COLLEGE OF COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
___________________________________________________________________
Academic Year 2019 - 2020
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF GAMIFIED PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
USING A WORD FORMING ADVENTURE GAME
Jerome Collado
Jorelle Sison
Marko Joviel Guinto
Capstone Adviser:
Khristian G. Kikuchi
A Capstone Proposal Submitted
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
1
Biographical Sketch
COLLADO, JEROME L. is an Information Technology student under the College of Computer
and Information Science in Malayan Colleges Laguna (MCL). Was born on 10th of January 1999
and is currently residing in Santa Rosa, Laguna. Knowledgeable in some programming
languages such as C#, C++, Java, and PHP. He is also one of the proponents of the Task Force
Management System during his practicum at Malayan Colleges Laguna.
GUINTO, MARKO JOVIEL M. is an Information Technology student under the College of
Computer and Information Science in Malayan Colleges Laguna (MCL). Was born on 13th of
October 1997 and is currently residing in Almanza Uno, Las Piñas. Is knowledgeable in some
programming languages such as C#, JavaScript, SQL, and PHP. Is proficient in Unity and
CocosCreator. He is the proponent of the Commute Shuttle Ticketing System briefly used at
Laguna Bel Air Subdivision during his time at Malayan Colleges Laguna.
SISON, JORELLE CHARLOS I. is a B.S.I.T Student under the College of Computer and
Information Science (CCIS) in Malayan Colleges Laguna (MCL). Was born on 7th of December
1998 and is currently residing in Cabuyao, Laguna. Majored in Mobile and Game Development,
knowledge in C#, C++, JAVA, SQL, and PHP, Proficient in VScode, Unity, and Android Studio.
He is one of the two proponents of the Mobile-based Food Fulfillment Application during his
practicum at Malayan Colleges Laguna.
2
Table of Contents
Title Page
Biographical Sketch
2
Table of Contents
3
List of Tables
4
List of Figures
4
List of Appendices
5
Definition of Terms
6
Introduction
8
Review of Related Literature
18
Methodology
31
Results and Discussions
39
Conclusion
44
Recommendations
44
References
47
3
Appendices
42
List of Tables
Table
Title
Page
1
Level Data Sheet
18
2
Unit Test for game testers
44
3
Compatibility testing results
46
List of Figures
Figure
Title
Page
1
Conceptual Framework
19
2
SCRUM Methodology
34
3
Game Development Sprint Flow
36
4
5-point Likert Scale
42
5
Weighted Mean Formula
42
6
Use Case Diagram
43
7
Age of Respondents
47
4
8
Grade Level of Respondents
47
9
Game Story rating
48
10
User Experience rating
49
11
Functionality rating
49
12
Reliability rating
50
13
Performance efficiency rating
50
List of Appendices
Appendix
Title
Page
A
Survey Questions and Results
64
B
Application Screenshots
68
C
Scenario Application Screenshots
71
D
Application Survey Questions
72
E
Survey Results
73
5
Definition of Terms
Game Tester - a person or individual who plays video games that are under development to
check for errors or bugs.
Mobile Game - a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. This allows and
enables users to engage in a sense of escapism, since these games require full engagement and
deep concentration. Games have specific ways of ticking all the boxes necessary for successful
training of the brain. This is true especially for games users play against the clock.
Unity - a cross-platform game engine developed by Unity Technologies, a tool that allows you to
accomplish different types of tasks related to the game production process. Unity provides game
developers with a 2D and 3D platform to create video games.
Play Fab - a complete backend platform for live games with managed game services, real-time
analytics, and LiveOps. And also enables developers to use the intelligent cloud to build and
operate games, analyze gaming data and improve overall gaming experiences.
6
Chapter 1
Introduction
Games and game-like elements have begun to invade the real world. Gamification, defined
as the use of game mechanics, dynamics, and frameworks to promote desired behaviors, has found
its way into domains like marketing, politics, health and fitness, with analysts predicting that it
will become a multi-billion-dollar industry by 2015 (MacMillan, 2011). Some visionaries, like
game designer Jesse Schell, envision a kind of gamepocalypse, a hypothetical future in which
everything in daily life becomes gamified, from brushing one's teeth to exercise (Schell, 2010). As
said by Schell and MacMillan, gamification will slowly become the norm as more and more
millennials join the workforce, and through that we can use gamification elements for the next
generation of youth, that way we can assure that the progress gamification has proven can be used
in parallel to educating the youth
Gamification attempts to harness the motivational power of games and apply it to realworld problems – such as, in our case, the motivational problems of schools. Motivation and
engagement are major challenges for the educational system (Bridgeland, Dilulio, & Morison,
2006). We must clearly define what is meant by gamification, evaluate it for its benefits and
drawbacks, explore current implementations and future possibilities, and better understand the
theoretical rationale behind gamification. This will allow us to create effective interventions rather
than guessing in the dark.
Schools already have several game-like elements. Students get points for completing
assignments correctly. These points translate to “badges,” more commonly known as grades.
Students are rewarded for desired behaviors and punished for undesirable behaviors using this
7
common currency as a reward system. If they perform well, students “level up” at the end of every
academic year.
Given these features, it would seem that school should already be the ultimate gamified
experience, however, something about the school environment fails to engage students. In contrast,
video games and virtual worlds excel at engagement (McGonigal, 2011). As evidence of this, 28
million people harvest their crops in Farmville on a daily basis (Mashable, 2010), and over five
million people play World of Warcraft for more than 40 hours per week (Blizzard, 2010). On the
other hand, the default environment of school often results in undesirable outcomes such as
disengagement, cheating, learned helplessness, and dropping out. Most students would not
describe classroom-based activities in school as playful experiences.
Gamification techniques, applied to schools, can transform student perspectives on learning.
Students in schools are often told what to do without understanding the larger benefits of the work.
Gamification can help students ask, “If I want to master school, what do I do next?” It gives
students clear, actionable tasks and promises them immediate rewards instead of vague long-term
benefits. In the best-designed games, the reward for solving a problem is a harder problem (Gee,
2008). Gamification hopes to make the same true for schools.
There is heavy significance in upholding one’s language, especially Filipinos, as the history
of our language revolves around the battle our ancestors fought. Blood, ink, and sweat were shed
for our rights of liberty, for the ownership of identity, and a language for our country. Our national
language can define who we are and where we came from; it preserves our sense of liberty (Jayne
Micu, 2010). Much controversy was met when the Spaniards that were colonizing the country
wanted to declare Spanish as the National Language of the Philippines. Commonwealth Act No.
8
570 was proposed on the 7th of June 1940, also known as “An Act Making the Filipino National
Language an Official Language from the Fourth of July, Nineteen Hundred and Forty-Six”. It is
stated in this Commonwealth Act that the Filipino national language is declared as one of the
official languages of the Philippines. (Corpus Juris, 1940).
The importance of language to a country is greatly linked to its own literature, part of it is
learning about cultures and its identities, and how language is ultimately conceived throughout the
start and present of an ever-growing culture, but today’s academic application of general studies
says otherwise. In 2018, the Supreme Court lifted a temporary restraining order that affirmed a
memorandum of the Commission on Higher Education to remove Filipino, Panitikan and
Constitution in the general education curriculum, If the appeal to keep Filipino as a core subject in
the higher education fails, it will surely endanger the culture and identity of the Filipino people
(Fernando, 2018). “There is a ton of Philippine Literature Filipino students do not read about, most
of the literature in our academic system consist of English literature” as said by Isabel Martin’s
(2017) research paper with surveys from multiple schools and colleges that suggest that most of
the literature being thought to students are English Literature and only a small number of
Philippine Literature are being thought.
