Executive Summary
The Korean Language Game is an educational platform designed to help students in introductory Korean courses build foundational vocabulary and grammar skills. To evaluate its usability and effectiveness, our team conducted a mixed-methods usability study with 6 participants representative of beginner Korean learners. The goal of this study was to identify key usability challenges and develop design improvements to enhance the overall user experience.
The findings revealed several critical usability issues that impacted both efficiency and learning outcomes. Users experienced navigation and discoverability challenges, particularly when locating essential features like the account registration page and learning modules. Additionally, participants reported input-related frustration during gameplay due to strict answer validation, including case sensitivity and the requirement to input multiple meanings exactly. Users without a Korean keyboard also had difficulty entering responses. Another major issue was the lack of contextual support, as many beginner users struggled to understand content presented solely in Korean without English translations. These challenges increased cognitive load and reduced overall usability.
To address these issues, we developed a high-fidelity prototype with targeted design improvements. These include a grid-based Units page to reduce scrolling and improve navigation efficiency, the addition of audio and hints to support beginner comprehension, and the integration of accuracy metrics directly into unit cards for quick progress tracking. We also redesigned the flashcards into a Quizlet-style interface and improved the feedback system with structured input fields. Collectively, these changes aim to reduce user frustration, improve clarity, and create a more intuitive and effective learning experience.
Introduction
The Korean Language Game is a web-based educational platform designed to support students learning Korean at an introductory level. The application aims to provide an engaging and interactive alternative to traditional study methods by incorporating fun activities such as flashcards, vocabulary games, grammar games, and listening games. By combining learning with gameplay, the platform is intended to improve user motivation and reinforce foundational language skills.
The primary target demographic for this product consists of beginner Korean learners, particularly university students enrolled in introductory Korean courses. Many of these users have limited prior experience with the language and often rely on structured guidance to build vocabulary and comprehension. Additionally, some users are motivated by personal interests, such as watching Korean media or preparing for travel, which further emphasizes the need for an intuitive and accessible learning interface that minimizes cognitive load.
Our team selected this product for usability evaluation due to its strong educational concept but noticeable interface limitations during initial exploration. While the gamified approach showed strength in enhancing user engagement, early observations suggested that users might encounter difficulties navigating the platform and understanding certain features.
Based on our initial exploration of the platform, we hypothesized several key usability flaws. We anticipated navigation and user interface issues that could require unnecessary steps to access essential features. Additionally, we predicted challenges in task comprehension within game interactions, where users were often expected to answer Korean vocabulary questions based solely on images or Korean text without English translations. We expected that this lack of contextual support would lead to confusion and reduced task success, especially for beginner learners.