No student left behind: a collaborative and competitive game-based learning environment to reduce the achievement gap of EFL students in Taiwan

Abstract

How to close the achievement gap in the classroom so that no student is left behind becomes one of the most important issues nowadays. This study aims to construct a collaborative and competitive game-based learning environment to improve English proficiencies and reduce the achievement gap for disadvantaged students. The Wireless Crossword Fan-Tan Game (WiCFG) system was implemented to provide teachers with an innovative approach to guide students' learning through a positive involvement with the uses of tablet PCs. The experiment was conducted in an elementary school in Taiwan to investigate whether this approach would facilitate students' learning effectiveness and interactions. Thirty sixth-grade students were randomly assigned into a control group and an experimental group. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from surveys, interviews, observations and video-recordings. The results indicate that integration of the WiCFG system in the collaborative and competitive game-based learning environment leads students to a better interaction between different levels of students. This innovative approach might have the potential to close the achievement gap for disadvantaged students. Moreover, some principles of the classroom strategy are suggested as guidelines.

Facilitating application of language skills in authentic environments with a mobile learning system

“…One of them is achieving results beyond students' ability when working with other students (Basheri, 2013;Sun, Lin et al, 2017). Alioon and Delialioğlu (2017) and Hwang and Wu (2014) claimed that collaborative learning facilitates communication skills; that is, two or more students have the opportunity to talk to one another and to learn and practise the target language together (Hung et al, 2015). Collaborative learning helps students overcome their apprehension about communicating, and it encourages them to express their points of view in a foreign language (Alioon & Delialioğlu, 2017).…”

“…Hung et al (2015) constructed learning environments to improve students' EFL proficiency. Their results showed that the control students (i.e., who used traditional methods) and the experimental students (i.e., who used tablet PCs) exhibited no differences on the post-test.…”

“…The learning environment used in Chen, Hsieh, and Kinshuk (2008), though, was only "virtually authentic," and so was not truly familiar to the students under consideration. In some other studies, an authentic learning environment was created in school (Cavus & Ibrahim, 2017;Hung, Young, & Lin, 2015). However, although the school environment is familiar, students are not able to experience real-world situations there.…”

Students’ Perceptions about Gamification of Education: A Q-Method Analysis

“…Ciddi oyunlarda; eğlenceden önce eğitim, ticaret, sağlık, toplumsal farkındalık gibi daha ciddi amaçlar yer almaktadır (Serious Games, 2015). Hung, Young ve Lin (2015) farklı öğrenci seviyelerinde, ciddi oyunların öğrenci başarısı ve etkileşimi üzerinde pozitif bir etkisi olduğunu ifade etmektedirler. Her ne kadar Deterding ve diğerlerine (2011) göre ciddi oyunlarla oyunlaştırma arasında kesin bir ayrım olmasa da, oyunlaştırma eğitsel oyuna göre daha orijinal ve daha kapsamlı bir yapıdır.…”

A case for the use of the ability-in language user-in context orientation in game-based assessment

“…Chiu et al (2012) conducted a meta-analysis utilizing both fixed and random Game-based learning for EFL students has been found to be more effective in terms of closing the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their peers (Hung et al 2015). Hung and colleagues created and administered a cooperative crossword game called the Crossword Fan-Tan Game to 30 Taiwanese sixth grade students.…”