DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A MOBILE COURSEWARE FOR BASIC CHINESE LANGUAGE LEARNING AMONG UPSI STUDENTS

Authors: Anis Ellysha Mat Ruzi, Abu Bakar Ibrahim*, Mohd Fadhil Harfiez Abdul Muttalib, Mohd Hishamuddin Abdul Rahman, Ashardi Abas & Ahmad Uzair Mazlan

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on the design and development of MasterHanyu, a mobile courseware developed to support Basic Chinese language learning among students at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). Learning Chinese as a second language presents considerable challenges for beginner learners, particularly in vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation, and maintaining learner engagement. Traditional classroom-based instruction often provides limited opportunities for individualized practice and continuous reinforcement, creating a need for supplementary learning tools that are accessible, interactive, and self-paced. To address this need, MasterHanyu was designed and developed as a mobile learning application using the Flutter framework, with Supabase employed for user authentication, session management, and secure cloud-based data storage. The application offers structured learning modules, vocabulary exercises with native speaker audio, interactive quizzes, progress monitoring, and a gamified reward system based on experience points (XP) to enhance learner motivation. Personalized learning is supported through user authentication, enabling individual progress tracking and reward management. The development process was guided by the Incremental Evolutionary Prototyping Model and implemented in three phases: (1) development of learning modules and quizzes, (2) integration of progress tracking and performance statistics, and (3) implementation of the rewards system. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) was conducted with seven UPSI students to evaluate the application in terms of functionality, usability, learner engagement, and learning support effectiveness. Data were collected through functional testing and usability feedback questionnaires. The findings indicate that MasterHanyu operates according to its intended design specifications and provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface. Participants reported positive perceptions regarding the application’s ease of use, motivational features, and effectiveness in supporting self-paced learning. The study demonstrates that mobile courseware can serve as an effective supplementary learning resource for university students studying Chinese as a foreign language. Although the current version does not include advanced features such as speech recognition and artificial intelligence-based feedback, MasterHanyu establishes a strong foundation for future enhancements in mobile-assisted language learning.

Keywords: Mobile courseware, Basic Chinese language learning, mobile learning, Flutter, Supabase, gamification, UPSI.

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