This paper provides a detailed account of the conception, development, and early implementation of an online vocabulary learning platform for students called Hi-lex, which has been used to conduct several early studies on vocabulary learning at a Japanese national university. The program is designed to aid students in studying vocabulary in texts they save in the application, identifying and saving the vocabulary items they want to learn with reference to established word lists, and studying the saved vocabulary through spaced repetition. Documenting the design, development, and use of Hi-lex promotes transparency and method-ological rigor. In addition, by thoroughly outlining how the application was created and is currently used, this documentation offers other researchers the opportunity to replicate or build on the platform. Cumulative knowledge in second language acquisition research can help ensure that design and data collection methods are accessible, thereby encouraging further innovation in language education technology. In documenting the historical development and use of Hi-lex, this paper covers the origins of the idea in relation to specialist English in engineering and the broadening of the project to cover more general English. The software used in the construction and adaptation of a spaced-repetition system (SRS) algorithm is summarized. The basic functions of the application and the way they are presented to students are illustrated, as well as the word lists included in the system, selection of online dictionaries, and a vocabulary pretest and posttest function for participants. In a short final section, the use of Hi-lex for general English and medical English courses is summarized.
Marshall Kiyoshi Higa (Sun,) studied this question.