1 Current Research

1.1 Generative AI and Language Teaching

Since ChatGPT came out at the end of 2022, a lot of my research has shifted towards how generative AI can be used in language teaching and learning. My first piece on this topic was a short article for FLTMag on using ChatGPT to design language materials and exercises. Shortly after, Dr. Charlene Polio and I wrote a commentary for TASK where we discussed three issues that AI raises for task-based writing: authorship, authenticity and accuracy, and digital literacies. We argue that helping students understand these issues is now part of the language teacher’s job.

Dr. Matthew Coss and I then looked at whether ChatGPT could reliably score L2 writing samples using a rubric. We tested ten different prompting strategies and compared ChatGPT’s scores to the scores the writing samples had already received. The figure below shows how well each prompt lined up with the original scores. Our findings suggest that ChatGPT can be a useful tool for scoring writing, but only if the prompt is carefully designed. In other words, the devil is in the prompt(s).

Pearson Correlation and QWK for Each Prompt

I have also worked with Mireia Toda Cosi on a study where intermediate learners of Catalan completed conversational tasks with ChatGPT. We were interested in whether ChatGPT could be used as a conversation partner for learners of less commonly taught languages, and how the type of task and the proficiency level of the task affected the language that both the learners and ChatGPT produced. Along the same lines, Dr. Rajiv Ranjan and I wrote a chapter on what AI can and cannot do for learners of Hindi.

See the publications below for more information.

2023 – Poole, F., & Polio, C. From sci-fi to the classroom: Implications of AI in task-based writing. TASK, 3(2), 243-272.

2024 – Poole, F., & Coss, M. Can ChatGPT reliably and accurately apply a rubric to L2 writing assessments? The devil is in the prompt(s). Journal of Technology and Chinese Language Teaching, 15(1), 1-24.

2025 – Toda Cosi, M., & Poole, F. Enhancing linguistic interaction with ChatGPT: An exploratory study of proficiency-matching and ecological validity in less commonly taught languages. CALICO Journal, 42(3), 527-550.

2025 – Poole, F., & Toda Cosi, M. Generative AI in instructed SLA: Bridging AI literacies in L2 pedagogy. In Technology and Instructed Second Language Acquisition (pp. 163-184). John Benjamins.

2026 – Ranjan, R., & Poole, F. AI meets Hindi: Addressing linguistic and cultural gaps in ChatGPT. In Fighting Stigma and Discrimination in Minoritised Languages (pp. 209-231). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

1.2 Games and Play in Language Education

Games have been a big part of my research since I started my PhD. In 2021, Dr. James York, Dr. Jonathan deHaan, and I wrote an article for Foreign Language Annals arguing that most of the research on games and language learning leaves out the teacher. We proposed a new field that focuses on how teachers actually bring games and play into their classrooms, and that is open to all kinds of games, not just digital ones.

I have also written two systematic reviews on games in language learning. The first looked at digital games used in L2 research between 2012 and 2017, and the second looked at board games. More recently, Dr. Daniel Dixon and I wrote a chapter on the research methods commonly used in digital game studies for a methods book in applied linguistics. I have also written several practice-oriented pieces for Ludic Language Pedagogy and FLTMag. In my most recent FLTMag article I wrote about glossing tools for video games, and specifically a tool called Wisp (see below).

Wisp

Outside of language learning, Brandon Folse and I gamified a lesson on gamification in a sociology of work course. Students played two gamified activities and then rated how problematic a series of gamified work scenarios were.

See the publications below for more information.

2021 – York, J., Poole, F., & deHaan, J. Playing a new game: An argument for a teacher-focused field around games and play in language education. Foreign Language Annals, 54(4), 1164-1188.

2020 – Poole, F., & Clarke-Midura, J. A systematic review of digital games in second language learning studies. International Journal of Game-Based Learning, 10(3), 1-15.

2025 – Poole, F. A systematic review of board games used in language learning contexts. Ludic Language Pedagogy, 7, 53-65.

2026 – Poole, F., & Dixon, D. H. Digital games. In Digital and Internet-Based Research Methods in Applied Linguistics (pp. 123-146). John Benjamins.

2024 – Poole, F. Wisp and the next generation of glossing tools for video games. FLTMag.

2024 – Folse, B., & Poole, F. Gamifying gamification in the sociology classroom. Teaching Sociology, 52(3), 206-218.

