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The introduction of mobile devices such as smartphones provides new opportunities to enhance the teaching–learning process of a foreign language. However, its use can affect not only the students’ type and form of writing but also their ability to achieve the academic competencies targeted. Thus, aspects such as the development of linguistic and communicative competencies could be affected. In this paper, a comparative analysis of two different versions (a paper and a digital version) of the same learning task is carried out in order to analyze the impact of each on the development of students’ linguistic and communicative competencies. The study is conducted with undergraduate students enrolled in a course called German II. Modern Language I (level A1.2, Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). The results obtained illustrate, on the one hand, the advantages of the paper version for developing students’ linguistic competence and, on the other hand, that the digital version, despite facilitating students’ interaction amongst each other, does not seem to be more suitable for developing students’ communicative competence. Future studies will, therefore, focus on identifying those features that might increase the potential of the digital version for fostering the targeted competencies.

This paper presents a multi-user mobile learning system—specifically designed to enhance collaborative language learning through mobile devices. The system delivers an app version of a paper-based learning task, called Terminkalender, which has successfully been used for several years with students from an A1-level German language course (CEFR). The learning task requires students to interact with each other via text messages in order to jointly plan different activities and record them in an appointment calendar. While the paper-based version already had a great potential for engaging students to interact in the target language, the app not only facilitates students’ interaction, but also allows teachers to easily trace back and analyse learners’ interaction. To this end, specific software implementing several features was developed: a web-based platform for system administration, an in-app text chat function, real-time feedback on learner performance as well as a log function for storage and assessment of learners’ interaction. The experiment sheds some light on the potential of the designed system for analysing learners’ behaviour and interaction patterns as well as assessing different indicators with regard to the student use and competencies in the target language.

Resumen basado en el de la publicación Título, resumen y palabras clave también en inglés Monográfico con el título: “La integración efectiva del dispositivo móvil en la educación y en el aprendizaje" Se presenta un sistema multiusuario específicamente diseñado para facilitar el aprendizaje colaborativo de idiomas a través de dispositivos móviles. El sistema facilita una versión móvil que implementa una tarea de aprendizaje, llamada Terminkalender, que fue diseñada inicialmente para ser realizada en soporte papel y que se usó con éxito durante varios años con estudiantes del nivel A1 de alemán según el Marco Común Europeo de Referencia para las Lenguas (MCERL). Dicha tarea requiere que los estudiantes intercambien mensajes escritos a fin de planificar y anotar en un calendario personal una serie de citas para actividades. Para ello se ha implementado un conjunto de elementos software que incluye: un portal web, un chat para la comunicación textual, un servicio de retroalimentación en tiempo real y una herramienta para registrar las interacciones entre los usuarios. La experiencia presentada permite estimar el potencial que tiene el sistema para analizar el comportamiento de los usuarios y sus patrones de interacción, así como para evaluar diferentes indicadores de rendimiento relacionados con el uso y las competencias en lengua meta. ESP

The growing spread of mobile technologies provides educators and developers with new opportunities for creating a wider range of language learning and assessment tools. In this paper we present a multi-user mobile learning system---specifically designed for this study. The system delivers an app version of a paper-based collaborative learning task successfully used for several years with undergraduate students in an A1-level German language course (CEFR). The collaborative learning task, called Terminkalender, requires students to work together to plan different activities and record them in an appointment calendar. While the paper-based version of the Terminkalender already had a great potential for engaging students to communicate and negotiate in the target language, the app-based mobile learning system facilitates students' language learning process---while at the same time allowing teachers to easily trace back learners' interaction in the target language. To this end, specific software implementing several features was developed: a user-friendly web portal interface for teachers, computer-generated anonymous learner identities, an in-app text chat function, real-time task performance feedback to learners as well as a log function for storage and assessment purposes. The experiment provides us with some interesting insights into language learner behaviour and interaction patterns, allowing to draw a number of preliminary conclusions regarding how task design and using a collaborative mobile learning system impacts both student interaction and task performance.

Current society demands the construction of systems that provide support for cooperative work (CSCW). However, the inherent complexity of this kind of systems hinders the specification of the real requirements, as well as the quick and cheap development. To analyze, design and develop systematically these systems, our research group has created a methodology called AMENITIES. We found similar scenarios in the conceptual modeling of a system that are repeatedly modeled. This paper shows the application of software patterns which capture these common situations, improving and facilitating the conceptual modeling (conceptual patterns) of cooperative systems with AMENITIES. For that purpose, we define a UML profile that facilitates the representation of these patterns. Using a uniform template, we describe and model two examples of patterns which can be used in different stages of the methodology.

