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Article published In: Australian Review of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 44:3 (2021) ► pp.289–308

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Variation in experiencing boredom during self-directed learning in a virtual world

The case of one English major

ORCiD logo with link | University of Zielona Góra
Published online: 6 August 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.19050.kru
Abstract
The paper presents the results of a study that aimed to investigate fluctuations in the levels of boredom in the virtual world of Second Life (SL) and factors accounting for such changes as reported by a single student of English philology. The participant took part in 15 sessions over the period of one summer semester. The learner was free to explore the virtual world in question, and she self-directed her own learning there. Using data collected by means of a set of research instruments (i.e., a background questionnaire, the Learning Style Survey, a session log, and a semi-structured interview), the study found that the student’s experience of boredom was subject to some changes both in single sessions and from one visit to another. These fluctuations in boredom levels were affected by such factors as meeting the same interlocutors, scarcity of conversation topics, monotonous conversations, group chats or visits that the student perceived as not being beneficial for her language development.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1Boredom and its causes
    • 2.2Types of boredom
    • 2.3Virtual worlds
    • 2.4Language learners’ experience of boredom in traditional contextsand virtual worlds
  • 3.The study
    • 3.1Research questions
    • 3.2The student
    • 3.3Procedures, data collection and analysis
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Fluctuations in boredom levels during sessions
    • 4.2Variation in boredom levels from one session to another
    • 4.3Narratives
    • 4.4The interview
  • 5.Discussion and conclusions
  • Note
  • References
References (45)
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