Exploring Saudi University EFL Instructors’ and Students’ Perceptions of Microlearning, Nanolearning and Gamification for Student Engagement and Retention
Keywords:
Microlearning; nanolearning; gamification; EFL learning; student engagement; digital pedagogy; higher education.Abstract
The fast adoption of digital technologies in the education sector has altered the patterns of language learning, and specifically in the English as a foreign language (EFL) learning. The traditional approach to classroom-based learning cannot always ensure engagement and
long-term knowledge retention, particularly in the case of the contemporary generations of students who are used to short and interactive technologies. Accordingly, such innovative approaches to learning as microlearning, nanolearning, and gamification have become solutions. This study examines how university students and instructors perceive the efficiency of these strategies in improving engagement, understanding, and retention in EFL learning settings. The methodology used to conduct the survey was quantitative in which 405 participants (312 students and 93 instructors) in universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were utilized. A structured questionnaire was employed as the data collection method based on a five-point Likert scale, which was analyzed based on the tool of descriptive statistics and chi-square test of goodness of fit. The results suggest that the perceptions of microlearning and nanolearning as the methods of simplifying the complex content of language and enhancing the retention of vocabulary and grammar are generally positive. The results also indicated that gamified strategies facilitate greater motivation among the students and make the process of learning a language more enjoyable. Students and instructors both admitted that these strategies do not displace traditional teaching, but may be used in conjunction with it. It suggests that microlearning modules, nanolearning units, and gamified activities should be incorporated in blended EFL teaching. Professional development of instructors is necessary to facilitate the implementation of this blended teaching. The findings add to existing research on digital pedagogy and provide practitioners with valuable information on how to enhance language teaching activities in higher education.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.4.25
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