While there are a lot of literature required by us in our high school education system, only
three Philippine Literature are ever expanded upon as requirements in Filipino subjects, these
include Bernardo Carpio, Ibong Adarna and Florante 'at Laura. The rest are English Literature
required in the literature subject (Martin, 2017). A survey done by 1,077 male and female freshman
university students were asked to list the literature they read in their high school literature subject.
9
They were also instructed to identify which texts were required readings in their literature subjects
(Prescott, 2007).
The survey revealed the top results for literature required by high school teachers in the
literature classes. It is interesting to note that of the ten literary texts listed above, five texts are
works of Shakespeare, two are translations from languages other than English, and the rest are
works of American or British writers. Not a single work by a Filipino writer or an Asian writer is
included in the required readings above, not even a translated one at that. In fact, the list of top
twenty required readings reveals that all literary texts are of American or European origin
(Prescott, 2007).
Philippine literature, as stressed earlier, is an identity marker for the Filipinos. Literary
artworks contain every emotion of the writer. These emotions throughout the country’s history are
passed on through its literature, in oral or written form (Antonio, 2015).
As said by Abad in Martin’s (2007) “Our sense … of our country is a sustained act of
imagination. From that vantage, it can be said that our writers and artists, who are men and women
of imagination, create our country (italics mine). That is to say: they evoke those images of
ourselves as we live life day and night, those images of ourselves which we share and by which
we recognize our nativity. We are our own best interpreters of our history and culture because it
is we who have lived through that history and created our own values by which we live”.
Gemino Abad, A Filipino Poet, emphasizes the importance of Philippine literature to the lives of
Filipinos. His phrase “Writers and artists create our country” places a faith for Philippine literature
not only in the formation of national identity but also national consciousness. Since nationalism
works as a catalyst to the development of the country, this becomes a serious problem when it
10
comes into its utilization (Isidro, 1968). With the growing colonial mentality of youth, it seems
that many are so caught up to the modernization and globalization that they have forgotten to
understand the values of literary arts (Antonio, 2015).
Statement of the Problem
According to award winning poet and translator Marne Kilates; there is a lack of awareness
towards the proper use of the Filipino language in the masses. Some of this can be attributed to the
confused use of Filipino in the media, which perpetuates errors in our language. Similarly,
Chureson stated that media plays a very significant role in connecting a large number of people
and can significantly influence and reflect the perception and linguistic habits of the local people
(Chureson, 2013). Kilates continues to state that news media often uses the Filipino word
“kaganapan” for the word “event” when in actuality “kaganapan” means fulfillment, completeness,
or a general sense of celebration for success. She continues on saying that “This example is just
an absurd use of language, arising from simple ignorance or carelessness”. Errors such as this
could be avoided if Filipinos are educated of the correct use of our language early on, and are made
aware of the correct uses of words that are often confused by writers in media.
This situation is also true in Mamatid Elementary School, a basic education institution in
the city of Cabuyao, Laguna. According to the results of our interview, some children in Mamatid
Elementary School have difficulty understanding and learning Filipino words, especially if the
child grew up learning a language apart from Filipino such as English. (See Appendix A; Mamatid
Elementary School Interview). Children in Mamatid Elementary School are limited to traditional
11
learning material such as reference textbooks and peer group activities, there seems to be a lack of
interactive learning tools. (See Appendix A; Mamatid Elementary School Interview)
According to the results of the Philippine National Achievement Test held from 2007 to 2013,
students in Grade 3 scored an average of 57.96% for Filipino Vocabulary, as opposed to their
60.42% for English Vocabulary (Department of Education, 2013).
According to the results of our interview, there are some non-reader students. The interviewee said
that the reason for their trouble in learning the Philippine language is that they don’t know who or
what they are studying and they find it difficult to read some vocabularies that are hard to
pronounce which they are not familiar with. Also, there are students who come from other places
like provinces and they use a different dialect and lastly according to their observations, there are
students who don't listen during the class hours and they don’t read their textbooks much.
The teachers find it challenging to teach children the Philippine language, because some of the
words have a difficult sounding letter which the students find it difficult to understand which
makes the teachers find it challenging.
Sometimes the teachers need to translate some Filipino words to English because according to
their observations to their students, they (students) understand it more in English because there are
terms or words that are deep.
The teachers also said if there will be other alternative methods to keep their students of the modern
age interested in learning the Philippine language, and this is by using the technology because
children these days are literate using computers and mobile phones, some teachers answered a
video presentation using a television can also help the students understand the Philippine
vocabularies.
12
With all that was stated the main question that needs to be addressed is “How can we make
the Filipino Vocabulary much more interesting and easier to teach opposed to English
Vocabulary?”, in such a way that it will not be challenging to both the teachers and the students,
rather it be a fun experience that promote enjoyment to both reading comprehension and learning
Filipino Vocabulary. With the inclusion of teaching the 4 main Filipino Literature as a stepping
stone for finding a new way words can be learned visually through storytelling.
Objectives of the Study
As emphasized by Abad and Fernando, the development of the language and literature of
a country directly affects its culture and its people. With this in mind, the proponents would like
to develop a supplementary learning tool that can aid in the development of an individual’s Filipino
world vocabulary by using Philippine Literature as a medium.
Specifically, the proponents would like to design and develop an android-based mobile game that
will:
●
Promote Philippine literatures by utilizing and integrating core story segments of the 3
main Philippine Literature in the game’s story.
●
Allow the player to be familiarized with Filipino words, its correct usage and definition.
●
Integrate gamification elements in the game such as but not limited to word forming that
leads to a point system, timers, badges, and leaderboards.
13
The proponents also decided that the literature that will be used will be based on the three
main Filipino literatures (Bernardo Carpio, Ibong Adarna, Florante at Laura) that are thought in
Grades 7 through 12, but a more pleasing and more age-appropriate theme of storytelling will be
done instead of telling the story/literature bluntly as it is. The game presents basic storytelling like,
protagonists versus antagonists / protagonist and side character interaction, without the inclusion
of complex literary background context as to why the two sides are clashing or interacting, its more
akin to a picture book where the visuals and small dialogue tell the story rather than the full
complexity of its background context, with this we will be keeping true to our game’s age range.
In clarification to how we would familiarize the students on Filipino words, there will not be
audio or image defining or relating to the chosen words, because that would mean we would be
providing audio and pictures for every word in our database, instead we will be using text to define
the words the player selected as well as an example sentence whenever he/she forms a word.
Rationale of the Research Project
In an interview with GMA and Rappler held in 2014, chairman of the Commission on
Filipino Language Virgilio Armalio, said that the first thing an ordinary Filipino person can do to
help develop the Filipino language is to continuously use it, which would in turn integrate better
ideas in the Filipino words, they would be conscious of how to enrich or develop the language that
they are using. When they do not use it, they would not see the need to develop it (Armalio, 2014).
The design and development of this game can provide Filipinos with a platform to exercise
their knowledge of their language and literature and at the same time spread awareness of such. At
14
the same time, children or the Filipino Youth can benefit from this study as a supplementary
learning tool for both the understanding of the Filipino language and classical Philippine
Literature. Basic Education Institutions can also use the output of this research as a supplemental
didactic tool in teaching Filipino words and Philippine Literature.
