The French Kitchen: Task-Based Learning in an Instrumented Kitchen

  1. Lookup NU author(s)
  2. Dr Clare Hooper
  3. Dr Anne Preston
  4. Dr Madeline Balaam
  5. Professor Paul Seedhouse
  6. Dan Jackson
  7. Cuong Pham
  8. Cassim Ladha
  9. Dr Thomas Ploetz
  10. Professor Patrick Olivier
Author(s)Hooper C, Preston A, Balaam M, Seedhouse P, Jackson D, Pham C, Ladha C, Ladha K, Ploetz T, Olivier P
Editor(s)
Publication type Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)
Conference Name14th International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing (Ubicomp)
Conference LocationPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Year of Conference2012
Date5-8 September 2012
Volume
Pages193-202
Full text is available for this publication:
Ubiquitous computing technologies have traditionally striven to augment objects and the environment with sensing capabilities to enable them to respond appropriately to the needs of the individuals in the environment. This paper considers how such technologies might be harnessed to support language learning, and specifically Task-Based Learning (TBL). Task-Based Learning (TBL) involves doing meaningful tasks in a foreign language, emphasising the language’s use in practice. TBL is seen as a highly engaging and motivating approach to learning a language, but is difficult to do in the classroom. Here, learners typically engage in activities that only simulate ‘real-world’ tasks, and as such only rehearse language use, rather than applying the language in practice. In this paper, we explore how an instrumented, context-aware environment whose design is grounded in pedagogical principles can support TBL. We present the French Kitchen, an instrumented kitchen for English speakers who are learning French, and describe a 46-participant evaluation of the kitchen. Based on the evaluation, we provide a set of design recommendations for those building instrumented systems for TBL.
PublisherACM
URLhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2370216.2370246
DOI10.1145/2370216.2370246