The Gamification of Grammar Lessons in the E-learning Setting: A Comparative Study Conducted on ESL Learners

Abstract

E-learning has been regarded as 'trending' in education since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The shift from traditional learning to e-learning has led to exploring strategies to make the e-learning experience more interactive, resourceful, and beneficial. This study explores the efficacy of employing gaming platforms to improve grammar in English as a second language (ESL) learners. This study specifically focused on grammar, as it is considered time-consuming, tedious, and difficult for many learners. In addition, in a virtual environment, it is rather challenging to observe learners; thus, achieving the outcomes becomes challenging. This study was developed as experimental research to observe if the learners found the gamification of grammar lessons more exciting and engaging thus, motivating them to improve their skills. Forty ESL learners were divided into two groups; control and experimental, based on pre-test results. The control group was taught grammar lessons via zoom similar to a talk and chalk method, while the experimental group was taught grammar lessons via zoom using gaming platforms initiated via a Learner Management System (LMS). The post-test results revealed that the experimental group improved better than the control group. Due to time constraints, the researchers only focused on one grammar aspect. Based on the key findings, the study concludes that gamification of grammar lessons successfully improves the learners’ grammar skills and has led to a great motivation towards learning grammar.