How Gamification Can Enhance Vocabulary Learning with Teenagers in the EFL Classroom

 Research Proposal:

How Gamification Can Enhance Vocabulary Learning with Teenagers in the EFL Classroom in the Province of Buenos Aires

 

 Selena Barriento, Natalia Feliú, Laura Matías, Tamara Páez and Bárbara Sena

Abstract

 

The aim of this research is to describe the effects of gamification when learning vocabulary on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students, aged 12 to 13, in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. An experimental study to observe the relation between vocabulary learning and gamification will be carried out. Data will be collected using a pretest-posttest design and structured questionnaire after the study. Then, both the quantitative and qualitative evidence will be analyzed. The findings are expected to show how gamification can facilitate the vocabulary learning process. It will also shed light on other aspects that may hinder the game-related procedures. Personality traits, engagement, motivation and time constraints are some of the factors that will be examined. The outcomes of this research will provide pedagogical implications and further guidance for the usage of games in the EFL classroom.

Keywords: gamification, vocabulary learning, teenagers, EFL, motivation, engagement

How Gamification Can Enhance Vocabulary Learning with Teenagers in the EFL Classroom in the Province of Buenos Aires

Technology has paved its way into diverse contexts, including that of education where new approaches to learning and teaching have emerged. The possibility of incorporating gamification tools at schools has generated wide interest among teachers. According to Dichev and Dicheva (2017) “gamification of education is a developing approach for increasing learners’ motivation and engagement by incorporating game design elements in educational environments” (p.1). The English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom has not been an exception to this tendency where gamification has created diverse scenarios for newer and richer learners’ experiences.

In the following literature review, several sources were consulted to delve into this approach.

Welbers, K., Konijn, E. A., Burgers, C., Bij de Vaate, A., Eden, A., & Brugman, B. C. (2019). Gamification as a tool for engaging student learning: A field experiment with a gamified app. E-Learning and Digital Media, 16(2), 92-109. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753018818342

Welbers et al. (2019) state the term gamification was first used in reference to the application of game mechanisms in different contexts to increase engagement. It has been mainly used in business and marketing, and then moved to educational settings becoming a popular tool to foster learning. Gamification means “using game-based mechanics, aesthetics and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning, and solve problems'' (p. 94). 

Figueroa, J. (2015). Using Gamification to Enhance Second Language Learning. Digital Education Review, 21, 32-54. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278328067_Using_Gamification_to_Enhance_Second_Language_Learning 

Figueroa (2015) explains education has recently become more technological-oriented. “The main objective of gamification is to increase participation and motivate users through the use of game elements such as points, leaderboards, and immediate feedback among other things” (p. 37). These features have helped learners engage better and gain more productivity and creativity. Educators have started choosing these tools to offer their learners a more enriching experience.

Lee, J. & Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in Education: What, How, Why Bother? Academic Exchange Quarterly, 15(2), 1-5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258697764_Gamification_in_Education_What_How_Why_Bother 

The authors explain how gamification provides opportunities for experimenting with social roles, emotions, rules, and feedback. The existence of game-like elements might highly motivate students to learn better, but it does not translate directly to engagement. They introduce gamification as a challenge because its application might absorb teachers’ time and imply the use of new resources. It is possible that students get used to learning only when provided with external rewards, resulting in project failure. 

Mohandas, E., Hussin, A. and Syed Ahmad, T. (2020). Language Gamification in ESL Classroom: Teaching Perspective. European Journal of Open Education and E-learning Studies, 5(2), 178-188.  http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejoe.v5i2.3445 

These authors claim teachers are required to shift from traditional teaching to contemporary methods. In order to enhance teachers’ classroom practices, Mohandas et al. (2020) propose several steps to design flexible and interchangeable language games according to students' needs and context. The need to represent a continuous challenge, an interesting storyline, immediate and useful rewards, and a combination of fun and realism are key features that make an educational game successful. 

Even though recent studies make an emphasis on the positive aspects gamification may bring into the classroom, Dichev and Dicheva (2017) hold there is still a lack of empirical evidence on how to implement gamification in a coherent and efficient way. Research has failed to prove how gamification in the EFL classroom leads to knowledge acquisition. Hence, further investigation is required to understand the connection of games with specific course content. The general objective of this research is to analyze to what extent gamification is a useful strategy to learn new vocabulary for teenagers aged 12 to 13 in the EFL classroom in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The specific objectives are to explore what game design activities foster learning and to identify the factors that may hinder game-related activities.

This paper is organized into different parts. An introduction covering a literature review, research objectives and paper structure is included in section one. The delimitations and limitations on section two will address aspects which were deemed to narrow down the scope of this research. The procedures and the methods employed to carry out this work will be developed in section three. Lastly, the expected outcomes and the appendixes will be covered in sections four and five respectively.

