The Effectiveness of a Gamified Electronic Application in Developing Reading Comprehension Abilities among First-Grade Intermediate Students in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Gamification-based learning is one of the interactive and student-centered instructional strategies that has emerged as a result of academic attempts to fulfill the needs of the current period. This method has been adopted by scholars, administrators, and teachers, and it has been applied in academic contexts. Thus, the study used an electronic gamification program to improve reading comprehension skills in Saudi first-graders. Using a gamified computer application and a reading comprehension assessment, the study achieved its goals. The sample was comprised of 46 students split into two groups. Each group had 23 students. The researchers analyzed the data using SPSS. The experimental and control groups did not differ statistically in the reading comprehension test. When comparing the experimental group’s reading comprehension before and after test results, there were statistically significant changes in favor of the postmeasurement. The study suggested employing a gamified electronic application to teach English to first-graders. In addition, the findings of research which were looked at to determine whether or not the use of gamification Saudi Arabia was beneficial pointed mostly to the advantages of learning via gamification-based platforms. In addition to this, the systematic review offers helpful advice for both future researchers and practitioners.

English Reading E-Module Based on Gamification and Contextual Teaching and Learning to Promote Reading Comprehension Skills

“…Applying gamification in English language learning to improve reading comprehension skills is what has been introduced previously. However, inevitably, the use of gamification for reading comprehension skills in English as a foreign language in the last 10 years (2012-2022) is still limited (Fahad Alzuhair & Mohammed Alkhuzaim, 2022;Kaban. & Karadeniz, 2021;Manzano-Leon et al, 2022).…”

“…Other research also states that E-modules can improve student learning outcomes (Darmaji et al, 2019;Lestari & Parmiti, 2020;Pratiwi et al, 2021). Other research also states that the majority of students stated that they find gamification for reading in ESL fun, enjoyable, engaging, and sometimes challenging (Fahad Alzuhair & Mohammed Alkhuzaim, 2022;John et al, 2021;Li et al, 2018;Li & Chu, 2021;Mak et al, 20219;Manzano-Leon et al, 2022;Sofiana & Mubarok, 2020). Students also stated that gamification allows them to act anonymously, which helps encourage students because they do not feel embarrassed when making mistakes, as is common in conventional classes (Chen & Kent, 2019;Kaban.…”

Gamificación y Comprensión de Textos en Inglés en Estudiantes de una Escuela Militar Peruana

“…De acuerdo con Chen et al (2020), si bien el uso de elementos de gamificación en el aprendizaje motiva a los alumnos a interactuar entre ellos y mejora su desempeño en las actividades propuestas por el docente, su desempeño en comprensión de textos no presenta un cambio significativo. Por lo cual, Alzuhair & Alkhuzaim (2022) sugieren usar herramientas virtuales en las actividades de gamificación donde se evidencie un verdadero cambio en la comprensión de textos. Al alentar a los participantes a participar en las actividades, se debe de tener en cuenta tanto el nivel de habilidad de los alumnos como la cantidad de dificultad en las actividades en sí.…”

“…Asimismo, Chen et al (2020) sostuvieron la importancia de abordar la necesidad de diseñar mecanismos de gamificación relacionados con el fortalecimiento de la lectura de textos digitales, comportamientos de anotación e interacción colaborativa al mejorar de forma efectiva la comprensión lectora de los alumnos. Conforme con, Alzuhair & Alkhuzaim (2022), si las estrategias de gamificación van relacionadas con las herramientas digitales, estas tienen mayor incidencia en las habilidades de comprensión de textos, a diferencia de usar las metodologías tradicionales. De manera similar, según Oh & Kim (2022) los elementos del diseño de los juegos pueden implementarse en las clases con los alumnos.…”

The Impact of Gamification on EFl Students’ Reading Comprehension

“…It means that educators should enhance the soft skill of the students, like critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. Based on this reason, it is regrettable that teachers in situations other than games to motivate students to learn and increase their enjoyment and interest (Fahad Alzuhair & Mohammed Alkhuzaim, 2022).…”