Learning by doing: space-associate language learning using a sensorized environment

This paper proposes a learning-by-doing (LBD) system for assisting learners of English as a foreign language, by providing educational content generated based on real-world behaviors in a sensorized environment. The LBD system consists of an ultrasonic location sensing system developed by the authors and an educational content server. The location of the student is monitored by ultrasonic sensors embedded around the learning room. The system voices English verbs related to objects around the student so that the student can obtain the language skills for expressing various activities of everyday life in English by performing real-world behaviors. The system was implemented experimentally in an English language school. Six subjects participated in an experiment evaluating the educational efficacy of the proposed system. Recall rates of learned verbs were compared among three methodologies, "learning by text," "learning by pictures and text," and "learning by doing". Recall rates were measured at the following intervals: soon after the learning task, 2 days after, 4 days after, 7 days after, and 14 days after the learning task. The results indicate that the proposed LBD system increased the recall rate of learned words by 113% 14 days after the learning task. Overall, the system significantly increased the average recall rate by 102% in comparison to the other learning methodologies.