Finally, the result of this research project can be used as a reference by future developers
and researchers in the field of gamification and game development alike.
Scope and Limitations
Leksiko: A Word Forming Adventure Game (Players)
The main function of the game is to allow the players to be familiarized with Filipino
words, its correct usage and definition. The game requires players to string together letters to
create morphemes which are then, in turn, used to create a whole Filipino word, part of that main
function also is to promote Filipino Literature:
● The main game comes from the idea of forming words from a 4 by 4 grid of letters.
Players can string adjacent letters horizontally, diagonally, and vertically. For difficulty
scaling, a timer is implemented which dictates how many stars you get at the end of a
level. The time it takes on average to complete a level, and the threshold for each star
15
count are as follows:
Table 1. Time-To-Complete Level Table
16
● Players can go through the stories of Bernardo Carpio, Ibong Adarna, and Florante at
Laura through a visualized pop-up-book aesthetic and linear dialogue style of
storytelling.
● Players can play bonus levels, each consisting of 3 questions. Players are able to unlock
power-ups if all 3 questions are answered correctly. Players can also access the bonus
word list from here. Only the bonus levels from chapters 1 to 3 unlocks powerups.
The game can be played through a mobile phone and can be played entirely online or offline.
The game can not be played on apple devices nor on pc, the game can only be played on android
devices. Other specific functionalities of the mobile game for players include:
● A Leaderboard system that spans from Chapter 1 - 9, where players will be able to view
the top ten players with the fastest time of completion. Players will be able to highlight
their own name in the list, players won't be able to view leaderboards that they have not
played the levels of yet, after completing a level only then can they view that specific
leaderboard.
● A Badge Collection menu, players will be able to view information about the badges and
achievements they have acquired after completing each specific requirement to unlock it.
● A Bonus Word list that displays all bonus words found while playing the game. Players
will be able to form specific words in the game labeled as “Bonus Words”, finding and
forming bonus words unlocks them in the Bonus word list, which displays the definition
and usage of the words found. The list can be accessed in the main menu and in bonus
levels.
17
● Players can also acquire power ups after completing the first four bonus levels of the
game, the game only has four power ups, other bonus levels after chapter three do not
give power ups.
Conceptual Framework
The proponents used the Input-Process-Output Model (IPO) as the framework of the study
(see Figure 1), determining the required inputs, processes, and outputs integral to the study.
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework
Input
18
The Input Layer of the conceptual framework defines the information taken in during
research and interview that is to be processed. The interview held during research was done with
the grade school Filipino teachers of Mamatid Elementary School. The words selected from the
Filipino Dictionary based on length and usage will be used in the gameplay aspect of the game,
while works of Philippine Literature will be used for the story aspects of the game. The
gamification concepts will be the basis of the game’s user input design, this game design includes
leaderboards and the storyline of the game.
Process
Identifying the problems through the interviews and research can aid the proponents in
providing a solution and add a new digital alternative to the students’ learning. Implementation of
User Interface and Input systems will be the key point in the game’s design, as well as integrating
all gathered data into the development of gameplay aspects. The selected Filipino Words
Definitions will be certified by a professional as to not perpetuate misunderstandings with players.
The game design manifests itself through the user interface, which handles everything the user can
interact with, and how those interactions take place.
Output
At the end of the study, the proponents’ expected output is a mobile game that integrates
all the parts thus mentioned and is capable of acting as a supplementary learning tool. Such
components include the Letter Formation and Population algorithm which will ensure that the
sequential-adjacency limitation will not allow the game to populate the board with letters that can’t
form words, a finished game UI that will allow the user to accurately and easily input their choices
19
during gameplay, a finished Filipino word-bank for the game that will limit its word length to a
maximum of 8 letters, and implementation of stories based on classic Philippine Literature.
Chapter 2
Review of Related Literature and Studies
The Promotion and Development of the Filipino Language
Republic Act No. 7104 is stated as “An Act Creating the Commission on The Filipino
Language, Prescribing Its Powers, Duties and Functions, And for Other Purposes”, also known as
“Commission on the Filipino Language Act”. This policy declared by the government is to “ensure
and promote the evolution, development and further enrichment of Filipino as the national
language of the Philippines, on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages.” (Congress of
the Philippines, 1991). The Commission on the Filipino Language (Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino)
is composed of representatives from various ethnolinguistic groups who are dedicated to the
research, development, propagation, and preservation of Filipino and other Philippine languages.
Factors That Make Educational Games Engaging to Students
Researchers support the idea that games hold the interest of students and motivate them to
focus on the activities because they enjoy competition, challenge, and fun (Bragg, 2007). Games
generally engage and delight the players (Boyle, 1997), which encourage them to play time and
time again. Tasks performed under the pretext of games become more bearable and agreeable
because there seems to be hardly any difference between work and play when the learners’
attention and energies are focused on a game (Lee, 1979). Thus, Gee (2005) suggests that for a
student to learn, one should make the learning experience a game-like enterprise, which could be
in the form of a video game, board game, or competition in a class. If teachers are able to utilize
20
this tool for learning, then it could be an interesting way of teaching the subject matter. But teachers
would still need to find out what factors make games engaging and fun to play.
Levin (1981), White (1984), Wiebe & Martin (1994), Bensen et al. (1999), Virvou, Katsionis, &
Manos (2005), Ke & Grabowski (2007), and Gergelitsova & Holan (2008) have studied the
effectiveness of games in promoting learning. However, much research on educational games is
about computer or video games. This is because computer games are very engaging and many are
readily available in the market. But one major problem in using computer games for learning is
that many of them are not designed for classroom use.
Because most commercial computer games are unsuitable for classroom use, it may be appealing
for teachers to develop their own educational games, which meet specific needs and requirements.
However, most teachers are not trained in developing games, especially games which are
engaging. Also, some games developed by teachers tend to be boring. These are the exact opposites
of most commercial games, which are engaging even if they are not educational.
The difficulty in developing educational games was highlighted by the costly failure of many
“edutainment” (coined by combining education and entertainment) material companies of the
1980s. Habgood, Ainsworth, & Benford (2005) claim that the learning content of some
edutainment materials interrupts the flow of fun of the game, while other edutainment materials
separate the learning from the fun of the game. Papert (1998) observes that most edutainment
materials, contrary to their goal of combining the appeal of computer games and learning in
education, are neither entertaining nor educational.
The positive factors that contribute to gaming engagement are being able to see swift and steady
improvement, and perception of being good in the activity. Whereas, the negative factors are
21
difficulties in getting started, getting stuck during the activity, lack of trust in the environment, and
intrinsic boredom with the subject of the game itself. The factors, being able to see swift and steady
improvement and difficulties in getting started, are closely related to the factor mechanics found
in this study. The factor that refers to boredom with the game is related to aesthetics while
perception of being good is related to control (Whitton, 2008).
Review on Use of Mobile Apps for Language Learning
There is a rapid increase in adoption of mobile technology for language teaching and
learning. Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) provides easy access for any learner
without the constraints of both place and time. In Mobile Learning, devices like smartphones, iPod,
tablet, laptop, iPad are implemented to scaffold language learning. Numerous apps are developed
and utilized for those who learn English as a second language.
