Summary

Professor Elizabeth Augspach (Spanish and Portuguese) conceived of ¡Cómete el coco!, a mobile game that would provide her Intermediate Spanish students with fun, engaging ways to practice grammar topics. Students access the game via their phones, and challenge fellow students to grammar challenges that allow for socially-enhanced, informal language learning.

Learning objectives

• Bridge informal and formal language acquisition through mobile learning
• Increase engagement as students learn requisite grammar
• Allow for socially-enhanced ways to review in-class material

Created in partnership with NYU IT, the ¡Cómete el coco! game is meant to foster collaborative, engaging ways to learn and review grammar.  Professor Augspach sought ways to make grammar more fun, and incentivize students to review more outside of class time.

Student experience

• Engage with game outside of class to review and learn grammar
• Challenge other students as they have low-stakes, fun competitions between their peers

Technology resources

• Custom ¡Cómete el coco! mobile game
• Students’ own mobile devices

Outcomes

• Students have increased opportunities for learning and reviewing grammar
• In class and out-of-class learning is connected better
• Students increase engagement with a fun context for practicing grammar.  The element of friendly, low-stakes competition amongst peers increases engagement