Utilising badges and leaderboards to support students' English language learning

Abstract

Previous studies suggested that badges and leaderboards have a potential to support student learning. English language learning is of great importance in today’s globalised society. However, few studies have examined how badges and leaderboards can be designed to support students’ English language learning effectively. This thesis incorporates four interconnected studies, which in combination are meant to address the aim of investigating the potential of leveraging badges and leaderboards to underpin student learning, especially how they can be utilised to support students’ English language learning in formal education. Study one reviewed 39 articles concerning the empirical evidence of badge use in education, identified important research gaps, and proposed a series of badge design recommendations based on empirical findings and robust theories. Likewise, study two reviewed 20 articles concerning the empirical studies of leaderboard use in education, ascertained significant research gaps, and raised a set of leaderboard design recommendations according to empirical findings and well-established theories. These two studies identified critical research gaps, which directed the research questions of the two following empirical studies. Also, the two studies provided important guidance that informed the badge and leaderboard design of the two subsequent empirical studies. Study three examined the individual and combined effects of badges and leaderboards on first-year Chinese secondary school students’ learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Specifically, their effects on students’ EFL interest (course and domain interest in Fryer et al.’s [2016] Task-Course-Domain Model), self-efficacy, and academic performance were examined. Contrary to the hypotheses, study three found that using badges and leaderboards separately or together did not affect students’ course/domain interest, self-efficacy and performance compared to non-gamification. Despite the nonsignificant findings, this study is among the pioneering studies investigating the individual and combined effects of badges and leaderboards on students’ English language learning interest, self-efficacy, and performance. This study also provided possible explanations for the nonsignificant findings and guided future research. Building upon study three, study four investigated the combined effects of badges and leaderboards on first-year Chinese secondary school students’ EFL interest (course and domain interest in Task-Course-Domain Model), self-efficacy, performance, and whether the effects differed by gender. The findings suggested that badges and leaderboards together effectively enhanced students’ course interest, domain interest, and self-efficacy, but did not affect their academic performance compared to non-gamification. The effects of badges and leaderboards were similar for male and female students. Most students reported positive perceptions of badges and leaderboards in open-ended feedback (e.g., the gamified course using badges and leaderboards was fun and increased their attention). Study four provided a feasible and cost-efficient strategy (i.e., implementing badges and leaderboards simultaneously) to support student English language learning interest and selfefficacy. All in all, the present thesis provides important insights into how badges and leaderboards can be utilised to underpin student learning, especially how they can be designed to support secondary school students’ English language learning by fostering their interest and self-efficacy.