A Gamified Learning Environment (Moodle) to Enhance English Language Learning at University Level

Abstract

This paper explores the use of gamification in Second Language Acquisition
(SLA) within Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL). The aim is to
investigate the effects of a gamified learning environment, specifically Moodle, on
psychobehavioural factors and English learning achievement, and to discuss the
affordances of gamification based on empirical findings, contributed both by the
present study and previous research. For this purpose, a case study was conducted
at the University of Andorra, where a treatment group completed a gamified
English course on Moodle, and a control group did the same tasks without
gamification. A mixed methodology was used to measure both affective and
cognitive variables as well as students’ perceptions on their gamified learning
experience. The results show that the treatment group outperformed the control
group in Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) and in Academic Motivation (AM). As
for the effects on speaking fluency, they are inconclusive, which is consistent with
previous literature. Consequently, the authors advocate for further research to
explore the effects of gamification on actual learning in different learning
disciplines, beyond students’ mere perceptions.