Exploring the possibilities of CoSpaces to create Virtual Reality environments for foreign language learning

Abstract

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has presented teachers with new challenges, high- lighting the need for innovation, renovation, and increased digitisation across all areas of education, including foreign language learning. At the same time, the increasing advances in Extended Reality (XR) together with the availability of authoring tools have created new opportunities to support the teaching/learning process. However, research suggests that many educators are still reluctant to integrate such technologies into their teaching syllabus. In this context and with the idea of encouraging especially language teachers at A1/A2 level to explore the possibilities of creating novel learning environments using technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), in the current study we will share our experience regarding the use of authoring tools and the design and implementation of a VR language learning app created with CoSpaces. The latter is a freely available authoring tool which allows teachers with no specific programming skills to easily create VR environments in line with their teaching needs. The study consists of two main parts: the first focuses on describing CoSpaces as an authoring tool and our expe- rience as developers of a VR app. The second shows the tool’s functioning and offers those unfamiliar with it a short introduction. It concludes with evaluating the app’s implementation and analysing teachers' and students' feedback.