Ringer i vann. Fleksibel læring - Kvalitetsreformen i praksis

Trivial Corpus Pursuit:
An Online Game that Facilitates Autonomous Learning

Signe Oksefjell Ebeling

Abstract

Trivial Corpus Pursuit (TCP), developed at the University of Oslo in 2005–2006 with funding from “Fleksibel læring”, is a data-driven mind game available to English language students on the web. The aim is to involve students more actively in their learning process by offering them a game where they have to be language researchers in order to win. The questions in TCP are taken from familiar grammar topics and all questions can be answered by consulting a readily available corpus. A corpus is a searchable collection of electronically stored authentic data and is an invaluable tool in modern language studies.

By accessing TCP, students can explore the use of corpora in a simple search environment. In addition to knowing how to use a corpus, students also need grammatical knowledge in order to answer the questions correctly.

This paper gives a description of TCP and how corpora can also be introduced to students at a lower level of study. Pedagogical advantages and challenges are important issues when introducing information- and communications technology (ICT) to students; these will also be addressed in the present article. Further, this interactive learning environment is discussed in light of technological innovations and challenges that emerged during the development of TCP.

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