말하기 학습용 모바일 앱 개발을 위한 과업 설계 및 평가: 설계기반연구(design-based research)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to suggest a task example and design principles of mobile application for adult learners’ English speaking practice. For this purpose, this study employs a design-based research (DBR) framework to analyze, design and evaluate a speaking app as follows: 1) to identify speaking needs from target mobile users, 2) to design a mobile application that can realize social communication between learners by exchanging meanings through voice recording on SNS platform, and 3) to have the participants use and evaluate speaking tasks in the program. For this study, 120 adult learners participated in the firsthand questionnaires for needs analysis and then the researcher designed pedagogic tasks by collecting actual dialogues. The tasks were applied to the pilot mode of application and were used by 6 participants for 2 weeks. The results are as follows.First of all, the mobile speaking tasks in this study were appropriate for the participants to complete without any problem. In addition, their communications involves rich meaning negotiations in a natural discourse. The participants reported that the tasks were enjoyable and not difficult. Some design principles were also revealed. First, short and easy tasks are appropriate for speaking in mobile learning. Second, dialog trees and themes should be specific and carefully identified by needs analysis from the target users. It is hoped that further research employ this research design to build big data for the development of the actual speaking application.