The TEFLON studies in Oslo, Norway, focus on investigating how gaming interventions affect immigrant children’s development and language learning. We have recently launched data collection at schools in Oslo and surrounding communities. The study is being coordinated by the doctoral researcher Anne Marte Haug Olstad.
We are inviting pupils at so-called Welcome Classes (Velkomstklasser / Mottaksklasser) to participate in the study. Pupils in these classes have recently arrived in Norway, have varying language backgrounds, and are in the early phases of learning Norwegian.
Within this study, the kids get a chance to play educational games, such as our recently developed language learning game “Pop2Talk Norwegian” and the “Dragonbox” maths game (https://dragonbox.com/). They get to play the games 4-5 times per week for 4 weeks during school hours.
Photo credit: Anna Smolander
For the research, we are testing children’s language and cognitive skills and how playing the games may help their learning and skill development. The testing is currently being conducted at the schools. We are also planning to invite some pupils to take part in an EEG experiment and measure how children’s brain responses are affected by the learning. This study will take place at the Socio-Cognitive Laboratory at University of Oslo in Blindern.
We are thankful to all the participants as well as the engaged teachers in these classes for making this research possible!