Mixed effects of cooperative/competitive gamification on language learning regarding engagement, foreign language enjoyment, and classroom social climate

This study reflects how gamification with cooperation/competition mechanics enhances language learning regarding engagement, foreign language enjoyment, and classroom social climate. Although gamification as a whole is an innovative pedagogy that transforms pedagogical practices into entertaining experiences without distortion of educational purposes, few studies have investigated the gamification elements and compared the efficiencies of gamification with different elements. An experiment investigated how the cooperative/competitive gamification interventions, realized by Classcraft with cooperation/competition mechanics rather than ClassCraft as a whole, influence English learning outcomes. Aiming to update prior probability with new data, Bayesian analysis of covariate demonstrates that gamification with cooperation/competition mechanics exerts mixed effects on language learning considering engagement, foreign language enjoyment, and classroom social climate. Explicitly speaking, cooperative gamification shows more positive posterior distribution than competitive cooperation. Therefore, despite mixed effects that reflect the non-panacea role of gamification, efficiency in enhancing language learning is greater for cooperative gamification consistent with the socially interactive nature of learning than competitive gamification that stresses outperformance.