Modeling the instructional design of a language training for professional purposes, using augmented reality

Abstract

This chapter presents the instructional design of a language-training model for professional and vocational purposes on behalf of the Swiss railway industry, specifically designed for German-speaking train drivers and train operators, who work for the Schweizerische Südostbahn (SOB). In fact, around 50 train drivers and train operators need to learn Italian and be able to communicate clearly and confidently in this language by 2021. Thanks to the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel in 2016, some Swiss railway companies are expanding their business portfolios also in the Italian speaking region of Switzerland. Augmented Reality (AR), specifically the Blippar app, is used here as an additional and motivating guide to learning technical terms and nouns, verbs, and dialogue structures, in short: essential railway communication features between train drivers and train operators. The final goal of the chapter is to describe how railway professional trainees, learning a new language, are actively designing their own language learning contents, using AR.