Integrating Generative AI and Gamification to Enhance BESTEP Performance: A Case Study of a College English Empowerment Course
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47747/fmiic.v1i3.3633Abstract
This study investigates the effects of integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) and gamification on college students’ performance in the BEST Test of English Proficiency (BESTEP). Taking an English Empowerment course at a university in Taiwan as a case study, ChatGPT was incorporated to support speaking practice and self-directed learning, while gamified platforms such as Kahoot, Blooket, and Gimkit were used for vocabulary and grammar reinforcement. A quantitative research approach was adopted, with 37 valid questionnaires collected and analyzed using correlation and regression analyses. The results indicate that both gamification and ChatGPT-supported learning significantly enhance students’ learning motivation and self-directed learning readiness, which in turn positively influence BESTEP performance. Notably, ChatGPT demonstrated the strongest effect on self-directed learning (β = 0.89, p < .01). Furthermore, the findings reveal a dual-path learning model characterized by “high-frequency engagement” and “deep empowerment,” which effectively improves students’ learning confidence and overall performance. The results of this study provide important pedagogical implications for bilingual education in higher education.
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman and Company.
Butler, D. L., & Winne, P. H. (1995). Feedback and self-regulated learning: A theoretical synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 65(3), 245–281. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543065003245
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining "gamification". In Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments (pp. 9–15). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x
Hsu, L. (2023). ChatGPT as a chatbot for language learning: Benefits and challenges. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 5, 100150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2023.100150
Huang, R., Ritzhaupt, A. D., Sommer, M., Zhu, J., Stephen, A., Diehl, G., & Gordan, J. (2020). The effects of gamification on vocabulary learning: A meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 30, 100326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100326
Jeon, J. H., & Lee, S. (2023). Large language models in foreign language learning: Real-world dialogues and personalized feedback. Computer Assisted Language Learning. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2023.2265022
Jeon, J. H., & Lee, S. (2023). Large language models in foreign language learning: Real-world dialogues and personalized feedback. Computer Assisted Language Learning. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2023.2265022
Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education. Pfeiffer.
Kasneci, E., Sessler, K., Küchemann, S., Bannert, M., Dementieva, D., Fischer, F., ... & Kasneci, G. (2023). ChatGPT for good? On opportunities and challenges of large language models for education. Learning and Individual Differences, 103, 102274.
Language Training and Testing Center. (2023). The development and validation of the Best Test of English Proficiency (BESTEP). https://www.lttc.ntu.edu.tw/BESTEP.htm
Laura-De La Cruz, G. A., Gamarra-Chavez, M. A., Vera-Flores, M. A., & Cruzate-Velez, C. V. (2023). Gamification and self-regulated learning in higher education: A systematic review. Journal of Technology and Science Education, 13(1), 321–337. https://doi.org/10.3926/jotse.1895
Ministry of Education. (2021). The Program for Bilingual Education for Students in College (BEST Program). https://best.moe.gov.tw/
Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524759
O’Neill, E. M., & Russell, A. (2024). Leveraging generative AI for immediate corrective feedback in language learning. Language Learning & Technology, 28(1), 1–15.
Reinhardt, J., & Sykes, J. M. (2012). Conceptualizing digital game-based L2 learning and outcomes. NECTFL Review, 70, 32–62.
Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x
Sailer, M., Hense, J. U., Mayr, S. K., & Mandl, H. (2017). How gamification motivates: An experimental study of the effects of specific game design elements on psychological need satisfaction. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 371–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.033
Su, J., & Yang, W. (2023). Unlocking the power of ChatGPT: A framework for leveraging large language models in education. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 15, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/18479790231167547
Swain, M. (1985). Communicative competence: Some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible output in its development. In S. Gass & C. Madden (Eds.), Input in Second Language Acquisition (pp. 235–253). Newbury House.
Tai, K. W. H., & Chen, L. (2024). Enhancing language output through AI chatbots: A study on learner autonomy and confidence in EFL contexts. System, 121, 103248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103248
Tai, K. W., & Chen, L. (2024). Enhancing language output through AI chatbots: A study on learner autonomy and confidence in EFL contexts. System, 121, 103240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103240
VanPatten, B. (2004). Input processing in adult second language acquisition. In B. VanPatten (Ed.), Processing instruction: Theory, research, and commentary (pp. 5–31). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Wang, Y., & Lee, J. S. (2024). The impact of generative AI chatbots on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' writing and speaking performance: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 27(2), 145–160. https://doi.org/10.30191/ETS.202404_27(2).0010
Wang, Y., & Lee, J. S. (2024). The impact of generative AI chatbots on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' writing and speaking performance: A mixed-methods study. System, 121, 103240.
Wood, D., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17(2), 89–100.
Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Attaining self-regulation: A social cognitive perspective. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 13–39). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012109890-3/50031-7