College and University Enhancing students’ extensive reading practice via ReadTheory.org more

Wed, Aug 9, 17:15-17:50 Asia/Tokyo

Extensive reading can be the best way for the first year university students to develop their language competencies. However, most of them do not read in English extensively once they leave the classroom. This study explores the implementation of extensive reading through ReadTheory.org. Studies into the use of gamification, “the use of game design elements in non-game contexts” (Deterding et al, 2011, p.9) for language learning, has found positive results on language development and enhancing learner engagement toward the learning process. This research presents the results for a study into the use of a gamified reading website, Readtheory.org, that incorporates the use of gamification elements of badges, knowledge points (KPs), levels, and feedback to enhance reading comprehension. This study examines 40 undergraduate university students’ attitudes, motivation, autonomy, and perceptions toward enhancing their extensive reading skills through ReadTheory.org. The data were collected from students’ interviews and questionnaires. The findings showed that students' attitudes are high toward the gamified platform and that the utilization of ReadTheory motivates students to read independently using the website inside and outside the classroom. The main advantage of ReadTheory is it can be easily used anywhere-anytime, a better alternative to traditional reading methods and it can be adopted to enhance student’s reading comprehension.