Delimitations and Limitations

 

Delimitations

This research will be carried out in a private school in the city of Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Twenty students attending 1° year of secondary school will participate in the study. They are between 12 to 13 years old, and they have all been studying English as a Foreign Language since primary school, having two-hour lessons per week. Their current level of the language, according to the Common European Framework of Reference, is A1. The teacher in charge of the course plans the lessons following the requirements of the school curriculum.

The chosen school has Internet connection available, and every classroom counts with a projector and audio system. Students are used to working with a virtual platform; furthermore, all of them have cell phones, which may be used in class with a pedagogical purpose. To analyze the impact of gamification, different games will be designed. Students will be introduced to online games using Kahoot! (2022) and Wordwall (2022), and they will also be asked to participate in traditional games, such as miming, bingo, and hangman.

 

Limitations

To evaluate whether gamification is a helpful strategy to learn vocabulary, different digital games have to be designed and later used in the classroom. Students might not be familiar with gamification strategies or applications, so close guidance should be provided by the teacher. The use of these types of activities may be affected by the availability of technical resources in the classroom. As for games which require students to be involved actively, classroom size and number of students could interfere. Moreover, students might respond in different ways according to what they are asked to do. Emotional factors, group dynamics, level of difficulty, and time constraints may affect the development and outcomes of the research. Learners may need assistance to understand and complete a self-reflection questionnaire at the end of each stage in the study.

 

Methods

 

Participants

Twenty students from 1° year of a private secondary school in Buenos Aires will participate in this study. Their participation will be voluntary and subject to their parents’ consent.

Materials

Parents’ legal consent (see Appendix A) will be required before the start of the research. Quizzes will be used to check students’ previous knowledge at the beginning of each stage and afterwards to measure the vocabulary learnt. Different types of games will be included during the study. Games using different digital tools and strategies will be designed, using platforms such as Kahoot! (2022) and Wordwall (2022). Other game-related activities will be implemented such as bingo, miming games and hangman. To gather data for the study, Likert scale questionnaires will be completed by students (see Appendix B) and observation sheets by the teacher.

Procedures

Before starting the study, legal authorizations will need to be signed by students’ parents. This measure is a requirement to protect the participants’ privacy and to inform parents about the procedures which will be carried out. Two different stages will be needed to carry out this study.

During stage one, the students will work with a selected list of vocabulary through a period of two weeks without being in contact with any kind of gamified activity. In the beginning, the group will do a quiz to check previous knowledge on the vocabulary presented. At the end of the non-gamified weeks, students will do the same quiz to check their progress. Both quizzes will be compared.

Throughout Stage 2, students will do a quiz at the beginning of two weeks with the new vocabulary input. This time, the group will play different types of games through the allotted period of time. At the end of the two weeks, progress will be checked by doing the same quiz and the outcomes of both stages will be compared. The teacher will write class observations and students will be asked to answer a self-reflection questionnaire.

Expected Outcomes

Through this research students will be exposed to different teaching situations in which a variety of games are used in order to foster the learning of new vocabulary. Some of them will be of students’ liking and others may hinder learning. Students learn faster and more straightforwardly not only when they are engaged and motivated but also when they are challenged. Therefore, students are expected to best remember those words which have been learnt in a creative or motivational environment. Gamification could be considered a fruitful technique to apply when teaching vocabulary. The outcomes of the research will vary according to different factors, such as games’ characteristics, classroom and groups’ variation, and students’ personalities and interests. After analyzing the results, those games which benefit students’ performance will be highlighted. This research is expected to shed light on gamification techniques that can provide positive results in the classroom. Teachers will benefit from its outcomes as they can take it as guidance when planning their lessons. 

References

 

Dichev, C. & Dicheva, D. (2017). Gamification in education: what is known, what is believed and what remains uncertain: a critical review. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher education, 14(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-017-0042-5

Figueroa, J. (2015). Using Gamification to Enhance Second Language Learning. Digital Education Review, 21, 32-54. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278328067_Using_Gamification_to_Enhance_Second_Language_Learning 

Kahoot! (2022). Kahoot! [Mobile app]. App store. https://kahoot.com/home/mobile-app/

Lee, J. & Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in Education: What, How, Why Bother? Academic Exchange Quarterly, 15(2), 1-5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258697764_Gamification_in_Education_What_How_Why_Bother

Mohandas, E., Hussin, A. and Syed Ahmad, T. (2020). Language Gamification in ESL Classroom: Teaching Perspective. European Journal of Open Education and E-learning Studies, 5(2), 178-188.http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejoe.v5i2.3445 

Welbers, K., Konijn, E. A., Burgers, C., Bij de Vaate, A., Eden, A., & Brugman, B. C. (2019). Gamification as a tool for engaging student learning: A field experiment with a gamified app. E-Learning and Digital Media, 16(2), 92-109. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753018818342

Wordwall. (2022). Wordwall  [Software]. https://wordwall.net/es