Abstract:

“Duolingo" is a prominent digital tool where learning various languages for free is made accessible. Studies involving Duolingo have provided an overarching idea of how students learn languages in a classroom context. However, what is a primary school language teacher's perspectives and a learning game designer as they critique and learn through playing Duolingo? It is crucial to comprehend the differences between stakeholders of an educational/learning game to conceptualize Duolingo design and gamification strategies. An individual audio-visual session (Zoom online) with participants is designed to critique Duolingo’s teaching and adapting abilities. The designed criteria are analyzed theoretically with Kolb Experiential Learning Model and andragogy principles to understand the researchers' reflective experiences. With the interpretivism paradigm and hermeneutic approach, each session was audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed through NVivo (triangulation principle applied). Lastly, emerging themes reveal distinctive perspectives of Duolingo and its gamification strategies are worth noting. Concluding remarks point to the roles of teachers and learning game designers in the gaming designing industry.

Keywords:

Duolingo, Experiential learning, andragogy, engagement, motivation, teachers, learning game designer