A Voice-Enabled Game Based Learning Application using Amazon's Echo with Alexa Voice Service: A Game Regarding Geographic Facts About Austria and Europe

Abstract

An educational, interactive Amazon Alexa Skill called “Österreich und Europa Spiel / Austria and Europe Game” was developed at Graz University of Technology for a German as well as English speaking audience. This Skills intent is to assist learning geographic facts about Austria as well as Europe by interaction via voice controls with the device. The main research question was if an educational, interactive speech assistant application could be made in a way such that both under-age and full age subjects would be able to use it, enjoy the Game Based Learning experience overall and be assisted learning about the Geography of Austria and Europe. The Amazon Alexa Skill was tested for the first time in a class with 16 students at lower secondary school level. Two further tests were done with a total of five adult participants. After the tests the participants opinion was determined via a questionnaire. The evaluation of the tests suggests that the game indeed gives an additional motivational factor in learning Geography.