From Tradition to Tech: Testing An Anisinimowin Learning App's Effectiveness & Future Improvements

In Island Lake, our language carries our stories, our identity, and who we are!

But today, many of our everyday words are slowly being forgotten. I wanted to change that.

With guidance from my science teacher and the voices of our elders and native language teachers, we held on to the words that define who we are. With our computer teacher, we carried those words into today’s world, where tradition meets technology, and learning becomes something students enjoy, not just comply with. Before they played, we asked, "What do they already know?" Then they learned-not from a textbook-but through play, challenge, and discovery. Afterward, we asked again: what have they

gained? The results told a hopeful story.

Every grade improved. And for Grade 11, the change was strong, statistically significant. Across all grades, the growth was shared, showing that learning can happen at any stage when it connects to who we are.

Introduction:

My name is Sidney and I am a Grade 9 Anisinimowin learner attending Garden Hill High School. When we learn our language, we learn more than words. We learn our stories, our values,and history. Language teaches us how to view our land and how to connect with one another. When we use our language, it keeps our culture strong through sharing knowledge from our Elders to our youth.

In my community, I learn by listening, speaking and repeating what I’ve learned from other speakers. We learn our language through meaningful life experiences like conversation, song, ceremony and our day-to-day lives. We are taught the language properly from our Elders and knowledge keepers along with how the language relates to respect, relationships and responsibility.

Background:

Language app allows students many more opportunities to hear and practice Anisinimowin, even if they don't get to hear it much at home. Bridging tradition with technology, I collaborated with community members to direct development of the app in hopes that technology can enhance our work, rather than replace our Elders.

Questions:

Can an app be developed as a tool to support Anisinimowin learning?

Is there a difference between pretest and posttest scores in each grade level using the app?

Is there a difference in the effectiveness of the app across grade levels?

What further developments can be made on the app?

HOW?

My project followed a clear process with two main parts: design and experimentation. First, I worked on designing the app, focusing on how language is learned in our community. Then, I tested the app with students to see how effective it was.

In the design phase, I helped develop an Anisinimowin language learning app using React and Electron. The design reflected how our community learns best by including cultural features and community input.

The app includes:

Vocabulary cards

Interactive quizzes

Audio from fluent speakers

Images connected to everyday life.

In the experimental phase, I used a pre-test and post-test method with students to measure learning from the app.

Participants:

Grade 7 students

Grade 9 students

Grade 11 students

Students completed:

A test before using the app

The same test after using the app

This allowed me to measure learning improvement.

Materials:

Computers/tablets

Language learning app

Test questionnaires

Data Collection

Controlled Variables:

Same app

Same test questions

Same instructions

Same amount of time

Hypothesis (Quantitative):

A mobile language learning app cannot be developed as a tool to support Anisinimowin learning.

.

Null hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores among students in Grades 7, 9, and 11 after using the learning app.

H0: The mean improvement in scores does not differ significantly between the pre-test and post-test.

Null hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference in the mean gain scores of students across Grades 7, 9, and 11 after using the learning app.

H0: The mean improvement in scores does not differ significantly among Grades 7, 9, and 11.

Assumption (Qualitative):

The participants will provide meaningful feedback on the app’s learning effectiveness, ease of use, features, cultural relevance, limitations, and areas for improvement, helping enhance the app as a tool for Anisinimowin learning.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

This project is important to me because it is about my language, my community, and who we are. I wanted to know if our Anisinimowin language app would translate into authentic student learning. When I looked at the results, I cried happy tears because the numbers showed that it did.

Paired t-Test Results (Pre vs Post)

Grade 7: 0.061 No Significant Difference

Grade 9: 0.065 No Significant Difference

Grade 11: 0.003 With Significant Difference

ANOVA Results (Mean Gain Across Grades)

Between Groups: 0.81 No Significant Difference (Equally effective across grade levels)

Every student scored higher on their post-test compared to their pre-test. On average, Grade 7 improved by 1.9 points, grade 9 by 1.4 points, and grade 11 by 2.0 points. Grade 11 had the highest increase in points. All of the groups had higher post-test results, which means the app helped students gain more knowledge.