1.3 Stealth Assessment in Digital Games

For my dissertation I designed a Chinese RPG for sixth grade students in a Chinese dual language immersion program. In the game, players travel across a map of China, visiting villages and cities and fighting their way through dungeons. To move forward in the game, players have to read and understand texts in Chinese.

Dissertation Game

Game Map

Thirty-six students played the game for eight 25-minute sessions as part of their regular class. Students made significant gains in both vocabulary and reading comprehension. One of the advantages of digital games is that they can track everything that students do while playing. So, in the second study I used educational data mining techniques (classification and regression trees and cluster analysis) to look at how in-game behaviors, such as how long students spent reading a text and how often they looked up words in the glossary, were related to their learning.

Regression Tree of Vocabulary Gains

In the final study, Dr. Matthew Coss, Dr. Jody Clarke-Midura and I used the gameplay data to build Bayesian networks that model students’ reading comprehension. The idea is that we can assess students’ reading while they play, without stopping the game to give them a test. This approach is called stealth assessment.

Bayesian Network Modeling Reading Comprehension

See the publications below for more information.

2022 – Poole, F., Clarke-Midura, J., & Ji, S. Exploring the affordances and effectiveness of a digital game in the Chinese dual language immersion classroom. Journal of Technology and Chinese Language Teaching, 13(1), 46-73.

2023 – Poole, F., & Clarke-Midura, J. Applying educational data mining to explore individual experiences in digital games. Language Learning & Technology, 27(1), 1-26.

2025 – Poole, F., Coss, M. D., & Clarke-Midura, J. Developing stealth assessments to assess young Chinese learners’ L2 reading comprehension. Language Learning & Technology, 29(2), 104-131.

1.4 Technology and Instructed SLA

Dr. Shawn Loewen, Hyun-Bin Hwang, Dr. Matthew Coss, and I recently edited a book on technology and instructed second language acquisition (ISLA). Researchers in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and ISLA are both trying to improve how languages are taught and learned, but the two fields don’t always talk to each other. The goal of this book was to bring the two fields together and connect research with what teachers are doing in the classroom.

2025 – Loewen, S., Poole, F., Hwang, H.-B., & Coss, M. D. (Eds.). Technology and Instructed Second Language Acquisition: Connecting research and pedagogy. John Benjamins.

2 Earlier L2 Research Projects

2.1 Gaming in the Chinese Dual Language Immersion Classroom

Utah is one of the first states in the U.S. to offer a statewide dual language immersion (DLI) program in public schools. Currently nearly 200 schools offer one of 5 languages (German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Chinese). In these programs students spend half of the day learning in English and the other half in the target language. From first to third grade DLI students learn math in the target language and then in fourth to sixth grade they begin learning science and social studies in the target language.

One issue, particularly with Chinese DLI students (given the difficulty of the text) is developing both literacy skills and content simultaneously. Learners need more instructional time to learn the Chinese text than students of other DLI languages. However, given the time constraints that DLI programs face, finding the extra time is difficult. One solution is to use games to both improve Chinese literacy skills and subject (e.g. math, science) knowledge. In my research I developed and tested two early games in Chinese DLI classrooms, described below. This work led to my dissertation game and the stealth assessment research described under Current Research above.

2.1.1 DLI Board Game – 神秘森林 (Mystery Forest)

Board Game Cover

This board game was designed for second grade Chinese dual language immersion students to help improve both Chinese vocabulary/characater recognition and math skills (addition and subtraction). Up to 8 players can play on one board (see below). Each players starts at one of the corner pieces and then rolls one dice to determine how spaces they can move.

Board

Spread throughout the outer circle of the game, on the tiles, are randomly placed black markers. Each of the black markers represent a baddie (see below). Each of the baddies have a power score (represented by a lightning bolt) and a health score (represented by a heart symbol). Players can choose to fight the baddies by moving their pieces on to a tile with a black marker. Battles completed by rolling dice. The power score dictates the number of dice to use and the total number rolled on the dice is the amount subtracted from the health score. After a player attacks the baddie attacks. The game is designed so that players will struggle to bring down a baddie on their own. Players must use Chinese and Math skills to discuss strategies for taking on baddies.

Baddies

Once a baddie is defeated, players are able to draw a set number of items (depending on the baddie) from the Items deck. Items (see below) can be added to a player’s character to increase their own health score and power score.

Items

To keep track of items and player scores, players can use the character sheet (see below).

Items

The game ends once players have defeated all baddies on the board. However, the game can continue on by adding more baddies each during each subsequent session.

