Effectiveness of MMORPG‐based instruction in elementary English education in Korea

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG)-based (massive multiplayer online role-playing game) instruction in elementary English education. The effectiveness of the MMORPG program was compared with face-toface instruction and the independent variables (gender, prior knowledge, motivation for learning, self-directed learning skills, computer skills, game skills, computer capacity, network speed, and computer accessibility) were examined to see how accurately achievement was predicted in MMORPG instruction. The results indicated that students studying English utilizing online role-playing games showed higher scores in areas of listening, reading, and writing than those who attended face-to-face instruction classes. It was also found that prior knowledge, motivation for learning, and network speed were factors affecting achievement in English learning. These findings suggest that MMORPGs can play an important role in improving English communicative skills.

Factors Affecting Students' Achievement in English Language Learning

“…Among the constructs of language learner strategies, however, the only construct having a statistically significant effect on achievement test scores was metacognitive strategies. Suh et al (2010) investigated the effectiveness of massive multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG)-based (massive multiplayer online role-playing game) instruction in elementary English education. The results indicated that students studying English utilizing online role-playing games showed higher scores in areas of listening, reading, and writing than those who attended face-to-face instruction classes.…”

Mom, Dad It’s Only a Game! Perceived Gambling and Gaming Behaviors among Adolescents and Young Adults: an Exploratory Study

“…In recent years, research on MMORPGs (the game genre most played by participants) proposes that such games can help improve learners' second language learning (e.g., Rama, Black, van Es & Warschauer, 2012), such as English learning (Suh, Kim & Kim, 2010). Moreover, the default language of communication in many games is English and therefore it is accepted that successful and frequent players of such games that do not have English as their mother tongue acquire some of their…”

Gaming the Performance: Massively Multiplayer Online Games and Performance Outcomes in English and Business Courses

“…Network-based games can assist in language competencies for ESL learners through the opportunities of social interaction and collaborative communications with peers (Ang & Zaphiris, 2007;Peterson, 2010). Other studies relate to examining the effects of prior knowledge on English proficiency gains using MMOGs (Huang & Yang, 2014;Lee & Pass, 2014;Liu, Yang & Huang, 2012;Yang & Hsu, 2013), using MMOGs in elementary English education to increase listening, reading, and writing scores of experimental groups (Suh, Kim & Kim, 2010), safe learning spaces for ESL that MMOGs can provide (Kongmee, Strachan, Pickard & Montgomery, C, 2011), and the ability of MMOGs to inspire students to write more prolifically (Martin, 2011).…”