A Game-based Learning App for Primary School Children with German as a Second Language

Abstract

The use of technology and multimedia is becoming increasingly important in today’s classrooms. Digital games are often used by teachers to complement traditional methods of instruction, even for primary school children aged between 6 and 10 years. Studies show that these games have positive effects on learning outcomes and increase the motivation of children. In this paper, we present a game-based learning application we developed for children in primary school with German as a second language. The web-based learning application provides different learning games that can be customized by teachers based on children’s needs. Reading and writing skills are not required to play the games. To increase the motivation of children, we integrated a reward system into the application, which can also be customized by teachers according to their needs. We have already used the learning application in two primary schools in Austria and the feedback we received was very positive.