Requirements Elicitation for Game-based Language Learning Application

Abstract

Elicitation of requirements is an essential part of the software development process. It is critical for assessing the performance of software projects, particularly those using mobile apps. Games are not new to the process of teaching and learning but educational games in a cultural context have also developed into digital games via advancements in technology. They are included in many fields of study, such as studying languages, mathematics, economics, commerce, software, etc. They are believed to be able to better comprehend learners in the less conventional but appropriate format when the topics are presented. For the past several decades, gamification has been used in the teaching of different subjects in language acquisition through the use of digital and non-digital games. In this paper, requirement elicitations have been made for game-based language learning application in the cultural context. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted with teachers, students, and government officials selected through random sampling from District Sheikhupura of Pakistan. A total of fifty-seven teachers, three hundred students from twenty-one schools and two government officials have been selected as the participants of the study. Content, pronunciation, vocabulary, and assessment are the important requirements in a culture that need to be added in the gamified application combining with the socio-cultural theory to develop it. A conceptual model is also presented based on the requirements which is validated by the experts through Inter-rater reliability. In the future, low-fidelity prototypes will be developed based on a constructed model which will be further validated through proposed heuristic for language learning in a cultural context.