ABSTRACT
Touchscreen devices connected to the internet such as mobile phones and tablets are ubiquitous, and so are the pictures taken, shared, and watched with these devices. This chapter demonstrates how to design a ubiquitous digital learning environment for task-based language and literacy promotion. The open educational web resource DAZonline is the first digital learning environment that implements many aspects and features of children’s daily interactions fostering language learning. Two further aspects make DAZonline unique: First, Web 2.0 technology enables parents and teachers to create personalized content for task-based language learning. Second, the resulting gallery of annotated interactive pictures is a great resource for both highly variable language and repetition of language forms and non-verbal contexts. This makes DAZonline well suited for cross-situational language learning – particularly when combined with adaptive learning algorithms. The chapter summarizes the scientific background of the application as well as its design principles. The chapter concludes by suggesting that annotated interactive pictures (called Lernbild) might outperform joint book reading in promoting language and literacy development in the future. They might be particularly valuable for language promotion programs for children of parents with low reading skills when adaptive filters and recommendation algorithms are implemented.
