Using a Game-Based Mobile Application to Learn Medical Academic Vocabulary

Gamification and game-based applications (apps) have been widely applied in education and have shown positive results. Nevertheless, empirical studies examining the use of gamebased mobile applications (GBMAs) in medical vocabulary learning are scarce. Additionally, although the importance of ESP vocabulary has been emphasized, little is known about how mobile devices could be applied in ESP vocabulary learning. The researchers of the study developed a GBMA, OTouch, for learning medical academic vocabulary and investigated how 30 learners from a College of Medicine in Taiwan improved their medical academic vocabulary after using the app, and their attitudes towards it. Multiple sources of data were collected to investigate how OTouch affected their vocabulary learning, including a pre-test, post-test and delayed post-test on the medical academic vocabulary, two questionnaires, and follow-up interviews. Results showed that OTouch brought learning gains in medical academic vocabulary, and the learners generally had positive attitudes toward the use of mobile devices for learning ESP vocabulary.