Learning Urdu Grammar with Interactive Games

Abstract

Various researches have been reported on the juxtaposition of games with language learning. Using IT in language learning, i.e., interactive games in language learning, increases the level of acceptability and interest because with games, solidification of connections between language and some outside world occurs, this technique also helps in improving social & cultural interaction. These researchers have contributed significantly by introducing ways to integrate games into language learning but field of learning Urdu with games is still in its infancy. This research is designed to determine whether or not using a game-like application can improve students’ understanding, motivation and achievement in learning Urdu grammar, a subject heretofore absent from the literature. The purpose of this study was to develop a game-like application for Urdu grammar and evaluate its effectiveness when compared with traditional classroom instruction. This research also aimed to investigate that whether a game-like application can bring close together the urban and rural settings. It also measure the learning gain achieved by the students of fourth grade at two different schools from urban and rural settings. An interactive game-like application was developed for Urdu grammar and deployed in urban and rural school of federal government. The developed game was used for collecting relevant data for identifying the effects of game based learning. The study examined the academic achievement of the students by conducting the pre and posttests. Second, the motivation levels of students were evaluated according to four subscales of Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction by administering a motivation survey adapted from Keller (1987). Third, the students’ views and feedback on the game-like application they had used were obtained through focus group discussions. A mix method technique, the quasi-experimental pretest and posttest method, was used to measure effectiveness of the game-like application. The findings showed that both classroom instruction and game based instruction helped children for gaining a better understanding about the underlying concepts of the Urdu Grammar, that could be seen from the improvements in the post-test scores compared to the pre-test scores. However, the experimental group was seen to be more engaged and motivated, resulting in an increase in their performance. The comparison among students’ performances at urban and rural schools illustrated the role of game-like application in mitigating the educational gap. The empirical results of the interactive game-like application are deemed to be the novelty of this present work.