Key components of digital games in grammar learning: Insights from English Majors

Abstract

The integration of games into educational settings has become increasingly common due to advancements in educational technology, yet using Game-Based Learning (GBL) in Grammar classes remains challenging because games’ features do not align with students’ needs. Therefore, the theoretical basis of this study consists of four game elements - Play, Pretending, Goal, and Rule - as well as the game components within these (Adams, 2014), which form the foundation for designing games for Game-Based Learning (Al-Azawi et al., 2016) in Grammar classes. Based on the foundation of these theories, this study developed the questionnaire and interview to collect data from 150 university students, plus utilized the mixed-method approach to strengthen the case study design and enhance the validity and credibility of findings through triangulation. The collected data showed three crucial components for designing games to teach Grammar university students: clear rules, fair rules, and appropriate difficulty levels. Additionally, specific preferences highlighted by students included cute visual styles, gradually increasing difficulty levels, and the game mode not requiring overly active participation, such as choosing correct answers within a reasonable time limit. These findings enable teachers to apply technology in higher education more effectively and provide criteria for them to design educational games that meet students’ needs, thereby enhancing the learning experience in Grammar classes.