My paired t-test proved that the improvement made by grade 11 was significant. Although, both grade 7 and grade 9 also showed improvement. My one-way ANOVA showed that the differences between grades are not significant, which means they all had similar improvements.

Every grade showed improvement which tells me that the app can assist anyone who is learning. This means anyone in our community can learn our language.

The app teaches our students how we like to learn. Many of our students showed perseverance by continuing to complete the modules until they got it right. The students also benefited from the step-by-step process which allowed them to continue learning.

The interview findings supported these results, as participants generally described the app as engaging and helpful for learning through audio, interactive features, and accessible vocabulary, while also suggesting improvements in functionality, practice opportunities, and cultural content. Participants also viewed the app as a valuable complement to learning from elders, teachers, and family.

This project proved that we can use our traditional knowledge with new technology to excite students and help make language learning fun.

This project filled me with hope that our language will continue to thrive; not just in history, but now and into the future.

Conclusions

An Anisinimowin language app was developed to support learning for students.

The Anisinimowin language app enhanced learning for students of all grades.

Each cohort experienced an increase in their post-test scores, demonstrating the effectiveness of the app.

The grade that benefited the most was Grade 11.

This app was equally effective across all grade levels, not just for one specific group.

The interview findings supported these results, showing the app as an engaging support for language learning while highlighting improvements in features, cultural content, and its role alongside learning from elders and family.

What I Learned from the Results

When students interact with the material and have structure, they learn better.

Practice makes perfect when learning a language.

When students are having fun and excited to learn, they soak it up.

Apps are a great form of technology that can help revitalize our language.

Putting cultural and technological mind power together can help keep our language alive.

FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS:

I would recruit more participants.

I would allow more time to test the app and students learning.

I want to continue to develop higher levels and lessons.

I would include more audio from my fluent speaker.

I hope to create games that allow sentence building, stories etc.

I would test the app on younger students and adults as well.

I would improve the app by strengthening the features, cultural content, and supporting learning with elders and family.

Create this into a full package of learning for my community.

I want to help keep Anisinimowin strong for future generations.

I would like to thank those who allowed my project to come to fruition. My parents, Myra and Ivan allowed me to explore our language and helped me discover how to ask the right questions about our culture. My language teachers, Jean and Mary were there to support by passing on their knowledge of Anisinimowin and verifying that the words and pronunciations in the app were correct. Jean even graciously supplied the audio that is used in the app.

Thank you to our school computer teacher Ian Kurt Galeon for helping me learn how to create the app and to MFNERC science facilitators for supporting me along the way.

My teachers allowed me to stay organized throughout the process and my classmates helped by testing and providing feedback.

Thank you all for supporting me. With your help my project was stronger, held more meaning, and connected back to my community.

References / Bibliography:

Bigelow, H., Singh, S., & Fenesi, B. (2023). Reducing key barriers to classroom physical activity improves implementation fidelity in Ontario elementary classrooms. Education Sciences, 13(10), 1060. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13101060

Dornian, K. (2023, December 26). Indigenous language revitalization efforts seeing success but need more support in Manitoba. Global News.

https://globalnews.ca/news/10178327/indigenous-language-revitalization-success-support/

National Research Council Canada. (2023). Indigenous languages technology project. https://nrc.canada.ca/en/research-development/research-collaboration/programs/indigenous-languages-technology-project

First Peoples’ Cultural Council. (n.d.). FirstVoices language revitalization platform. https://www.firstvoices.com

Windspeaker News. (2024). First Nation helps develop its own language learning app.

Windspeaker News.

YES! Magazine. (2020). Technology helps preserve endangered Indigenous languages. YES! Magazine.