Empowering English Language Learners Through Human - Centered Design: A Case Study on Developing English Skills Through Local Wisdom Innovation
Keywords:
Human-Centered Design (HCD), Local Wisdom Innovation, English Language Learning, Creativity and Innovation in Education, Student-Centered LearningAbstract
This study aims to investigate the efficacy of integrating human-centered design (HCD) principles and local wisdom innovation into English language education to empower learners to develop English skills. The primary objectives are to evaluate the impact of HCD principles on students' English language proficiency, assess the effectiveness of incorporating Local Wisdom Innovation in enhancing cultural relevance and real-life applicability of language learning, and determine the combined effect of HCD and Local Wisdom Innovation on fostering students' creativity, innovation, and problem-solving abilities. Grounded in principles of empathy, collaboration, and iteration, HCD prioritizes the needs, experiences, and perspectives of learners in designing language learning experiences. Additionally, Local Wisdom Innovation integrates traditional wisdom and local knowledge into language learning solutions, incorporating cultural contexts and real-life scenarios. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, including pre- and post-intervention language proficiency assessments and rubric-based evaluations of HCD principles, creativity, innovation, and English language proficiency. The study participants were 42 lower secondary school students. Results indicate significant improvements in students' language proficiency and HCD competencies following the intervention. Specifically, students demonstrated enhanced listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, as well as increased creativity, innovation, and problem-solving abilities. The findings suggest that integrating HCD and Local Wisdom Innovation into English language education can effectively empower learners to develop English skills while fostering creativity and cultural awareness. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on innovative approaches to language education and underscores the importance of learner-centered pedagogies in promoting language learning outcomes. Implications for practice include the adoption of HCD principles and Local Wisdom Innovation in language teaching to enhance student engagement, motivation, and proficiency.
References
Agarwal, J., & Dhar, V. (2014). Big data, data science, and analytics: The opportunity and challenge for IS research. Information Systems Research, 25(3), 443-448.
Anderson, L. W. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Longman.
Boud, D. (2013). Enhancing Learning Through Self-Assessment. Routledge.
Brown, T. (2008). Design thinking. Harvard Business Review, 86, 84-92, 141.
Brown, T., & Wyatt, J. (2010). Design thinking for social innovation. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 8(1), 30-35.
Buchanan, R. (2001). Design research and the new learning. Design Issues, 17(4), 3-23.
Byrnes, H. (2001). Learning foreign and second languages: Perspectives in research and scholarship. Modern Language Journal, 85(2), 311-312.
Chang, H., & Ngunjiri, F. W. (2016). Collaborative indigenous inquiry: A decolonizing strategy for social work research. Qualitative Social Work, 15(1), 19-36.
Council of Europe. (2018). Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture. Council of Europe.
Correa, M. (2011). Advocating for critical pedagogical approaches to teaching English as a foreign language: The case of a university in Venezuela. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 9(2).
Dorst, K. (2011). The core of 'design thinking' and its application. Design Studies, 32(6), 521-532.
Ennis, R. H. (1985). A logical basis for measuring critical thinking skills. Educational Leadership, 43(2), 44-48.
Garcia, E., & Martinez, F. (2020). Co-design workshops in language learning: Motivation and engagement among learners. Journal of Applied Linguistics, 25(4), 78-92.
Garrett-Rucks, P. (2013). A discussion-based online approach to fostering deep cultural inquiry in an introductory language course. Foreign Language Annals, 46(2), 191-212. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12026
Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2), 106-116.
Gegeo, D. W. (1998). Indigenous knowledge and empowerment: Rural development examined from within. The Contemporary Pacific, 10(2), 289-315.
Goh, C., & Kwok, W. (2015). Teaching English Language Learners: A Guide for Teachers. World Scientific.
Heath, S. B. (1983). Ways with Words: Language, Life, and Work in Communities and Classrooms. Cambridge University Press.
Hornberger, N. H. (2008). Introduction: Language policy, language education, language rights: Indigenous, immigrant, and international perspectives.
