Exploring the feasibility of augmented reality game-supported flipped classrooms in reading comprehension of English for Medical Purposes

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study explored the feasibility of the augmented reality game-supported flipped classrooms for English for Medical Purposes reading among 464 students from the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in two phases. In the quantitative phase, the participants watched the pre-recorded lectures on English for Medical Purposes reading and took part in the assessment. Then, they gathered in small teams to practice reading through the Commercial-Off-The-Shelf or self-made augmented reality games under the surveillance of the teachers. In the qualitative phase, focus-group interviews were conducted to debrief students’ perceptions of English for Medical Purposes reading in the augmented reality game-supported flipped classrooms. Repeated measures ANCOVA and ANCOVA were used to analyze the quantitative data. The qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The finding showed that learning English for Medical Purposes in the self-made-augmented reality game-supported flipped classrooms resulted in better reading in academia and the field than learning in the Commercial-Off-The-Shelf augmented reality game-supported flipped classrooms. In these classrooms, students who practiced reading in the heterogeneous small teams made more significant progress; they outperformed those in the small homogeneous teams. The participants highlighted their positive perceptions of hands-on learning for streamlining the self-made augmented reality games in flipped classrooms. The results are discussed in detail.

Keywords:

• Augmented reality
• flipped classroom
• augmented reality games
• reading comprehension
• English for medical purposes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.