The Gamification of Extensive Reading: Investigating the Effects in L2 Reading Motivation, Reading Amount, and Time Spent Reading

Abstract

Previous studies on extensive reading programs have highlighted the significant improvements in various linguistic and motivational aspects of the language learner, primarily with their first language (L1) texts. However, for second language (L2) reading, in English as Foreign Language (EFL) contexts, several studies have highlighted the difficulties of motivating students to finish the extensive reading programs with their own self-directed motivations. The research remains unclear on how the design features of extensive reading programs influence changes on specific components of motivation among EFL students. Additionally, recent research on gamification in education has revealed significant influences on student motivation and engagement. This study looks at the impact that certain key design elements from the gamification field can have on specific motivational and behavioral outcomes. In this ten-week study, thirty-seven, second to fifth grade, Korean EFL students participated in either an extensive reading (ER) program or a gamified extensive reading (GER) program (Day & Bamford, 1998

Kapp, 2012). Pre- and post-tests measures of motivation were collected from both groups and investigated for changes based on condition. In addition to their self-reported changes in motivation, actual reading amounts and time spent on reading were also analyzed for significant differences between the two conditions. Results show that adding the basic gamification design elements had a significant positive effect on increasing students overall motivation, self-efficacy, and two extrinsic motivation subcomponents (recognition and competition) to read in English. Changes in intrinsic motivation were not statistically significant for both conditions. However, students in the gamification group started to show subtle increases in intrinsic motivations for reading English, along with several of its subcomponents (curiosity, challenge and involvement), after eight-weeks of exposure to gamification. Students in the gamification (GER) condition also read significantly more as well as spent more time reading than the traditional extensive reading (ER) group. On the contrary, the students in the ER condition showed a decrease in self-efficacy that was significant, and read significantly less with less time spent in reading. Delayed post-test survey results were also collected in an attempt to get additional insight into this trend. Survey results reveal that students in the GER condition rated themselves as having a greater appreciation for books after the program and did not want to stop attending the program.