| dc.description.abstract | Vocabulary is the basic component of English, and sentence patterns affect meanings. Both vocabulary and sentence patterns play essential roles in English learning. In traditional English education, most teachers used lecture-oriented methods, which might kill students’ learning motivation–an important element for language learning. Therefore, these years there have been a number of studies applying game-based learning in English education. However, very often it is found that games increase students’’ learning motivation but fail to promote thier learning achievement as too much attention has been paid to game operation or pursuit of game progress. To avoid this condition, this study proposes a massively multiplayer role-playing online game (MMORPG) for a virtual English learning environment, combining traditional English material with situational context in the form of task-based learning. Conducted in a physical class, such a learning activity can reduce the effect of low computer skills and facilitate discussion and interaction to achieve learning goal.
This research develops an online game for learning English vocabulary and sentence patterns and discusses learning outcomes and learning experience by investigating individual differences such as participants’ English ability and online-game experience. Through the results from an English comprehension test, it verifies that this English learning online game is effective in assisting English learning. Analyzing the data of the individual differences of four groups, it is shown that high English ability brings a positive effect on learning achievement while low English ability performs less learning effectiveness, and that low online-game experience positively affects learning achievement while high online-game experience brings little help in learning achievement. Furthermore, interaction is found between these two individual differences, suggesting that both factors should be taken into account when assessing the effectiveness of learning tools. From the in-depth interviews of extreme samples from the four groups some suggestions about how to improve the system are gathered, and the experimental group subjects showed positive attitude toward their learning experience with this MMORPG.
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