In this chapter, we present a method for applying gamification as a tool to improve the participation and motivation of people in performing different tasks. We analyse what are the psychological and social motivations of human beings and what game mechanics can help to satisfy these needs. In the same way, we propose a method for analysing the effectiveness of gamification based on a quality service model and the metrics associated with the properties of the playability as a measure of fun induced by the process of gamification.

In this paper we present a method for analysis and application of gamification as a tool to assist the participation and motivation of people in carrying out various tasks and activities. We analyze what are the psychological and social motivations of human beings, and how game mechanics can help when it comes to satisfy these needs. Likewise, it is proposed a method for analyzing the effectiveness of gamification based on a quality service model and the metrics associated with the properties of the playability as a measure of fun induced by the process of gamification.

In this paper, we develop a model to measure the effects of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on the labor market, aiming to settle down its net effect on employment creation. The main findings are: 1) Related with the sector services, where the regions with worse evolution of the industrial employment showed growth in the information society sector services, being it intensive in technology, and a certain negative incidence employment growth in the sector services in general and in the industrial one, 2) Related with the ICT, where two variables have a negative effect on the employment growth: the extranet and the own wireless net. This negative incidence has its base on the positive relationship between productivity and technology. This way, the ICT integration into the industry causes smaller new workers needs. 3) A second group of estimates highlights some of the factors that have influenced the recent industry evolution. The most prominent effect is the incidence of the ICT on the added value. The regions where there is more penetration of the ICT are the ones having bigger industry relevance in the Spanish economy. 4) In addition, the difficulties to find ICT skilled workers specialist is a factor that hinders the added value growth. These results reveal the need of a public policy favoring the skilled labor and the company’s technological advances. The conjunction of both factors will improve the industry long-term benefits. 5) A last effects group reveals that regions with bigger industrial production growth have also a bigger growth of the employment in the services sector.

A key aspect for the development of CSCW systems is the previous study of the social organization of the members that participate in the collaborative process. Organizations have static and dynamic aspects that are relevant to identify in order to predict the group behaviour, such as changes in member roles. Modelling the organizational structure facilitates the precise description of the responsibilities of each member and the dependences among them, guiding the software analysis and design. This paper proposes the definition and application of organizational patterns to improve the organization modelling. This technique is incorporated in AMENITIES, a complete methodology, developed in our research group, for analysis and design of cooperative systems.

Systems for cooperative design are inherently complex and their development requires specific methods and modelling techniques with capacity to accurately specify their requirements. This paper presents the importance of social organization modelling of cooperative processes to describe more precisely the responsibilities to be assigned to each member and, therefore, guide the software analysis and design. Organizations have static and dynamic aspects that are relevant to identify in order to predict the group behaviour such as changes in member roles. This paper proposes a pattern-based approach to describe and identify these organizational structures. This method is incorporated in AMENITIES, a complete methodology for collaborative systems design developed in our research group.

In the context of European Higher Education students face an increasing focus on independent, individual learning—at the expense of face-to-face interaction. Hence learners are, all too often, not provided with enough opportunities to negotiate in the target language. The current case study aims to address this reality by going beyond conventional approaches to provide students with a hybrid game-based app, combining individual and collaborative learning opportunities. The 4-week study was carried out with 104 German language students (A1.2 CEFR) who had previously been enrolled in a first-semester A1.1 level course at a Spanish university. The VocabTrainerA1 app—designed specifically for this study—harnesses the synergy of combining individual learning tasks and a collaborative murder mystery game in a hybrid level-based architecture. By doing so, the app provides learners with opportunities to apply their language skills to real-life-like communication. The purpose of the study was twofold: on one hand we aimed to measure learner motivation, perceived usefulness and added value of hybrid game-based apps; on the other, we sought to determine their impact on language learning. To this end, we conducted focus group interviews and an anonymous Technology Acceptance Model survey (TAM). In addition, students took a pre-test and a post-test. Scores from both tests were compared with the results obtained in first-semester conventional writing tasks, with a view to measure learning outcomes. The study provides qualitative and quantitative data supporting our initial hypotheses. Our findings suggest that hybrid game-based apps like VocabTrainerA1—which seamlessly combine individual and collaborative learning tasks—motivate learners, stimulate perceived usefulness and added value, and better meet the language learning needs of today’s digital natives. In terms of acceptance, outcomes and sustainability, the data indicate that hybrid game-based apps significantly improve proficiency, hence are indeed, effective tools for enhanced language learning.