Promoting English Learning in Secondary Schools: Design-Based Research to Develop a Mobile Application for Collaborative Learning

Abstract

The goal of this study was to design a mobile application to address the challenge of the lack of quality English-speaking lessons in South Korean middle and high schools. The study was conducted because providing quality English speaking lessons in large size classes arguably could foster equal access to acquiring English speaking skills in public education settings. WikiTalki, a mobile application developed in this study, is a classroom assistance tool that expands students' verbal practice opportunities and enables them to receive personalized peer feedback on their speaking performance. The development process of WikiTalki followed the design-based research (DBR) approach and was conducted in three iterations of design, development, and test. An empirical study was conducted to assess the application's effectiveness in terms of students’ participation, self-efficacy, achievement in oral speech, and perceived English-speaking success. Significant findings of the study were: recording and sharing function increased learner participation in large-sized English classes; peer feedback tended to promote collaborative learning; continuous refinement of the application design enhanced the quality of instructional design and usability.