The use of immersive 360° videos for foreign language learning: a study on usage and efficacy among high-school students

The large-scale diffusion of tablets and smartphones in the last decades offered new opportunities to broaden educational strategies. In particular, the Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) emerged as a promising approach leveraging the widespread availability of portable devices. In this study we investigated the feasibility and efficacy of a self-administered MALL homework training based on immersive 360 degrees videos, compared to a training based on not-immersive standard videos showing the same visual content and enriched by an auditory description of the environment. The knowledge of target words was assessed before and after the training. In addition, students' attitudes toward the technology were assessed before the training. Results indicated that students with a more positive attitude toward technology watched the videos more than those with a less positive attitude. Furthermore, students who underwent the training with 360 degrees videos learned more words than students belonging to the control group, even after controlling for the number of videos views.

Automated summary

The widespread use of tablets and smartphones has opened up new opportunities for educational strategies, including Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL). This study examined the feasibility and effectiveness of a self-administered MALL homework training using immersive 360 degrees videos, compared to a training using standard videos. Results showed that students with a positive attitude towards technology watched more videos and those who underwent the training with 360 degrees videos learned more words.