In recent times mobile devices have been steadily incorporated into learning. The broad
use of Smartphones and different transportable and Wi-Fi gadgets has converted the traditional
teaching method and learning process (Kukulska-Hulme, 2009). This extensive usage of mobile
devices has fetched loads of mobile applications in English Language Teaching. Numerous apps
are available for language learners to download through easy access to the internet. Learning
materials can be accessed easily due to the portability and accessibility of mobile devices. Mobile
learning refers to the implementation of mobile devices in any branch of study. The features of
mobile technology such as portability and information accessibility plays a major role in the
enhancement of English language teaching and learning (ElHussein & Cronje (2010)). The main
characteristic of M-Learning can be the discretion of the learner. It lies in the hands of the learner
to decide upon the place and time for language learning (Kukulska-Hulme., 2012). The outbreak
22
in the domain of mobile learning makes it harder for anyone to arrive at a stable concept because
of the availability of new mobile devices in the market.
The Use of Language Learning Apps as a Didactic Tool for EFL Vocabulary Building
It is essential to consider that limited resources in our classroom make it challenging but
not impossible to innovate our teaching practices; moreover, the latent need of students to find a
purpose for learning the language and a good means to do so, trigger on teachers the possibility to
rethink their practices, make them more appealing, and bridge that generational gap between them
and their students. As Kumaravadivelu (2001) suggests, there is a need for language education that
is context-sensitive, as we understand the linguistic, sociocultural and political particularities of
our population.
Chen (2016) developed a study that evaluates LLAs for second language learners, in order
to know their benefits for adult learners. She studied eight LLAs including Duolingo, Shanbay
Vocabulary, Speak English, among others, and described them based on content quality,
pedagogical coherence, feedback, motivation, usability, customization and sharing, and she
concluded that this review allows teachers to make informed decisions. This study is a good model
to understand the need to do in depth research, adapt and customize the tools to be integrated in
our classrooms in order to provide a meaningful learning experience for our students. Terantino
(2016) examined the effects of independent mobile assisted language learning (MALL) on
vocabulary recalling and listening comprehension. He analyzed the characteristics of the apps
preferred by the population and concluded that due to established goals and guidelines for playing
23
as a means to provide language learning opportunities, students could have moderate gains in their
skills development.
The Use of Literature as a Medium for Language Learning Purposes
Today, the behaviourist views about learning stressing that all learning primarily happens
through imitation and a simplistic input-output system are commonly rejected. Learning in general
or language learning in particular is not considered a mere habit-formation process as a result of a
stimulus-response pattern reinforcing or rewarding expected behaviour anymore (Brown, 2000).
Methods of foreign language teaching like the Audio-Lingual-Method, which became popular in
the middle of the previous century, put this behaviouristic theory into practice by making use of,
for instance, computers in language labs for repetitive language drills focusing on grammar
structures and vocabulary (Harmer, 2001:Richards/Rodgers, 2014). The focus was mainly on
building up a large repertoire of sentences and grammatical patterns (Richards 2006) with the
expected result of the performance of accurate utterances without any emphasis on communication
in the real physical and social world (Bleyhl, 2005). A student then was supposed to learn through
a trial-and-error process by which he gradually learns to make finer and finer discriminations until
his utterances approximate more and more closely the speech of the surrounding community
(Rivers, 1968).
However, these kinds of methods, at least in this form, are relics of the past. Nowadays,
scholars view language learning as a much more complex process (Bleyhl, 2005). Bleyhl even
argues that such an Input-Output approach to learning based on imitation and reinforcement is
24
harmful. In contrast to the 60s and 70s when foreign language teaching was predominantly
influenced by the behaviouristic learning theory the “criterion of success” (Trim, 1992) in modern
foreign language teaching is "communicative effectiveness, not the mere performance of linguistic
exercises without error" or "formal correctness". Thus contemporary language teaching is a
communicative one. It puts the focus on content and primarily teaches its students to use the
foreign language as a means to communicate (Bleyhl, 2005). Accordingly, efficient foreign
language learning cannot only be based on the knowledge of the linguistic structures and words of
a language. It is rather the result of the use of the target language in the context of content-oriented
meaningful social interaction in socially and culturally appropriate ways (Byram,2002).
These characteristics of language teaching in general in particular basically describe the
essence of the very influential concept called communicative language teaching. In short, LT is a
“set of principles” (Richards, 2006) employing a “meaning-based, learner centered approach to
language teaching where fluency is given priority over accuracy and the emphasis is on the
com­prehension and production of messages, not the teaching or correction of language form”
(Spada, 2007). However, some authors prefer a slightly stronger definition and argue that LT
includes "attention to both fluency and accuracy".
According to Richards (2006) the central prin­ciples of LT is to make real communication the
focus of language learning, provide opportunities for learners to experiment and try out what they
know, be tolerant of learners' errors as they indicate that the learner is building up his or her
com­municative competence, provide opportunities for learners to develop both accuracy and
25
fluency, link the different skills such as speaking, reading, and listening together, since they
usually occur so in the real world, and let students induce or discover grammar rules.
Furthermore, according to Gebhard (2006) language teaching that aims to be
communicative needs to fulfill four requirements: First, there needs to be a shift from teacher
centered teaching to learner centered teaching which requires a reduction in the centrality of the
teacher. The teacher's role changes to a facilitator and monitor (Richards, 2006) demanding a
higher degree of autonomy from the students at the same time.
Second, it is essential to appreciate the uniqueness of individuals (Gebhard, 2006). The
view that a class is a very homogenous group of learners and that learning can be the same for all
those students if only all external conditions are controlled so that they are the same for each
student is rather an unrealistic wish common until today among teachers. Not only does this view
contradict the principles of modern TEFL, it also very much relates to the behavioristic theory
(Demirezen, 1988), which has proven not to be a helpful approach to effective language learning.
Every student is different for various reasons (e.g. different social background, prior knowledge,
motivation, and attitude towards learning and unique experiences) and thus also learns differently.
Therefore, teachers need to see each student as an individual (Gebhard, 2006) and accept that there
is no one-size-fits-all prescription to guarantee everyone’s success at the same rate.
The third factor for making a classroom a communicative one is to provide chances for
students to express themselves in meaningful ways (Gebhard, 2006). Negotiating meaning is, in
fact, one key element to communicative language teaching. Finally, students need the freedom to
have choices, both in relation to what they say and how they say it. This again relates to the call
for true negotiation of meaning in the classroom.
26
Preserving the importance of Filipino literature
Implementation and reinforcements of laws for the preservation and/or promotion of
Philippine literature should be observed. Laws are very important pieces of literature that performs
different functions (Ferrer Beltran, Moresso, & Papayannis, 2013),
Proclamation No. 968 Declaring the Month of April of Every Year as “National Literature
Month” was implemented last February 10, 2015. Its goals are to promote, conserve, and
popularize the Nation’s historical and cultural heritage like Philippine literature, even if new laws
are no longer developed, reinforcing the Proclamation no. 968 should be enough to promote
Philippine literature to the youth and to further strengthen its presence.
Writers, as said by Abad in Martin (2007), reflect the images and lives of every Filipino each day.
With lack of appreciation, there might come a time that their population would decline. Thus, it is
only fitting to give support and incentives, such as awards, to their unique and important skills.
The support of Filipinos, especially the government, is vital to motivate Filipino writers.
Suggested by Abueva (1998), support (especially funds) to Filipino writers and aspiring writers
and other artists who deserved to be recognized should be given substantially by the government
and other private groups or individuals. Awards, such as the infamous Palanca Awards, should
also be given to those who are worthy of such titles.
