and Reconfigurations”. There we were able to give a demonstration of the iconistic abilities of the VR devices, and some potential uses for students to improve on their crosscultural communication skills, while increasing motivation and lowering anxiety. In the future, we want to collaboarate more with Sojo university, and make full use of their IOT lab which includes full body tracking and 3D cameras. Also, since we are having difficulties recruting students within our own colege, I believe that Sojo university’s students, and their higher level of English would provide a good sample of participants for our research. We also plan on working hard to connect with other researchers from related field such as Ed Tech, second language acquisition, and ludic application to language learning.
|
| Causes of Carryover |
During the Covid19 pandemic, many conferences have adopted a hybrid model whereby presenters and participants can attend online. As such, we have seen a reduction of the buget needed for travel expenses. However, as we are entering a post-covid era some of these events are back in person. We are planning to use the incurring amount in order to attend and to present at these in-person conferences. Also,we anticipated new VR devices to be released in 2022, but many of these are now planned fpr release in 2023. The amount we did not use will also serve this purpose.
|
Research Products
(6 results)
