Research in gamified learning is still needed to expound how gamification may be employed to realistically yield positive effects on learning motivation. It is essential to evaluate whether gamification can foster autonomous forms of motivation, such as intrinsic motivation, which has been related to learning persistence and performance quality,…

Choice and autonomy are central tenets of interest-driven learning. Yet, in most studies on interest in school, students' choice and autonomy have been confined within the boundaries of the curriculum and the subject matter in question. This limits our understanding of how schools can support interest-driven learning as well as students' interest…

Studies have shown tabletop role playing games (TRPGs) to be effective motivational learning tools that can be utilized in various subject matter. However, limited research has analyzed the elements within TRPGsthat enable them to provide motivation to the users. As such, this study conducted an in-depth examination of the elements of TRPGs…

The use of video games in schools is not new. However, classroom use of video games may be poised for a dramatic shift as billion dollar video game franchises such as "Assassin's Creed" and "Minecraft" continue to invest in features aimed at facilitating the use of these games for education (Egbert & Borysenko, 2018;…

Self-determination theory (SDT) has empirical support in understanding and enhancing motivation in a variety of contexts, including education settings. Niemac and Ryan have highlighted that using SDT in course design can lead to stronger fulfilment of an internal locus of causality regarding course work. One course design method anchored in SDT is…

This study explores the factors influencing students' online game-based learning (OGBL) performance. At present, motivating students to engage in learning actively represents a significant challenge faced by teachers and other stakeholders. Additionally, the findings of a variety of OGBL studies have been inconsistent or contradictory,…

The study reported in this article investigated the use of quest-based learning (QBL) in a gamified English as a foreign language (EFL) course at a Japanese university. A mixed methods research design was utilised to explore the effect purposely designed quests can have on EFL students' foreign language (FL) motivation. The study was conducted…

Agency, or the capacity to take intentional actions, is considered one of the primary affordances of virtual reality (VR) for learning. VR is expected to increase learners' agency because it allows for full-body interactivity from a first-person perspective, giving them novel ways of interacting with the digital environment. Yet, agency in…

New instructional models for learning are emerging as alternatives to traditional education. Gamified instruction is touted as a motivational alternative for learning that increases learner autonomy, but research is lacking into its educational merit beyond those claims. This study measured the extent to which a gamified English as a foreign…

The popularity of games as educational tools has steadily increased and is mainly explained by the motivational power that is ascribed to games in general. The research investigates the role of different motivational forms in educational gaming and the influence of game and teaching context on the students' motivation to involve in game play.…

I have always valued reflection highly -- as a means of developing as a writer and as a life practice -- but I have been disappointed by the lack of thought resembling reflection when asking students to write about their writing practices. This dissertation presents the results of a grounded theory study of student reflective assignments through a…

In the clinical medical field, case studies, medication records, examination results, and physician prescriptions are documented in English. As a consequence, the English for Medical Professionals (EMP) program has become one of the important courses in nursing education in non-English-speaking countries. For English as a Foreign Language (EFL)…

Recent science education reforms emphasize the goal of developing students' science and engineering practices. To foreground those practices during science instruction, teachers need conceptual tools to guide their instructional decision-making. In this conceptual paper, I propose that thinking about science and engineering activities as educative…

Game-based learning environments (GBLEs) focus on enhancing learning by providing learners with various representations of information (e.g., text, diagrams, etc.) while allowing full autonomy, or control over their actions. Challenges arise as research shows that learners inaccurately use cognitive and metacognitive processes when given full…

While the development of creativity, or creative thinking, in mathematics is considered important by many researchers, there are several difficulties in implementing creative tasks, especially before secondary school. Within the original context of a mathematical escape game, this paper reports two episodes exemplifying the difficulties met by…