Another way of promoting Philippine literature is through the use of modernization. The
use of today’s technology is a boon to advertise Philippine literature. The mass media, for example,
is often used by the youth. Today, as most of the youth’s culture is related to mass media in two
27
different ideas that joined together, it is best to utilize it so that: modernization and embracing of
tradition would be wielded together to capture the Filipino essence (Lanuza, 2002). Since
literature is a versatile literary marker, it is very much possible to use media as a tool to promote
Philippine literature.
Filipinos use media as a way of expressing their complaints, joys, anger, sadness or their
want to change. These are very evident in the literature that they made throughout time; they write
to show to other Filipinos the reality, to catch their emotions, and to move in unity towards change
(Tolentino & Santos, 2014). Youth, as observed today, was welcomed by the new face of media.
Mass media serves as the most powerful catalyst for the modernization of youth (Lanuza, 2002).
Its power cannot be overlooked since it has become a great partner of youth to their everyday lives.
Media is certainly a way to advertise Filipino literature to the youth; education, on the other hand,
favours a long term effect on the youth.
The RLEP is a program devised to enhance the reading proficiency of pupils who are non
readers and poor-readers. The reading competency skills, however, are focused in English. For
grade one pupils, skills such as awareness for phonemes, phonics and noting details are covered;
while comprehension skills, such as noting details, getting the significance of story and predicting
outcomes are acquired by the grade two pupils (Figuerres, 2011). After the implantation of the
program, English reading competencies and skills of pupils have improved remarkably, said by
Figuerres (2011).
RLEP of UNP creates a positive effect to the reading proficiency of pupils. Adopting this
idea to benefit Philippine literature and imposing the program nationwide can be a major step to
28
present to children the Philippine literature earlier. Not only will it increase the proficiency of
Filipino youth in reading the Filipino language but also cater to literature.
Engaging students in educational games
Researches support the idea that games hold the interest of students and motivate them to
focus on the activities because they enjoy competition, challenge, and fun (Bragg, 2007). Games
generally engage and delight the players (Boyle, 1997), which encourage them to play time and
time again. Tasks performed under the pretext of games become more bearable and agreeable
because there seems to be hardly any difference between work and play when the learners’
attention and energies are focused on a game (Lee, 1979). Thus, Gee (2005) suggests that for a
student to learn, one should make the learning experience a game-like enterprise, which could be
in the form of a video game, board game, or competition in a class. If teachers are able to utilize
this tool for learning, then it could be an interesting way of teaching the subject matter. But teachers
would still need to find out what factors make games engaging and fun to play.
Other studies (e.g., Winchester, 2016; Yildirim, 2017) have integrated the use of game
elements into both the in-class and out-of-class learning components of flipped courses. For
example, Yildirim (2017) used points, badges, levels, experience points, and leaderboards in the
Moodle system of his course on teaching principles and methods.
Today's classrooms are filled with trainings that is "stale, bland, and almost entirely stuff
from the past" (Prensky, 2005, p. 62); however, today's students are technology savvy and expect
to be engaged. Students attending post-secondary institutions. Games have been shown to be
effective in promoting learning (Annetta, Minogue, Holmes, & Cheng, 2009; Barab, Thomas,
Dodge, Carteaux, & Tuzun, 2005; de Freitas, 2006; Ke, 2009; Liu et al., 2014; Moreno, 2012;
29
Papastergiou, 2009; Van Eck, 2006), and are more motivational for students than non-gaming
teaching methods (Barab et al., 2005; Batson & Feinberg, 2006; de Freitas, 2006; Papastergiou,
2009). Games have been shown to be effective for learning "partly because learning takes place
within a meaningful context" (Van Eck, 2006), which allows for application and practice. Effective
games must be "motivating, addictive, and provide encouragement through very short-term goals,
so that the player can fail and try again until they succeed" (O'Donnell, Gain, & Marais, 2013).
Van Eck (2006) recommends that commercially available games be identified and incorporated
into the classroom for learning due to the cost-effectiveness and quality of commercially available
games; however, identifying computer games that match curriculum and learning outcomes
(Annetta et al., 2009; de Freitas, 2006; Tüzün, 2007) and fit within the time restrictions for
classroom delivery is challenging (Gros, 2007; Tüzün, 2007). Designing games with relevant
backstories to accompany the game environment is also a challenging task (Tüzün, 2007).
Gamification's impact on student motivation and performance is an important topic, as
there has been increased interest in gamification (Hanus & Fox, 2015) at the college and high
school level. According to Lambton College in Sarnia, Ontario, has recently announced intentions
to incorporate gamification into its curriculum to better reach mobile-savvy students and increase
student engagement. The college is now able to design curricula that include avatars and
scoreboards (Kloet, 2014). Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, is using gamification elements
(e.g., goals, rules, and feedback systems) to engage children and adults in improving their literacy
skills (Beach, n.d.). Ensuring students are engaged in their learning in post-secondary
environments is critical as student engagement "is positively related to academic outcomes as
represented by first year student grades and by persistence between the first and second year of
college" (Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie, 2008).
30
Review on use of educational games on learning applications
Gamification and game-based learning (GBL) have become a recent trend in enhancing
classroom learning, however people often tend to get confused between the two concepts.
Gamification uses game design elements, game mechanics and game thinking in a non-game
context to motivate participants (Khaleel, Sahari, Wook, & Ismail, 2016). The benefits of
gamification include higher motivation levels, increased interaction and great loyalty.
According to Landers and Callan, gamification applications for the education of students or
individuals who wants to develop themselves has not yet become prevalent enough. Findings in
the literature also support this notion. It is seen that there are a limited number of studies examining
achievement, motivation and views of students in the gamification approach. Examining studies
related to the gamification approach and identifying trends in these studies constitute the problem
of this study.
The theory of gamified learning (Landers RN, Simul Games, 2014) presents a theoretical
model in which game elements, drawn from the serious games literature, are used in isolation or
in limited combinations to gamify existing instructional processes in order to improve learning.
Critically, individual game elements must be linked to specific behavioral, motivational, or
attitudinal outcomes, which in turn must be linked to learning outcomes, in order for gamification
to be effective. Without establishing such links, gamification may appear to be unsuccessful when
implementations have in fact succeeded. In this chapter, we expand upon the theory of gamified
learning by providing applied examples of each of the nine major categories of game elements and
linking those elements theoretically to the behavioral and attitudinal constructs they are best
predicted to affect. In short, we explain how to gamify learning in a scientifically supported
31
fashion. We conclude with recommendations for both research and practice of gamification in
learning.
Synthesis
As said by Lacuata (2019) Filipino students rank lowest out of 79 countries on reading
comprehension and The PISA 2018 results that also show that most students are more likely to
find and search for information rather than understand it, the 2 statements gave another reason why
Filipino vocabulary should be deemed a priority amongst Filipino students and their respective
academic curriculum, that is why the proponents chose to emphasize on language learning apps as
an educational tool for EFL vocabulary building. The understanding of words rather than passing
information is way more inclusive to the overall language problem of the country, as for the
Literature aspect of the study, literature as a medium is important in learning language through
story scenarios that make real communication the focus of language learning as said by Richards
(2006).
Gamification is very important when emphasizing Language, according to research that
supports the idea that games hold the interest of students and motivate them to focus on the
activities because they enjoy competition, challenge, and fun (Bragg, 2007). GBL or Game based
learning is rising in popularity today, so are educational games that promote nationalistic ideals,
add to that the thrill of competition, challenge, and fun, all of which will surely bring progress in
the literature and language field of the academic system.