2.1.1.1 Findings

This study was not published as I am currently working on revising the game. In the initial round some groups played the game successfully and engaged in meaningful addition/subtraction in the target language, however other groups struggled with using the character sheet and the many pieces on the board ended up being a distraction. At the moment I am working on turning it into a card game which will eliminate many of the distractions and allow learners to spend more time on the collaborative and educational aspects of the game.

2.1.2 Interactive Fiction Game – Adventure Chinese

Following the board game I developed an HTML based interactive fiction game using the open source tool Twine. In the game players are sent on an adventure to stop a villian from world domination by collecting three keys in the wilderness and opening a chest to retreive a magic seed.

In the game players start in their home where they can collect items that may or may not be useful on their adventure. One of the items they can collect is a notebook which allows them to look up vocabulary words as they read their stories. However, they can only have ten words in their notebook at one time, so they will be constantly pushed to evauluate their current understanding of the vocabulary in their notebook.

Items

As players travel into the wilderness they come upon animals, people and other things in nature. Depending on the choices they make in each scenario their chances of finding one of the keys increasess or decreases.

Items

Once all three keys have been found the game is complete. The article below has more details concerning the findings in this project.

Poole, F., Franco, J., & Clarke-Midura, J. Developing a personalized, educational gaming experience for young Chinese DLI learners: A design-based approach. In R. Zheng (Ed.), Digital Technologies and Instructional Design for Personalized Learning (pp. 253-274). IGI Global

Click the link below to try the game. For best results open the game using FireFox Web Browser

Adventure Chinese Game

2.2 Reading in Digital, Collaborative Environments

In the last few years I have collaborated with Dr. Joshua Thoms and Dr. Ko-Yin Sung, to explore the affordances and pedagogical implications of reading in a digital, collaborative environment.

In our first project we used eComma in a first-year Chinese course. See the article below for more information.
2017 – Thoms, J., Sung, K. Y., & Poole, F. Investigating the linguistic and pedagogical affordances of an L2 open reading environment via eComma: An exploratory study in a Chinese language course.

eComma Environment

Dr. Joshua Thoms and I have conducted some additional studies using the Hylighter Environment with an Advanced Spanish Poetry class. See the articles below for more information.

2018 – Thoms, J., & Poole, F. Exploring digital literacy practices via L2 social reading, L2 Journal, 10(2).

Thoms, J., & Poole, F. Investigating linguistic, literary, and social affordances of L2 collaborative reading. Language Learning & Technology, 21(2), 139–156.

Hylighter Environment

More recently, Dr. Thoms and I drew on data from our earlier studies in Chinese L2 classrooms to show how digital social reading annotations can serve as evidence of learners’ reading proficiency. This opens up an approach to classroom-based, performance-based assessment.

2024 – Poole, F., & Thoms, J. Digital social reading annotations as evidence of L2 proficiency: An exploratory assessment approach. In Digital Social Reading and Second Language Learning and Teaching (pp. 128-152). John Benjamins.

2.3 Using We Chat in the Chinese L2 Classroom

微信

In 2016 I worked with Dr. Sung to use We Chat in the classroom. Students were partnered up with native-speaking Chinese students on campus who wanted to learn English. Each dyad was then asked to complete a series of tasks using each others language throughout the week. The dyads were further encouraged to continue commnicating/cahtting after their tasks were completed. In the study we examined student perspectives of the tool looked at different ways that students chose to utilize We Chat as a learning tool.The research questions included (1) How do Chinese-English dyads utilize the WeChat app for weekly language learning?, and (2) What are the perceptions of the Chinese-English dyads on the use of the WeChat app for language learning? In this exploratory study, the participants’ conversations were recorded and excerpts were used to illustrate how the dyads utilized WeChat. In addition, an online survey was distributed to participants after the tandem language learning program ended, which asked questions about how the dyads used WeChat for language learning. The survey results suggested that the participants’ experiences with WeChat were mostly positive with only a few drawbacks. Suggestions for improvements in future WeChat tandem language learning and for future smartphone studies were discussed.

More information can be found in our publication: 2017 – Sung, K. Y., & Poole, F. Investigating the use of a smartphone social networking application on language learning. JALT CALL Journal, 13(2), 97–115. (CiteScore= .17)

2.4 Using E-Gloss Tools to Faciliate Reading in Chinese

In 2015 I conducted a research project investigating the effect of using E-gloss tools on Chinese vocabulary development. E-gloss tools are tools that allow learners to immediately look up vocabulary in a text by simply hovering their mouse over the word. The image below shows the tool Dim Sum (http://www.mandarintools.com/dimsum.html) that was used in this research project.

