10.71586/jal.2025.03121201918

The Impacts of Massed, Clumped, and Spaced Distributed Augmented Reality-Assisted Learning on Vocabulary Achievement of Young EFL learners: A New Approach in CALL

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  • Shiva Khatoony1,
  • Behdokht Mall-Amiri*1,
  • Sholeh Kolahi1,
  1. Department of English, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Revised: 2025-03-12

Accepted: 2025-07-27

Published in Issue 2025-08-17

Copyright (c) 2025 The Journal of English Language Pedagogy and Practice

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Khatoony, S., Mall-Amiri, B., & Kolahi, S. (2025). The Impacts of Massed, Clumped, and Spaced Distributed Augmented Reality-Assisted Learning on Vocabulary Achievement of Young EFL learners: A New Approach in CALL. Journal of English Language Pedagogy and Practice, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.71586/jal.2025.03121201918
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Abstract

Diverse techniques of instruction have been shown to impact language learning differently. Likewise, the distribution of instruction—including massed, clumped, and spaced patterns—may have a notable influence on vocabulary acquisition among young EFL learners within Augmented Reality-Assisted Language Learning (ARAL) contexts. Hence, the purpose of this study was to compare the effects of massed, clumped, and spaced distribution of the ARAL application on young EFL learners' vocabulary learning. Forty-eight native Farsi speakers (24 Female and 24 Male students at beginner level), ages 5 to 10, who attended a private international school in Istanbul, Turkey, participated in the research. To teach vocabulary items, the researchers used a researcher-made augmented reality smartphone application based on the Phonics book. Using the ARAL application, three groups of primary school students were assigned to receive instruction: massed learning (consecutive lessons during the day, once a week), clumped learning (two lessons twice a week with a brief break), and spaced learning (one lesson per day for four days in a row). The impact of the ARAL application was assessed using a pretest–post-test approach. The ANCOVA results demonstrated that the instructional distribution patterns had an impact on the students' vocabulary development. The greatest post-test scores were obtained in the massed condition. Therefore, the results demonstrated the value of incorporating massed learning methodologies into EFL instruction and confirmed the effectiveness of using ARAL-based massed learning for Farsi-speaking EFL learners. The results have consequences for curriculum writers, administrators, and EFL teachers who want to use the massed dissemination method of ARAL application.

Keywords

  • ARAL,
  • CALL,
  • clumped learning,
  • massed learning,
  • spaced learning,
  • distributed learning,
  • vocabulary acquisition
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