Group 5: Úrsula Calvo, Alicia Barrionuevo, Emma Hilari, Carla Vergara & Bet Passola

GOOGLE CARDBOARD

DESCRIPTION

Description: Google Cardboard Augmented Reality glasses are an easy, affordable and sustainable way to use AR in the classrooms. 

The aim is that students engage in the language through experimenting with technology. 

The activity will develop inside a learning situation or project in which the students will be learning about how to make descriptions outside the ‘typical topics’ which are personal descriptions. With the help of AR (Google Glasses) and the scaffolding materials provided by the teacher (tree diagram, see annex 1, and flashcards, see annex 2), students will learn about different description structures, previously by creating their own tree diagrams by small groups that they will later test on their classmates from other groups. 

CONTEXTUALIZATION 

Target age: 4th grade

Target language level: A1 Level - Can give information in writing about matters of personal relevance.

Location: In the classroom (indoor space) 

Context: The students are in a 4th grade classroom, with an A1 English level. For this activity, students are going to use Google Cardboard headsets and different 360-degree videos with different landscapes (e.g., mountains, forests, jungle, and cities). In groups of 2-3, depending on students' needs, they will be able to take turns watching the videos, which show different landscapes from around the world. 

After the “Guess where I am” activity, students will work on describing the landscapes they observed.

LESSON AIMS & LESSON PLAN

Specific Competences (minimum 2) CEFR

• Specific Competence 2. Written production 

• Specific Competence 5. Communicative language competence

• Digital competence

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Learn and apply the structure of a description in order to develop descriptive writing skills through an immersive experience

→ Specific Competence 2 and Specific Competence 5

To create a ‘Guess where I am’ game using description structure in order to test their classmates. 

→ Specific Competence 2 and Digital Competence

MATERIALS

• Google Cardboard

• YouTube videos

• Help material (diagram &  location flashcards)

PREPARATION BEFORE THE LESSON

There is no before class preparation for students. 

ACTIVITY AND PLANNING

Pre-task: Students will work in groups of two or three students. They have to select 4 videos, linked to their interests or topic worked in class. Then create a Tree diagram using description structure. Moreover, they will have to be familiarized with Google Cardboard.  

Main-task: In the same groups, students will be able to play ‘Guess where I am’. 

Final-task: In groups or individually, students have to write the description of the landscapes that appeared in the game. 

MATERIALS

Annex 3. Links videos (Google Glasses)

FEEDBACK & IMPROVEMENTS

After presenting our proposal in front of the class, we collected the most interesting feedback and made some small changes or clarifications that would improve the activity in application. 

Peer's feedback:

• "Great point to explain a little bit about the source, context and lesson. Good output!"

• "Amazing AR, kids will find it interesting. Love the tool and very well prepared presentation and scaffolding"

• "Students can practice their oral and writen skills in english"

• "Very well explained and many examples to try out. Has a got an output"

• "Very interactive and dynamic and it is easy to follow for students all grades. Despite this, students can get dizzy while playing"

• "I really liked the idea of creating thiee own mindmap". 

• "It is an innovative tool with fun interaction but can make you dizzy"

• "Descriptos at AI are difficult and spontaneus. Warn the students about getting dizzy. Provide the students who is asking with a cheatsheet of questions. Perhaps come up wtih more talking task in case they guess the scenario very quickly. Very motivating. In one word: exciting. Well done! "

Improvements

We have observed that this activity has made some of our classmates dizzy. In this case, we have come up with a solution by changing the 360 videos, which can be too much, for normal videos that the students will be used to and will not suffer from dizziness. 

We also noticed that some groups were guessing very quickly and the activity was over in a matter of seconds. It is true that we start with simple and easy examples and we think that the students will elaborate more on their proposals. 

However, an extension activity that we have thought of is that instead of asking questions, we would make descriptions that must also be guessed.