Improving the mCSCL Approach of a Mobile Chinese Character Forming Game via a Design-based Research Cycle

We describe one cycle of design-based research (DBR) in which we explore mCSCL through an iterative process of (re)designing and testing the learning approach with students. The mCSCL application assigns each student a component of a Chinese character and requires them to spontaneously form groups that can assemble a Chinese character. We observe the enactment of the learning design in two modes (with and without the ICT), and found the students favor the card mode over the phone mode due to their emergent trial-and- error strategy. That triggered us to examine the scaffolding strategies by exploring domain- oriented theories to inform us in deciding how we should accommodate their use of the strategy. This cycle of DBR has reshaped our learning design. This paper brings to the fore the value of the interplay of theories, implementations and reflections as advocated by DBR.

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