Period: 1.9.2023 - 31.8.2025

Content: The overarching aim of this project is to evaluate different commercialization routes to find the best
business strategy for Sprok, a digital second language (L2) learning game (DLLG) for immigrants,
mainstream classrooms and private consumers in order to make it a highly successful global
educational game for digital second language learning. An additional aim is to continue the applied
research of Sprok. Sprok’s development stems from the significant achievement gap between
natives and immigrant students and the challenges many adult immigrants face in obtaining work
due to insufficient language skills. Supporting L2 learning is essential to improving educational,
economic, and social opportunities for immigrant populations.

Sprok’s design will encourage growth in the Finnish and international community by developing linguistic skills as a core class
material in mainstream and immigrant classrooms. Sprok is designed to complement traditional workbooks while still allowing teachers to understand student progress.

Although Sprok is designed to meet the needs of immigrants and mainstream classrooms, it is well-suited for private
consumer use, thus, has benefits for increasing the number of highly qualified workers, which fills the gap in the ageing Finnish and global population.

The uniqueness of Sprok is that it is based on the highly reputed Finnish national core curriculum, the Common European Framework of
Reference for language (CEFR) skills, academic research, and cultural knowledge. Additionally, it will have the following educational features: a teacher backend, a monolingual approach (uses Swedish to teach Swedish), collaborative gameplay, an explorable environment, a design enabling expansion to a broader audience, and a feedback algorithm to enhance learning. The game will be developed in an iterative process that requires the active involvement of potential end-users. This ensures the game is both educative, fun, and attractive for various stakeholders.

Focus area: Konst kultur och entreprenörskap

Campus: Jakobstad

Financers: Business Finland, Novia University of Applied Sciences

Project owner: Åbo Akademi

Project manager: Tobias Björkskog

Partners: Åbo Akademi