Investigating the impact of a virtual reality mobile application on learners' interpreting competence.

Background: This research is inspired by the challenges encountered in interpreter training, changes in learning needs in the technological era, the educational paradigm shift caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic, the lack of studies on combining virtual reality (VR)_and mobile technologies, and literatu...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Journal of Computer Assisted Learning Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 1242 - 1259
Autor principal: Chan, Venus
Formato: pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Aug2023
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=164914321&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 164914321
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        02664909
        6M1
      jtl: Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
      issn: 02664909
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Aug2023
      vid: 39
      iid: 4
      pid: 480
      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
    artinfo:
      ui:
        164914321
        161734251
        164914321
        164914321
        10.1111/jcal.12796
        164914321
      ppf: 1242
      ppct: 17
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Investigating the impact of a virtual reality mobile application on learners' interpreting competence.
      aug:
        au: Chan, Venus
        affil: Department of Humanities, Language and Translation, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
      sug:
        subj:
          Virtual Reality Hong Kong
          Mobile Applications
          Interpreter Services
          Learning Methods
          Communication Skills
          Human
          Lecture
          Feedback
          Videorecording
          English as a Second Language
          Students, Foreign
          Students, Undergraduate
          Self-Directed Learning
          Pretest-Posttest Design
          Questionnaires
          Professional Knowledge
          Male
          Female
          Adolescence
          Young Adult
          Hong Kong
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Paired T-Tests
          Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test
          Confidence Intervals
          Funding Source
          Adolescent: 13-18 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background: This research is inspired by the challenges encountered in interpreter training, changes in learning needs in the technological era, the educational paradigm shift caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic, the lack of studies on combining virtual reality (VR)_and mobile technologies, and literature gaps in the field of the incorporation of technology in interpreter education. Objectives: This research aims to develop a mobile‐based VR application for bi‐directional English‐Chinese and Chinese‐English interpreting learning named 'Virtual Interpreting Practice' (VIP) based on an interpreting competence model and to investigate its impact on students' self‐rated language and interpreting proficiency levels as well as their declarative knowledge and operative skills as reflected in different interpreting modes (sight and consecutive) and language directions (English‐Chinese and Chinese‐English). The VIP app contains learning resources, including 13 learning modules covering both interpreting modes, practical topics and contexts, video lectures and demonstrations, fully immersive VR and non‐VR practice, glossary lists, source texts, translated texts and an online feedback platform. Methods: Thirty‐one native Chinese‐speaking English as a second/foreign (ESL/EFL) undergraduate students used the app for self‐directed learning. The data were collected by the pre‐study and post‐study questionnaires as well as the pre‐test and post‐test. Results and Conclusions: The results indicate that the use of VIP significantly raised the students' self‐rated language and interpreting proficiency levels as well as their interpreting performance in both modes and language directions. While the students performed better in sight interpreting and Chinese‐English interpreting, they achieved a significantly higher improvement rate in consecutive interpreting and English‐Chinese interpreting. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: A number of studies have demonstrated the use of virtual reality (VR) provides users with senses of multiple presence, enhances learner engagement and motivation, and facilitates collaborative, situated, immersive and experiential learning that is not often available in traditional learning environments.The increasing availability of VR has created new opportunities in the area of mobile‐assisted language learning (MALL), paving the way for a new research area called VR‐assisted language learning (VRALL).Using VRALL, numerous benefits in various language skills have been identified, such as listening, speaking, writing and vocabulary acquisition. What this paper adds: While blending VR and mobile technologies may play a more significant role in education settings and create more advantages, the impact of this combination for interpreting learning has remained an unexplored area in higher education. This paper has addressed the research gaps in which there is a lack of VR language learning apps that are bilingual, mobile‐based and specifically designed for interpreting practice in highly immersive learning environments.The results indicate that the use of VIP significantly raised the students' self‐rated language and interpreting proficiency levels as well as their interpreting performance in both sight and consecutive interpreting and language directions (English‐Chinese and Chinese‐English).While the students performed better in sight interpreting and Chinese‐English interpreting, they achieved a significantly higher improvement rate in consecutive interpreting and English‐Chinese interpreting. Implications for practice and/or policy: The results have implications for the roles of students and teachers. The app developed in this study shifts the teacher‐led approach to student‐centred learning. While it allows more learning autonomy, its effectiveness may largely depend on students' ability to self‐regulate and engage.It appears that the effectiveness of VRALL depends on a number of individual and contextual factors, e.g. the design and functionality of the apps, availability of the internet connection and smartphones as well as learning needs and motivation.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N