Designing dynamic English: a creative reading system in a context-aware fitness centre using a smart phone and QR codes

Abstract

This article describes the design and development of a context-aware ubiquitous learning (u-learning) system for users to increase fitness-related reading comprehension in a fitness centre. With the use of mobile devices and sensing technologies, practitioners and researchers of ICT and ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) are paying attention to the planning and use of u-learning components to provide users more interactions with authentic learning objects in a real context. Meanwhile, English for specific purposes (ESP) with interaction design has been a focus in recent years; however, few ESP practitioners and researchers have explored fitness-related English with ubicomp. All of the users were satisfied with the use of the smart phones and scanning of QR codes on the machines in the fitness centre to develop their reading comprehension of fitness-related English. Finally, a learning design model for Fitness English reading with u-learning components was developed and elaborated from designers' perspectives.

Keywords:

• interactive learning environments
• smart phone
• human–computer interface
• QR code
• Fitness English
• reading
• context-aware

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the students who participated in the study, and wish to thank the two anonymous reviewers and the editor for their constructive comments. This work was partially supported by the National Science Council in Taiwan with research grants (NSC 100-2631-S-011-003, NSC 100-2511-S-006-001-MY2 and NSC 102-2511-S-006-005-MY3).

Additional information

Gi-Zen Liu received his PhD degree in instructional systems technology from Indiana University, Bloomington, USA, in 2003. He is Director of Foreign Language Centre and Associate Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Tainan, Taiwan. Dr Liu has received six research awards from the College of Liberal Arts at NCKU in 2008–2013 and another two from the National Science Council of Taiwan in 2012 and 2013 respectively. His research interests include instructional design and technology, computer-assisted language learning, computer-mediated communication and blended learning.

Chair Professor Gwo-Jen Hwang is with the Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. Chair Professor Hwang is an expert in e-learning and intelligent systems. He was awarded the Most Outstanding Researcher from the National Science Council of Taiwan in 2007 and 2010 respectively.

Yu-Ling Kuo received her MA in foreign language teaching from NCKU in Taiwan. Miss Kuo is an award-winning young scholar. She was an English teacher who developed innovative methods. Now she works in a high-tech electronics company.

Chun-Yi Lee received her MS in information management from NCKU in Taiwan. Miss Lee is an award-winning young scholar. She is a research associate in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature at NCKU.