IDEO.org. (2015). The field guide to human-centered design (1st ed.). IDEO.org.
Jones, B., & Lee, C. (2019). Impact of curriculum redesign using human-centered design in language learning programs: A longitudinal study. Language Education Research, 15(3), 221-235.
Kapur, M., & Sriprakash, A. (2018). The weight of the "local" in the global knowledge economy. Comparative Education Review, 62(3), 336-363.
Kelley, D., & Kelley, T. (2013). Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All. Crown Business.
Kim, D., et al. (2017). Usability study of online language learning platforms designed with human-centered design principles. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 35(2), 123-135.
Koh, T. S., & Lim, J. M. (2015). Teaching local culture in ESL classrooms. English Language Teaching, 8(1), 142-149.
Kolko, J. (2015). Design thinking comes of age. Harvard Business Review, 93(9), 66-71.
Larmer, J., & Mergendoller, J. R. (2010). Project-based learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(1), 36-43.
Levy, M. (2009). Technologies in use for second language learning. Modern Language Journal, 93(1), 769-782.
Lytle, S. L. (2013). Place-based education: Promises and possibilities. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(8), 20-25.
Mala, D. (2018). Thai English proficiency drops. Bangkok Post. https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1570042/thai-english-proficiency-drops
McCarty, T. L. (2011). Language planning and policy. In B. Spolsky & F. M. Hult (Eds.), The handbook of educational linguistics (pp. 103-117). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Ministry of Education. (2012). The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Ministry of Education, Thailand.
Mohammadnejad, S. (2012). Reactivating EFL learners' word knowledge by means. International Journal of Linguistics, 4, 394.
Nelson, H. G., & Stolterman, E. (2012). The Design Way: Intentional Change in an Unpredictable World. MIT Press.
Nguyen, H. T. (2010). The role of cultural content in foreign language teaching. English Language Teaching, 3(2), 97-104.
Norman, D. A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition. Basic Books.
Norris, J. M., & Ennis, R. H. (1989). Evaluating Critical Thinking. Midwest Publications.
Norris, S. P. (2016). Teaching Students to Think Critically about Reading. International Reading Association.
Nunan, D. (2003). Practical English Language Teaching. McGraw-Hill.
Patton, M. Q. (2008). Utilization-Focused Evaluation. Sage.
Ricento, T. (2013). Language policy: Theory and practice. In C. A. Chapelle (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. Wiley-Blackwell.
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Roberts, J. M. (2014). Environmental education in the English language teaching classroom: A Vietnamese perspective. TESOL Journal, 5(3), 466-493.
Sanders, E. B. N., & Stappers, P. J. (2008). Co-creation and the new landscapes of design. CoDesign, 4(1), 5-18.
Skutnabb-Kangas, T. (2000). Linguistic Genocide in Education--or Worldwide Diversity and Human Rights? Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Smith, A., Jones, B., & Johnson, C. (2018). Enhancing language learning apps through human-centered design: A user feedback approach. Journal of Educational Technology, 10(2), 45-58.
Suyanto, K. (2018). The integration of local wisdom in teaching English for young learners. Journal of English Teaching, 4(1), 75-85.
Swain, M. (2013). The inseparability of cognition and emotion in second language learning. Language Teaching, 46(2), 195-207.
Tanaka, S., et al. (2018). Sustainability of human-centered design-based language learning programs: A community engagement perspective. Journal of Language and Culture, 20(4), 189-204.
Tollefson, J. W. (2006). Language Policy in Schools: A Resource for Teachers and Administrators. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Wang, Y., & Liu, Z. (2020). Meta-analysis of human-centered design interventions in language education: A systematic review. Language Teaching Research, 18(3), 321-335.
Warschauer, M., & Healey, D. (1998). Computers and language learning: An overview. Language Teaching, 31(2), 57-71.
Wiley, T. G. (2017). Language Policy Research in the United States: A History of Contested Territory. Routledge.
Yamada, M. (2010). Reconsidering critical thinking in foreign language education. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, 7(3), 221-246.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
