Language learning on-the-go: opportune moments and design of mobile microlearning sessions

Abstract

Learning a foreign language is a daunting and time-consuming task. People often lack the time or motivation to sit down and engage with learning content on a regular basis. We present an investigation of microlearning sessions on mobile phones, in which we focus on session triggers, presentation methods, and user context. Therefore, we built an Android app that prompts users to review foreign language vocabulary directly through notifications or through app usage across the day. We present results from a controlled and an in-the-wild study, in which we explore engagement and user context. In-app sessions lasted longer, but notifications added a significant number of "quick" learning sessions. 37.6% of sessions were completed in transit, hence learning-on-the-go was well received. Neither the use of boredom as trigger nor the presentation (flashcard and multiple-choice) had a significant effect. We conclude with implications for the design of mobile microlearning applications with context-awareness.