Chapter 3
Methodology
SCRUM Development Methodology
32
The development methodology that will be used throughout this study is a modified SCRUM
methodology, an agile process framework that is well-suited for game development, allowing for
the creation of testable game features in short bursts of time, and validation of said features. It also
aids in providing full visibility of the progress of the project.
Figure 2. SCRUM Methodology
SCRUM Methodology development involves the creation of backlogs that details the
allotted work, which should be covered in a set amount of time called “sprints”. SCRUM
development operates on iterative cycle, which begins on the identification of the project scope.
The proponents identified the project scope based on an interview done in Mamatid Elementary
School to better understand what the problems young students face when learning Filipino and
new Filipino words. The proponents also took into account the time constraints of the study.
The game elements like achievement and progression, learners get satisfaction from each level
accomplishments and skill development. They will also enjoy the same types of recognition. This
includes points, leaderboards, progression bars and leveling.
33
Another is the storyline, the game will be an adventure setting, this will put the learning experience
into a compelling narrative setting. Micro interactions are also important, this provides nuanced
environmental reactions to learners through sound, subtle animations and transition screens.
Figure 3. Game Development Sprint Flow
According to Mark C. Layton (2015), during the system’s development, after each sprint
is developed and executed, feedback from testing shall be reviewed to plan future iterations if
required. Afterwards, the entire cycle is repeated in the next sprint. Under the scrum model, the
game development process will look like on Figure 3. (Game Development Sprint Flow). In this
process you can view the ongoing testing necessary for QA. With each task, whether it be
prototyping or storyboarding, each task is tested and either moved on or further developed.
34
Research Design
The proponents will be using quantitative techniques for the analysis of the study and
results of the tests during its development. Quantitative research is used to quantify the problem
by generating data that can be turned into usable statistics (DeFranzo, 2011). Such would only be
appropriate to quantify the respondent’s attitudes and results after the tests.
The proponents will be conducting Usability Testing, using a 5-point Likert scale aiming
to identify the respondent’s opinion about the game, such as how much they enjoyed the game and
if they would be likely to play the game again. The proponents will acquire the evaluation results
done by the respondents by calculating the average of the ratings from the 5-point Likert scale.
Research Locale
The identified locale of the study is Mamatid Elementary School located at 261 Mamatid
Rd, Cabuyao, Laguna. The school started its operation in 1929 founded by Vicente Temprosa. It
currently has 58 classes held in 3 different buildings, and teaches students ranging from Kinder all
the way up to Grade 12.
Population and Sampling Design
The proponents used Simple Random Sampling to identify the number or respondents for the
study. Simple random sampling is a method used to cull a smaller sample size from a larger
population and use it to research and make generalizations about the larger group (Depersio, 2018)
Because individuals who make up the subset of the larger group are chosen at random, each
individual in the large population set has the same probability of being selected. This creates, in
most cases, a balanced subset that carries the greatest potential for representing the larger group as
a whole, free from any bias (Hayes, 2019). According to an interview held in Mamatid Elementary
35
School (see Appendix B), the student population per Grade level varies from Grade 1 having 710
students, Grade 2 having 678 students, while Grade 3 having 588 students. According to Morse
(1994, 1995) and Creswell (1998), it is recommended to have 20-30 participants as a sample size
to reach saturation and redundancy, and this is considered as a sufficient amount as it “maximizes
the possibility that enough data have been collected”. Charmaz’s (2006) guidelines for research
samples also states that 25 participants are an adequate amount. Taking these into account, the
proponents have determined the sample size for testing to be 25 respondents per Grade level from
Grade 1 to Grade 3, to fully encompass a wide age range as well as 5 selected teachers that
supervise and teach their respected grade levels from 1 to 3, with the total of 30 respondents per
grade level, and an overall total 90 respondents.
Data Gathering Tools
Interview
A structured interview is used to confirm that each interview that is being asked with the
same questions in order. This guarantees that answers can be collected and that comparisons can
be made with confidence between different survey periods. All respondents are asked the same
questions in the same manner, this makes it easy to replicate the discussion, this type of interview
is easy to regulate and standardize. The interview was conducted at Mamatid Elementary School.
The interviewees consisted of 7 grade school teachers that teach Filipino Language subjects and
General Filipino subjects.
36
Questionnaire
The proponents created a questionnaire for the structured interview
The interview questions that were asked were:
1.
For how long have you been a Filipino Teacher?
2.
What grade level/s do you teach in?
3.
What available teaching tools/materials do you use in Teaching the
Filipino subject?
4.
In teaching Filipino to the students, what teaching strategies do you use to
attain topic retention?
5.
From you observation in the class/es you teach, how interested are
children learning Filipino?
6.
Are these students having trouble learning the language?
7.
If yes, what do you think are the reasons for their trouble?
8.
Do you find it challenging to teach children new Filipino words? If so,
why?
9.
Do you translate Filipino words to English if ever a student is having a
hard time understanding?
37
10. Do you have any alternative methods to keep the students of the modern age
interested in learning new Filipino words aside from books and visual
aids?
Survey Questionnaire
The proponents created a survey questionnaire for the respondents
The survey questions that were asked were:
Data Gathering Procedure
○
Creating the questionnaires
A questionnaire is being created as a preparation to interview 7 grade school teachers of
Mamatid Elementary School that teaches Filipino. Questions are focused on what
information the proponent needs in order to develop a game related to their studies that
will engage the students in learning the Filipino vocabulary words and how to solve and
help them in their problems.
○
Conducting the interview
38
The proponents conducted an interview on Mamatid Elementary School. Throughout the
interview, the proponents were able to gather the information needed for the development
of the game and were able to solve the actual problems.
○
Unit Testing
The proponents conducted a unit testing to make sure that the application is functioning
properly. This will be done by the developers to check and validate if every function,
modules and the software code works accurately according to plan.
○
Compatibility Testing
The proponents conducted a compatibility testing to make sure that the application is
capable of operating and running properly on different versions of mobile devices.
○
Usability Testing
This testing will be done by the end-users to determine if every functionality and modules
developed by the developers works properly and correctly and also to evaluate the
application developed with the current specifications in terms of design, functionality and
ease of use.
○
Survey Questions
Survey Questionnaires were constructed through google forms and were answered by a
population of __ respondents. This data gathering tool is used to gather data regarding the
experience of the players in playing the game and what they have learned throughout the
game.
39
Data Analysis Plan
The proponents interviewed grade school teachers in Mamatid Elementary School. After
analyzing the data, the proponents identified that the students in the research locale have very
limited means of alternative learning tools apart from videos and peer group assessments. The
proponents have also found that some children have a hard time learning Filipino when they have
grown up with another language such as English or another dialect such as Cebuano. During the
release phase of the system’s development, the proponents will be conducting User Acceptance
Testing to check if the game is satisfactory to its players. The proponents will use 5-point Likert
Scale aiming to identify the respondent’s opinion about the game, such as how much they enjoyed
the game and if they would be likely to play the game again. It will have 1 (Strongly Agree) to
5(Strongly Disagree) Choices:
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree
1
2
3
4
5
Figure 4. 5-point Likert Scale
And the weighted mean formula will be used to analyze the Likert Scale data afterwards.
40
Figure 5. Weighted Mean Formula
Chapter 4
Results and Discussion
This study aims to develop a supplementary learning tool that can aid in the development
of an individual’s Filipino world vocabulary by using Philippine Literature as a medium that can
be played on mobile devices. To ensure if every module expected in the mobile game is properly
executed in terms of functionality and design. Usability testing is being implemented by the endusers.
