Date of Graduation
8-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction (PhD)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Curriculum and Instruction
Advisor/Mentor
Bowles, Freddie A.
Committee Member
Endacott, Jason L.
Second Committee Member
Connors, Sean P.
Keywords
Smartphones; Mobile devices; Hypercasual game; Mediated action; Agents; Affordances; Constraints; Mastery; Appropriation; Cultural tool; English vocabulary; U.S. culture; International students; Culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Phenomenological study; Qualitative research
Abstract
The use of smartphones in everyday settings is widespread, and people around the world use smartphones not only for making phone calls and sending text messages but also as a tool for searching for information and playing smartphone games during their free time. Since people around the world have easy access to smartphones regardless of their physical locations, smartphones can function as a tool for learning purposes, and playing games for learning purposes also supports the students to learn information in less stressful settings since playing games is predominantly for entertainment. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study in mediated action aimed to investigate the overall experiences of playing a smartphone hypercasual game as a means of practicing English vocabulary and learning about the United States culture for international students who have culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This research also explored the affordances or benefits and the constraints or challenges of practicing English vocabulary and learning about the United States culture. This study had a total of seven agents or participants for data collection, using cultural tools or research instruments, including a smartphone hypercasual game named Text or Die, three-phase interview questionnaires, and observation field notes to reflect the research questions. The findings of this study revealed that the hypercasual gameplay facilitated the agents to practice recalling vocabulary, repeating English vocabulary spelling practices. In addition, the auto-correcting spelling function from the game stimulated the agents’ or the participants’ English vocabulary practices. In addition, the findings of this study also illustrated that the broad categories of questions supported the agents in obtaining information regarding the United States culture. The constraints or the challenges of this study suggested that advertisement displays while playing the game interrupted the agents’ playtime in Text or Die, and the lack of background information on certain question categories was a barrier to playing the cultural tool smoothly. To sum up, this qualitative phenomenological study in mediated action illustrated the potential of using a hypercasual game as a learning tool to support international students in practicing their English vocabulary and learning about the United States culture during hypercasual gameplay while using their smartphones in everyday settings. Keywords: smartphones, mobile devices, hypercasual game, mediated action, agents, affordances, constraints, mastery, appropriation, cultural tool, English vocabulary, the U.S. culture, international students, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, phenomenological study, qualitative research
Citation
Hwang, S. (2024). Smartphone Gaming and International Students: Exploring the Experiences of Hypercasual Gameplay for Practicing English Vocabulary and Learning about the United States Culture in Mediated Action. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/5510
