Iya-ola
Research report
February 2006
Gloria Gutierrez Almarza (edited by Futurelab)
The full version of this report is available to download in pdf format - see box below. On this page you'll find the paper's executive summary.
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Iya-ola research report (pdf, 149KB)
Executive summary
Like an online exchange, the Iya-ola prototype idea provides 9 year-old children with a means of trying out their Spanish with Spanish-speaking children, whilst the Spanish children have an opportunity to practise their English.
Initially, in the home country, conversations are introduced to learners through playful computer-based adventures. In response to the learner's actions, carefully structured language is provided by the system. The learner uses this information to answer questions correctly in order to move forward. As the game progresses the language varies, and learners encounter new topics involving numbers, family members and so on.
After rehearsing this language in the game format, the learner then joins an audio-visual chat with another learner (or group of learners) in a Spanish-speaking classroom. These children have also been playing a game, identical in all ways except that it's in English. Both sides then have to help each other solve a puzzle that demands the use of the language practised at that level. Learners can converse with their Spanish or English team mates by using a number of levels of communication: at the pilot stage this will concentrate on instant IP messaging and video-conferencing.
If the game does its job effectively, eventually the language will flow between learners in the two countries without the need for a specific quiz structure to help them. The two schools will have formed a link for their joint language and culture teaching.