41
Use Case Diagram
Figure 6. Use Case Diagram
In the use case diagram, the application would have 2 main users, the players and the developers.
Each type of user would have a designated application that is assigned to them. Players would
have a mobile application exclusive for them, once a user is logged in, he/she would be able to
play the game mainly to earn achievements, unlock power ups and view leaderboards. For the
developers, they can view the player lists, leaderboards, improve and update the game.
42
Unit Testing
This testing was done through the use of mobile devices of the game testers. This is to ensure
that every aspect and functionality of the developed game suffices the expectation of the
developers.
Test cases of the Mobile Game for the game testers
TEST CASES
EXPECTED
ACTUAL OUTPUT
RESULT
Retrieve user
The player was able to
Passed
information with
retrieve their
his/her name, progress
information, game
and achievements after
progress and
login
achievements
View player ranking
The player was able to
and their data
view their ranking and
OUTPUT
1. Player login
2. Leaderboards
Passed
their data
3. Achievements
View their
The player was able to
achievements in the
view their
game
achievements
43
Passed
4. Gameplay and
Retrieves their
The player was able to
progress
progress (star
retrieve their progress
completion) in the
in the game
Passed
game
5. Sound Management
Able to hear the
The player was able to
(background music,
background music and
hear the background
sound effects)
sound effects while
music and sound
playing the game
effects of the game
6. Unlockable power
Retrieves the power
The player was able to
ups
ups that they’ve
view their unlocked
unlocked throughout
power ups throughout
the game
the game
Passed
Passed
Table 2. Unit testing for players
The table 1 shows the processes tested for the mobile application for the players who tested the
game. Being able to retrieve their progress, player data, leaderboards and achievements and
checking if every data is registered correctly in the database were overlooked and controlled in
this part of testing.
44
Screen Resolution and Compatibility Testing
In this testing, the proponents asked some of the testers for their mobile phone model and
specifications to validate that the game operates as intended across different Android versions
and phone models. The focus of this testing is to determine whether the game functions as
expected across different phone models, and if the game is displayed properly across different
screen resolutions as seen on table 3.
ANDROID PHONE (BRAND)
ANDROID VERSION /
SCREEN RESOLUTION
RAM
COMPATIBLE
WITH MOBILE
GAME DEVELOPED
Realme 5i
9 / 4GB RAM
720 x 1600
YES
Realme C35
11 / 6GB RAM
1080 x 2408
YES
Samsung Galaxy M12
11 / 4GB RAM
720 x 1600
YES
Samsung Galaxy A11
10 / 4GB RAM
720 x 1560
YES
Samsung Galaxy A12
10 / 6GB RAM
720 x 1600
YES
Samsung Galaxy A50
9 / 6GB RAM
1080 x 2340
YES
Vivo Y91
8.1 / 3GB RAM
720 x 1520
YES
45
Vivo Y11
720 x 1544
9 / 3GB RAM
YES
Table 3. Compatibility Testing Results
Usability Testing
The researchers were able to comply with the required quota of respondents for the onsite and online usability testing for the developed Mobile Game. The survey questions were
based on a five point likert scale and were shown a rating of 5/Strongly Agree to 1/Strongly
Disagree. The survey questions were categorized into criterias starting with the game’s story,
user experience, functionality, reliability, and performance efficiency, see table in appendix E for
the weighted mean of each.
Figure 7. Age of Respondents
46
Figure 8. Grade Level of Respondents
As data shown in figures 7 and 8, the researchers were able to gather 97 responses from
respondents with varying age and grade level of which most are students as well as gamers of
close enough target demographic to play the game. The survey questions contain statements
where respondents are required to rate the game, where in the rating defines what they have
learned and experienced throughout the overall game. The game testing was distributed through
the use of Google Drive download as well as the survey through Google Forms and
accompanying video and pictures to further help visualize the game. Respondents were asked to
play the game and answer the survey after.
47
LEKSIKO Mobile Game Evaluation
Figure 9. Game Story rating
Data shown in figure 9 shows the weighted mean of each survey question under the
Game Story criteria, see table in appendix E for survey questions. Evaluation with regards to the
overall understanding of the Bernardo Carpio, Ibong Adarna, and Florante at Laura storyline
shows 73.3% of the respondents Strongly Agreed and 12% of the respondents Agreed that the 3
storylines present in the game were easy to understand. On the other hand, 70.7% of the
respondents Strongly Agreed and 15.6% of the respondents Agreed that the three storylines were
interesting enough to warrant a high rating. According to the data gathered, most players found it
easy to find interest and understand the story through the pop-up book-esque style of storytelling
present in the game. Data also shows that 64.5% of the respondents Strongly Agreed and 24% of
48
the respondents Agreed that the definition of words are well laid out, and the usage of said words
to be correct.
Figure 10. User Experience rating
Data shown in figure 10 shows the weighted mean of each survey question under the
User Experience criteria, see table in appendix E for survey questions. Evaluation with regards to
the overall experience of the players throughout the game shows 66% of the respondents
Strongly Agreed and 21% of the respondents Agreed that they find it easy to navigate through
the game. While 59% of the respondents Strongly Agreed and 24% of the respondents Agreed
that forming Filipino words was easy with how the game was designed. Furthermore 61.3% of
respondents Strongly Agreed and 18.3% of the respondents Agreed that they find it challenging
49
while playing the game since there are varying levels of difficulty and the presence of a timer,
and lastly, 66% of the respondents Strongly Agreed and 20% of the respondents Agreed that they
find the game engaging and interactive as well as the badge collection working as intended. The
respondents found it easy to navigate through the whole game, as well as forming Filipino words
to be easy and challenging at times due to varying difficulty and the inclusion of a timer present
in each level of the game. The data also shows that the integration of Leaderboard and Badge
Collection (i.e Achievements) made the game competitive, according to one of our respondents,
as well as engaging and interactive.
Figure 11. Functionality rating
50
Data shown in figure 11 shows the weighted mean of each survey question under the
Functionality criteria, see table in appendix E for survey questions. Respondents were asked to
check the functionality of the leaderboard as well as the validity of the filipino words being
formed which concluded with results having 57% of the respondents Strongly Agreed and 27%
of the respondents Agreed that the information in the leaderboard is accurate and up to date
while 72% of the respondents Strongly Agreed and 19% of the respondents Agreed that the
formed Filipino words are valid.
Figure 12. Reliability rating
Data shown in figure 11 shows the weighted mean of each survey question under the
Functionality criteria, see table in appendix E for survey questions. 58% of the respondents
Strongly Agreed and 28% of the respondents Agreed that loading from one screen to another is
51
smooth and responsive while 57% of the respondents Strongly Agreed and 22% of the
respondents Agreed that the game does not have any missing images or textures throughout the
whole game.
Figure 13. Performance efficiency rating
Data shown in figure 11 shows the weighted mean of the question under the Functionality
criteria, see table in appendix E for the survey question. After the testing we asked the
performance of the game on the respondents mobile device, results were 58% of the respondents
Strongly Agreed and 26% of the respondents Agreed that the loading time of the game was
acceptable.
52
Chapter 5
Conclusion
Leksiko can be treated as an educational learning resource taking on a different form of
media, in comparison to textbooks or educational videos. Though it can be said that Leksiko can
be an effective supplementary learning asset or educational resource, it cannot be treated as a
replacement for traditional educational media, and very much needs traditional educational
media to produce visible results.
