El uso de la realidad virtual y aumentada a través de un escape room en el aula de inglés

Abstract

Information and Communications Technology, ICT, can be overwhelming nowadays, especially whenever training has not been adequate. There is a plethora of applications and tasks that can be used within the English as a Second Language classrooms, ESL, which continues to increase the numbers of available options almost every year. Online databases, document managers, blogs, videoconferences, and message systems are some of the options that can be found within ICT applied to ESL. Nevertheless, the question of how effective these apps can be and how reliable they are for the ESL classroom remains. A question that, of course, will depend greatly on the characteristics of the students within the classroom, the resources available, and also the training of the ESL teacher. The training should be of a continuous nature, as ICT keep evolving and adapting at a considerable speed (Bates, 2001: 29), which creates a necessity for the teacher to be up to date with the latest resources when adapting his/her methodology for the desired results. The innovation in the methodology is also of critical importance, as after a period of repetition of the same methodology, there is a negative result in student performance and motivation degrees (Martin, 2006). This results in the necessity to have a varied and updated array of skills and training with different applications and methodologies, particularly those who use some of the latest trends in ICT (Bearman, 2012). This dissertation aims at providing the necessary scaffolding in the introduction of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and escape rooms into the ESL classroom, specifically aiming at the levels of Compulsory Secondary Education (CSE) and Post-compulsory Secondary Education (PCSE), which equals to the Spanish levels of ESO (students from 12 to 16 years old) and Bachillerato (students from 16 to 18 years old). To do so, an intervention proposal consisting of the use of VR and AR in ESL classrooms has been elaborated, taking into account the level of the student and the desired methodology. Said intervention proposal will attempt to boost motivation and performance mainly by providing a new learning environment for the student using VR and AR alongside a previously prepared ESL escape room. First, a look into the justification and reasons why the implementation of VR & AR ICT can be useful into the ESL classroom will take place. The general and specific objectives of the intervention proposal will be stated to be followed up by a closer look into the theoretical framework associated to the intervention proposal. A definition and overview of both Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality will be included, alongside an analysis on escape rooms and the hardware and software available to recreate the intervention proposal. Then, the development of the intervention proposal will take place, starting from a contextualization to move on to pre-tasks, the layout of the classroom, activities to develop, assessment, and the possible adaptations to the escape room. After that, possible results will be examined alongside possible limitations as well as the future projection of VR & AR ICT in education. To finish, the conclusion of the intervention proposal will be examined.