Repeated mistakes in app-based language learning: Persistence and relation to learning gains

Over the past decade, there has been an enormous upsurge in the use of educational apps in primary schools. However, few studies have examined how children interact with these apps and how their interaction patterns relate to learning outcomes. An interaction pattern that is potentially detrimental to learning is repeated mistakes, defined as making the same mistake more than once when answering a task. With interaction data from an eight-week digital vocabulary intervention, we examined 1) whether the propensity to make repeated mistakes changes across app sessions, and 2) how repeated mistakes relate to children's prior knowledge and their learning gains from the intervention. Our sample consisted of 363 Norwegian second graders who worked with the vocabulary app in a randomized controlled trial. Using growth curve modeling and confirmatory factor analyses, we found that the propensity to repeat mistakes remained stable over time. Furthermore, a structural equation model showed that repeated mistakes related negatively to both pre-test and post-test scores. A substantial proportion of the total effect of prior knowledge on learning gains was mediated by the propensity to repeat mistakes. Children who made more repeated mistakes had lower expected learning gains across all levels of prior knowledge. We suggest that the propensity to repeat mistakes may pose a double threat to learning by diminishing exposure to relevant content, and amplifying the exposure to incorrect input. Considering the stability of mistake repetition, it is crucial to identify students with a high propensity to repeat mistakes and help them break the pattern to support learning. App developers can help this process by implementing automatic detection and feedback.