Evaluation of the effectiveness of preschool English learning applications based on touch and voice multimodal interaction technique

The rising development in information and communication technology affected the rapid presence of new interface designs to meet the needs of user interaction. This includes the needs of the children dominating the use of technology in obtaining effective interaction with the system despite having limitations in cognitive and motor skills. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the ETSApp learning application developed through the performance of users' as well as their experience while interacting with the application. ETSApp is an English language application based on multimodal interaction techniques combining touch and voice input integrated into preschool curriculum content for children aged four to six years old. Effectiveness evaluation using observation methods and user surveys was conducted on 41 participants comprising 12 kindergarten teachers and 29 kindergarten children from the West Coast and East Coast zones of Peninsular Malaysia. The results of the observation revealed that the percentage of successful interaction between teachers and children was 83% and above for all interaction items. A survey conducted on teachers and children obtained a positive response where they felt that ETSApp was very fun, easy to interact with and effective in helping the teaching and learning process. The development of ETSApp can meet the learning needs based on the Education 4.0, which adapts technology in a more flexible and interactive teaching and learning process, in addition to being an innovative step in preparing children to face emerging challenges.

Automated summary

The rising development in information and communication technology has led to the emergence of new interface designs to meet user interaction needs. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the ETSApp learning application through user performance and experience. The observation results show positive interaction between users and the application, and the user surveys also indicate a positive response.