E-Gloss Tool: Dim Sum

In this project, participants from a first-year and second-year Chinese language learning class at the university level read 10 chinese articles over the course of 10 weeks. Each week they alternated between reading via E-gloss tool or reading in a traditional, paper-based format. Week’s 1 and 2 were used as training weeks and data was collected between weeks 3 and 10. The two images below show the results for each individual participant.

First-Year Learners

Second-Year Learners

Although this study did not show a difference between the two groups. Initial findings did seem to suggest that students who performed better on the pre-test tended to do better in a traditional format, whereas those who did worse on the pre-test tended to do better in an E-gloss format. In other words, higher performing students were more likely to make use of a traditional, paper-based format and take notes, anotate the document, and read more carefully. Lower performing students, struggled more on traditional paper-based formats, but took advantage of the ease of looking up words in an e-gloss format.

More information can be found in our publication: 2016 – Poole, F., & Sung, K. A preliminary study on the effects of an E-gloss tool on incidental vocabulary learning when reading Chinese as a foreign language. Journal of Chinese Language Teachers Association. 51(3), 266–285.

2.5 Graded Readers for Chinese as a Foreign Language Learners

In 2013 I designed a graded reading series for true beginners of Chinese. The entire series can be found in the Teaching Languages tab above. The graded reading series was designed to both expose learners to new Chinese words in context, while also providing explicit information about new characters to learners before they saw them in a story.

More information can be found in our publication: 2015 – Sung, K. Y., & Poole, F. Evaluating the impact of graded readings on the recognition of Chinese characters and reading comprehension by learners of Chinese as a foreign language. Konin Language Studies, 3(3), 271–294.

3 Computer Science Education Research

3.1 App Camp

In addition to my research on Second Language Acquisition, I have also worked on several projects investigating computer science pedagogical and recruitment strategies your middle school learners. Starting in 2016 I began to design and a series of summer app camps aimed at teaching programming and broadening participation in computer science. Specifically, my responsibilties included designing curriculum and subsequently building a Canvas site which hosted the curriculum for the app camps. I participated in student recruitment by travelling to local middle schools and giving presentations about computer science. Before the app camps began I was also involved in several pre-camp set up procedures including: survey and interview protocol development, data collection procedures (e.g. setting up computers to record both student interactions and screen activity), and app camp log data retrieval protocols. During the camps I collected observational data, served as technical support, and occasionally took on a teaching role to support campers when camp mentors could were not available. Finally, following the camp I cleaned data and conducted preliminary analysis. I have also co-written several manuscripts related to this subject (See my CV for more information).

https://appcamp.usu.edu/

3.2 Tabletop to Screen (T2S)

In 2019 I started working on the T2S project. On this project we are exploring the use of unplugged board games as a bridge to programming on Scratch. We are interested in exploring computational thinking skills that are developd via board games in the //Code Series. Furthermore, we are working with a local elementary school to investigate pedagogical approaches that leverage the board games for introducing programming concepts in Scratch. As part of this work, we analyzed the tabletop games currently marketed as teaching computational thinking: who they are marketed to, and how their designs could create opportunities to develop computational thinking. We also described a model for using school libraries and board games to introduce coding in elementary schools.

Poole, F., Clarke-Midura, J., Rasmussen, M., Shehzad, U., & Lee, V. R. (2022). Tabletop games designed to promote computational thinking. Computer Science Education, 32(4), 449-475.

Lee, V. R., Poole, F., Clarke-Midura, J., Recker, M., & Rasmussen, M. (2020). Introducing coding through tabletop board games and their digital instantiations across elementary classrooms and school libraries. Proceedings of the 51st ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE ’20).

3.3 Esports

In 2019 I began a project with Dr. Victor Lee exploring learning that occurs in a collegiate esports team. Specifically, we looked at how the team understands and uses data to inform their gameplay, practices, and evaluation of success. We introduced the team to new data collection practices, supported them with data analysis and visualizations, and held sensemaking sessions to discuss what the analytics meant for the team.

Poole, F., & Lee, V. R. (2022). Esports athletes’ group sensemaking of team gameplay data analytics. Games, Learning and Society Conference Proceedings.