| dc.description.abstract | In today′s era of globalization, English has become ubiquitous across various domains, necessitating the cultivation of speaking proficiency for effective communication. However, for English as foreign language (EFL) learners, mastering spoken English is not a simple task. Challenges include limited opportunities for speaking English, low motivation, and frequent difficulties encountered in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, which subsequently affect speaking fluency. With the advancement of technology, numerous studies employing digital learning systems to enhance EFL learners′ speaking abilities in recent years. These systems provide opportunities for learners to practice speaking English, enabling them to correct pronunciation mistakes in low-anxiety environments.
Past literature on digital game-based learning has demonstrated its effectiveness in enhancing learners′ English proficiency across various skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing), sparking interest, boosting motivation, and further alleviating speaking anxiety. Uncertainty, as an indispensable element in games, has also been studied regarding its impact when incorporated into digital game-based learning systems, with findings indicating a positive effect on learning outcomes. However, previous research has not explored the effects of applying game uncertainty to English-speaking learning and learners′ preferences for different game uncertainty mechanisms. Therefore, this study primarily investigated the influence of the presence or absence of uncertainty on learners′ English-speaking learning performance, in-game performance, learning motivation, learning perceptions, and behavioral patterns in a digital game-based English-speaking learning environment. Additionally, this study investigated the correlations between various variables and learners′ preferences for and opinions behind three types of game uncertainty mechanisms.
This study developed an online role-playing game-based learning system integrating English speaking, titled ＂Legendary Island Adventure.＂ Three different game uncertainty mechanisms were designed and integrated into the system, resulting in two versions: one with game uncertainty mechanisms and one without. The first game uncertainty mechanism is a lottery, which offers learners the chance to win a large amount of coins with a low investment. Its attractiveness encourages learners to strive to earn coins to purchase lottery tickets, thereby achieving the effect of promoting learning. The second game uncertainty mechanism involves dice rolling, allowing learners to predict the outcome of the dice roll for a chance to either double the mission reward coins or lose the reward altogether. This uncertain reward entices learners, further fostering learning. The third game uncertainty mechanism is sudden tasks, which are triggered sporadically during the game to maintain learners′ interest in the system and sustain their motivation. These sudden tasks consist of three types: defeating the boss monster, collecting items, and engaging in NPC conversations. Each time they are triggered, one type of task is randomly selected.
This study employed a quasi-experimental design with 52 participants from the Applied English Department of a technological university in northern Taiwan. The participants were specialized students aged approximately 15 to 16 years old. They were randomly assigned to two groups: one with uncertainty (25 participants) and one without (27 participants). Research instruments included tests of English-speaking proficiency, a motivation scale, a perception scale, a questionnaire on game uncertainty mechanisms, and system logs. The total duration of the experiment was 150 minutes.
This study reveals six main findings: (1) Learners using the English-speaking learning system with uncertainty exhibited better English-speaking learning performance compared to those without; (2) Regarding in-game performance, the group with uncertainty showed superior results; (3) There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of learning motivation and learning perceptions; (4) The group with uncertainty demonstrated significantly more behavioral transfers than the group without; (5) In terms of correlations, within the group with uncertainty, learning performance was positively correlated with certain aspects of in-game performance and learning perceptions. Learning motivation was negatively correlated with game uncertainty mechanism in-game performance. Conversely, in the group without uncertainty, learning motivation and learning perceptions were positively correlated with learning performance; (6) There was no significant difference in learners′ preferences for the three types of game uncertainty mechanisms.
In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrate that the digital game-based English-speaking learning system developed with uncertainty can indeed enhance learners′ English-speaking performance and in-game performance. Furthermore, it reveals the influence of uncertainty on learner behavior, and preferences regarding different game uncertainty mechanisms. These research outcomes provide valuable reference and direction for future studies investigating uncertainty and English-speaking learning. Educators can leverage this system to create an engaging environment for English-speaking learning and utilize various performance indicators to assess learners′ proficiency levels, thereby tailoring instruction to meet the needs of learners at different levels of proficiency. | en_US |