A comparison of flow state markers experienced across AR, game-based, and analog deliberate vocabulary study activities

Abstract

Flow is described as a state in which people become so involved or engrossed in an activity that nothing else seems to matter (Csikszentmihalyi, 2009). This state of consciousness seems to occur when a person is involved in a task and seemingly unable to stop. Flow states are marked by (a) a perceived balance of skills and challenge, (b) opportunities for intense concentration, (c) clear task goals, (d) feedback that one is succeeding at the task, (e) a sense of control, (f) a lack of self-consciousness, and (g) the perception that time passes more quickly (Egbert, 2003). The Japanese Flow State Scale (JFSS) is an instrument which was created specifically to measure flow states experienced during deliberate vocabulary study and is a working component of the first author's Doctor of Philosophy research project, which focuses on the deliberate study of vocabulary with augmented reality (AR) and physical word cards. Analyses with mixed effects models indicated that statistically significant differences in markers of states of flow elicited with the JFSS of 179 L1 Japanese participants on the basis of four deliberate vocabulary study activities (AR, word card study, Quizlet live, and intensive reading) appear to exist.

Keywords

• augmented reality
• flow
• intensive reading
• word cards
• game-based learning