The effectiveness of adaptive computer use for learning vocabulary

Do language learners benefit from an adaptive computer application that can provide appropriate learning materials according to their learning styles? In the field of second language acquisition, it has been advocated that the match between learning styles and material presentations is necessary for successful language learning. Most commercial software for language learning, however, works the same for all users, and it is very rare to see an adaptive feature in computerized language learning materials. Moreover, there has been little research on the computer applications that employ learning styles for language learning, and it is not yet clear whether the adaptive use of computers according to learning styles is effective. In order to investigate this issue, a computer application embedded with two types of learning-style based materials for English vocabulary learning was created, and a total of 145 Japanese university students participated in the study. After being judged on their learning material preferences through questionnaires, half of the participants received computerized vocabulary instruction based on their learning preferences (a matched group), and the other half were assigned vocabulary instruction that was not suited for their learning preferences (a non-matched group). Both groups studied the same twelve academic words in the computer application, and were tested on their vocabulary achievement soon after the treatment and one week after the treatment. By comparing the results of the two groups, the effectiveness of computerized material adjustments according to learning styles was examined. Contrary to the initial expectation, the results showed no significant differences on vocabulary achievement between the matched and non-matched groups in both materials. Also, there were no significant differences on the learning behavior between the two groups. These results indicated that the learning-style based matching was not effective and did not create a better learning environment for the Japanese participants in the matched groups. However, it was found that both of the materials which included various learning-style elements were suitable for most of the participants, and facilitated their vocabulary retention rates regardless of their preferences. Based on these findings, implications for computerized teaching materials and suggestions for further research were considered.