Duolingo (Student Example)
Potential Uses (How do you use it now or how might you use it in the future?)
Duolingo is a language learning platform that currently teaches 23 different languages with English as the language of instruction. The app is very interactive and guides its user through a range of categories including phrases, weather, and food. The app is designed as a game, allowing users to earn badges and advance levels by completing mini lessons. As an educator, consistent use of this app can help improve language skills and provide stronger communication with ELL students. Duolingo now offers "Duolingo Classroom". A language educator could use this program to design their own lessons and assignments for students. Parents could also use the Duolingo Kids app to support language learning at home.
User interface (UI) Reflection
Duolingo has multiple interfaces including, Duolingo, Duolingo Kids, and Duolingo Classroom. The app allows users to organize the game-based lessons in different courses which means that they can learn more than one language at a time. The app also features a calendar that will track lesson completion and earn points for "streaks" by daily activity on the app. Duolingo Kids is meant to engage young learners with a simpler design but equally interactive games. In this app, users earn "crowns" to complete more levels which can be motivating. The classroom interface is meant to be used by educators, they can design lessons, schedule assignments, and check for student account activity. This interface has been useful during distance-learning because it gives educators a way to monitor student progress outside of the classroom.
User Experience (UX) Reflection
This app is very easy to navigate and customize. The lessons are short and rewarding and Duolingo saves each game to exactly where the user left off. Each lesson is based on one subject and features visual and audio components that engage players to read and speak the language they are learning. The lessons build on each other and use repetition to help users increase their practice in forming sentences and speaking the new language. The simplicity of Duolingo makes learning a language less intimidating than other methods and the quick games, crowns, and level completion make it satisfying. Duolingo Kids is safe for young learners, kids can enjoy screen time and parents can be comfortable that they are engaging in something educational. Duolingo Classroom is a great way for educators to integrate technology into language classes and they can provide structure and alignment with the language course by choosing the assignments that students need to focus on and posting them to the online dashboard. This interface allows students to practice learning a language independently and at their own pace compared to classroom quizzes, tests and lessons that are time sensitive.
Digital Wellness Considerations
As an educational app, I think Duolingo is generally a very positive experience for most users. Its game-like features make screen time fun but also productive. Like most games, the levels become more challenging as they get closer to being completed. This "level-up" aspect of Duolingo can be motivating for users and can influence the time spent on the app. Another positive attribute of this app is that it is not mindless, users may reach their limit on the amount of new words or phrases they feel they can retain for the day and that leads to natural break from use. I think the Classroom version of this program is a positive way to support language learning and technology for students. Educators can find a healthy way to balance lecture with the interactive lessons that Duolingo offers.
Thoughts on Accessibility (more to come on this topic next week)
Duolingo has a free version of this app that can be accessed on a smartphone or other digital devices. Although the free version makes the app more accessible, there is an increasing number of advertisements that pop-up during the game. These ads can be distracting and confusing for some users as they navigate the game. Users may purchase the ad free version, Duolingo Plus, for a monthly payment, but the price limits who can access this version of the app. Currently, Duolingo does not offer features for language learners with disabilities which can also be limiting to use in language classes where student's experience with technology and learning abilities vary.
Applications to Practice: How might being aware of design (UI & UX) and wellness considerations benefit you as a future teacher?
I think that integrating technology in the classroom should be a positive experience for all students and that means that I need to consider the ways that (UI) & (UX) influence how students learn and interact with digital resources. It will be most effective to introduce technology assignments after I have gotten to know the identities, and abilities of students. The next step will be to explore resources that meet the needs of every student and be prepared to support their unique experiences. As an educator, I need to be mindful of my own relationship with technology and acknowledge the ways that design can be positive or negative to digital wellness.