Innovation design: Integrating mobile-mediated communication with computational intelligence for task-based EFL learning in Taiwanese higher education

Abstract

This study investigated the use of mobile-mediated communication (MMC) with computational intelligence in a task-based learning (TBL) exercise for an English as a foreign language (EFL) class in Taiwan. Students used LINE, an instant messaging application, to send English-language messages to one another while completing an online game that simulates an archaeological expedition in an ancient Egyptian tomb. This TBL activity provided the students with an entertaining motivation to use English for cultural exploration in the context of an increasingly popular medium for everyday communication. The activity also provided useful data for several types of task-based assessment (TBA): (1) integrative assessments to assess proficiency in production skills, namely, speaking and writing; (2) communicative assessments, in which a large amount of communication or negotiation is expected; and (3) multi-phase assessments, in which self-assessment and peer assessment both occur within the proposed assessment task. The study results demonstrate how MMC-based exercises can leverage student engagement for more effective EFL learning.