The Motivation of Uncertainty: Gamifying Vocabulary Learning

Abstract

As language learning is a long-term process, it is important to find ways of sustaining learning motivation over time. One approach for addressing this problem is gamifying learning tasks. Gamification refers to the incorporation of gaming elements, such as uncertainty, in the learning process so that motivation can be sustained. The present study reports an intervention investigating the effectiveness of gamifying learning vocabulary using a smartphone app. After using the app for a month, the experimental group ( n  =  102) outperformed the control group ( n  =  83) in the posttest but not in a delayed posttest administered one month after the end of the experiment. The implications of the results are discussed in the context of implementing gamification to sustain learning motivation.