dc.description.abstract | Given the current globalized situation, English is an essential and crucial skill for international communication. In the face of the international market and globalist movements, the demand for English proficiency is even more challenging for Chinese-speaking learners in various aspects such as national politics, industrial economy, and social education. In the past, the English learning and education environment was relatively weak. At present, individuals in the social workplace generally still lack proficiency in English. Furthermore, with the rapid innovation and competition of modern technology, efficient language communication has become a crucial function in the increasingly frequent network society. In addition, in line with the government′s promotion of a bilingual nation policy blueprint, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) focuses on the trend of internationalization and continues to work towards the ultimate goal of creating a bilingual financial service environment without barriers. Therefore, this study targets financial practitioners as experimental subjects and provides an innovative and engaging learning tool through a digital game-based English learning system, allowing them to learn English in a more relaxed and effective manner. In this rich, enjoyable, and pleasurable learning environment, the learning process is filled with fun and positive effects. Additionally, different digital badge mechanisms are planned to assist in improving their learning motivation and learning effectiveness, in order to explore the impact of English learning for financial professionals.
In a digital game-based learning environment, the significance of digital badge mechanisms in terms of earning badges helps enhance learners′ engagement in learning activities. The process of achieving badge goals also effectively aids learners in focusing on learning activities and improving learning performance. However, there is still a limited amount of research on the application of unexpected badges, and most studies primarily focus on online teaching platforms, learning websites, or gamified classrooms.There is a lack of experimental investigation specifically conducted in a digital game-based learning environment (DGBL), as well as limited exploration beyond the field of education. Therefore, this study developed a digital game-based English learning system called "Quantum Go!" The system consists of a learning zone and a challenge zone, with different versions designed to incorporate both expected badges and a combination of expected and unexpected badges. The system includes diverse English learning content such as vocabulary, fill-in-the-blanks exercises, and reading comprehension, along with a variety of game levels. By adopting a first-person perspective in the game, the system guides learners to engage in repeated learning, practice, and review, thereby enhancing their learning motivation and achieving a balance between education and entertainment. The primary focus of this study is to explore the effects of different badge mechanisms on learners′ English learning performance, learning motivation, learning perception, and gaming performance in a digital game-based environment primarily designed for English learning. Additionally, the study aims to analyze the correlations among variables such as English learning.
This study employed a quasi-experimental research design with a total of 69 financial professionals as participants. The learners were divided into two groups based on different digital badge mechanisms. The experimental group consisted of 34 participants who received both expected and unexpected badges, while the control group consisted of 35 participants who received only expected badges. The research instruments included an English language proficiency test, a learning motivation questionnaire, a learning perception questionnaire, and system log files. The experiment was conducted over a period of two weeks, with a duration of 30 minutes in the first week and 70 minutes in the second week, resulting in a total of 100 minutes. The study employed statistical methods such as reliability analysis, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman Rank Correlation for data analysis.
According to the experimental results of this study, the impact of different badge mechanisms on learners in a digital game-based English learning system can be summarized into the following five points: (1) Learners in different badge mechanism groups showed significant improvements in their English learning performance. However, in the comparison between the two groups, the fill-in-the-blanks section of the expected plus unexpected badges group performed better than the expected badges group. (2) There were significant differences in overall learning motivation between learners in different badge mechanism groups. In terms of post-test and improvement scores, the expected badges group showed a significant advantage over the expected plus unexpected badges group in terms of learning motivation. (3) Significant differences were observed between the two groups in all dimensions of learning perception, with the expected badges group outperforming the expected plus unexpected badges group. (4) There were no significant differences in game performance between the two groups. (5) The expected plus unexpected badges group showed the highest correlation between English learning performance and learning motivation. The expected badges group demonstrated the highest correlation between English learning performance and game performance variables such as the number of learning practice entries in challenge levels, the number of correct answers in review levels of challenge types, and the number of review badges earned. Both groups showed significant correlations between learning motivation and learning perception. However, there were no significant correlations between English learning performance and learning perception, as well as between learning perception and game performance in both groups.
The results of this study focus on the use of a digital game-based learning environment to provide training for employees in financial institutions or businesses. This approach allows for more flexible arrangement of educational programs and significantly enhances training efficiency. For financial professionals, besides the autonomy and flexibility in learning, this learning system utilizes various badges within the game to generate positive implications and have a beneficial impact on English language learning performance. Furthermore, this experiment demonstrates that the combination of digital game-based learning and different badge mechanisms is advantageous for educators and researchers, as it provides different characteristics of badge mechanisms that can be utilized in appropriate teaching strategies and future research directions. The findings also serve as a reference for system developers, as the study explores the influence of badge mechanisms on learners. It is hoped that in the future, more game designs can be developed based on different badge mechanisms to facilitate English language learning for learners. | en_US |