The game also integrated gamification elements such as but not limited to - word forming
that leads to a point system, timers, badges, and leaderboards. Through the gamification process,
the game was able to properly showcase the said gamification elements through the
implementation of the PlayFab API which is a complete backend platform for live games.
With the results from testing under the game story criteria, see table in appendix E for the
criteria, it is safe to say that the results satisfied the studies’ first objective, which is to promote
Philippine literatures by utilizing and integrating core story segments of the 3 main Philippine
Literature in the game’s story.
Results from the user experience criteria, see table in appendix E for the criteria, satisfied
the studies’ second and third objective, which is to allow the player to be familiarized with
Filipino words and its correct usage and definition, as well as integrate gamification elements in
the game, such as but not limited to, word forming that leads to a point system, timers, badges,
and leaderboards.
The game’s functionality, reliability and performance efficiency are all adequate enough
to warrant an above average quality rating in each of those criteria. Respondents were able to
53
view and track their own ranking in the leaderboard amongst others with accurate and up to date
readings, respondents also agreed that the validity of Filipino words formed are accurate enough
to warrant a mostly positive rating. It is also evident that the respondents find the loading times
from one screen to another acceptable. Respondents would most likely play the game again to
gain a lower time than others as they can see where they rank together with the other players.
Furthermore, through the use of unit and compatibility testing, UI elements, text labels,
and overall layout of the game were all consistent across different screen sizes as it was installed
and tested in a variety of mobile phone brands. resolution sizes, and specs. Lastly, usability
testing ensured that the game meets each of the criteria with a mostly positive rating, the game
was able to display each of its features without fail, with that said it is safe to say that the study
was able to reach its goal to promote Philippine Literature by utilizing and integrating core story
segments of the three main Philippine Literature chosen in the game’s story as well as allow the
players to be familiarized with Filipino words and its correct usage and definition.
54
Recommendations
As stated by Dichev and Dicheva in 2017, Gamification of education is a strategy for
increasing engagement by incorporating game elements into an educational environment. The
mix of controversial results related to the effects of gamification in learning environments yield
doubts concerning the advantages of its utilization in an educational setting. Moreover, research
about the effects of gamification elements on students’ learning, participation, and other effects,
is a broad goal. The objective should be delimited to what elements of games are efficient for a
particular type of student, involved in each activity.
As a whole, the game can be further optimized to ensure even faster load times and
application initialization. Implementing the use of a sprite atlas rather than using individual
textures for each batch of characters can severely decrease the overall size of the project, and in
turn the exported game. Restructuring the code base to move load triggers earlier into the end of
a level to decrease load times between scenes. And using skeleton based animations rather than
traditional animation can optimize animation fluidity and decrease file size as well.
Furthermore, the mobile game was designed to be expandable from the beginning, with
that in mind the only expansion the game will head towards is through the addition of new
Filipino Literature to apprise and represent, that means writing a new story script that best
represents the literature and adding in new main characters, side characters, enemies,
backgrounds as well as all their respective art assets. This also includes adding in a new statistic
for each level’s leaderboard, and new bonus words and their definitions to be found in the
game’s levels and bonus levels.
55
References
Alan Amory. (2006). Game object model version II: a theoretical framework for educational
game development
Alejandro S. Bernardo, Helen T. Gonzales. (2009). Vocabulary Learning Strategies of
Filipino College Students across Five Disciplines
Andrew Lepp, Jacob E. Barkley, Gabriel J. Sanders, Michael J. Rebold, Peter Gates. (2013). The
Relationship Between Cell Phone Use, Physical and Sedentary Activity, and
Cardiorespiratory Fitness in a Sample of U.S. College Students
Azadeh Asgari, Selatan Perdana, Taman Serdang perdana, Seri Kembangan. (2010). The Type
of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by ESL Students in University Putra Malaysia
Cesar A. Guaqueta, Angela Yicely Castro-Garces. (2018). The Use of Language Learning App as
a Didactic Tool for EFL Vocabulary Building
Chris-Jayne Micu. (2010). The Filipino language is the heart of our heritage…
Ethan T. Jordan. (2011). Place for video games: a theoretical and pedagogical framework for
multiliteracies learning in English studies
Hydon B. Libradilla, Karen Luz Y. Teves, and Aldwin M. Teves. (2015). Teaching Effectively
with Use of Game-Based Interactive Mathematics
Joey J. Lee, Jessica Hammer. (2011). Gamification in Education: What, How, Why Bother?
Jonny B. Pornel. (2011). Factors that Make Educational Games Engaging to Students
Kate Lamb. (2019). Philippines tops world internet usage index with an average 10 hours a day
56
Katie Larsen McClarty, Aline Orr, Peter M. Frey, Robert P. Dolan, Victoria Vassileva, and
Aaron McVay. (2012). A Literature Review of Gaming in Education
Kelly Wesolowski, PsyD. (2018). Children and Cell Phones: Weighing the Risks and Benefits
Lizzie Farquhar. (2016). The Game Development Methodology That Saved Our Lives
Mark C. Layton. Video Game Development with SCRUM
Mark Griffiths. (2002). The educational benefits of video games
Marne Kilates. (2013). Confused use of Filipino in media perpetuates errors
Matthew C. Heins. (2017). Video Games In Education
Nandana Weliweriya Liyanage. (2011). Effect Of Visual Cues and Outcome Feedback on
Physics Problem Solving In An Online System
Orathai Chureson. (2013). The Impact of English as a Global Language on Filipino Language
Practices
Ramya Gangaiamaran, Madhumathi Pasupathi. (2017). Review on Use of Mobile Apps for
Language Learning
Seray Tanyer, Yusuf Ozturk. (2014). Pre-service English Teachers’ Vocabulary Learning
Strategy Use and Vocabulary Size: A Cross-sectional Evaluation
Therese Reyes. (2018). Mind the gap: In the Philippines, language isn’t about words, it’s about
class
Virgilio Almario. (2014). Ang Estado ng Wikang Filipino - An Interview by Rappler
57
Dichev and Dicheva (2017) - The impact of gamification on students’ learning, engagement and
behavior based on their personality traits
Appendices
APPENDIX A – Interview Questions & Answers
58
59
60
61
APPENDIX B – Application Screenshots
Main Menu Screen
Leaderboards
Bonus Words Screen
About the Game
62
Leaderboards
Chapter Selection
Gameplay Scene
Gameplay Scene
Gameplay (Ibong Adarna)
63
Gameplay (Bernardo Carpio)
Badge Collection Screen
Badge Screen
Level Select
Level Select
Level Select
(Bernardo Carpio)
(Ibong Adarna)
(Florante at Laura)
64
APPENDIX C – Scenario Application Screenshots
65
APPENDIX D – Application Survey Questions
Title of the Project: Design and Development of Gamified Philippine Literature using a Word
Forming Adventure Game
Instructions: Visit the Link (https://forms.gle/S6VVstAqLBipBnBC8) . Use the rating definition provided
below:
Rating
5
4
3
2
1
Description
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
5
CRITERIA
GAME STORY
The game allowed me to understand the story of Bernardo Carpio
The game allowed me to understand the story of Ibong Adarna
The game allowed me to understand the story of Florante at Laura
I found the story Bernardo Carpio interesting after the playing the game
I found the story Ibong Adarna interesting after the playing the game
I found the story Florante at Laura interesting after the playing the game
I learned the correct usage of the Filipino words present in this game.
I learned the definition of some of the selected Filipino words present in the game.
USER EXPERIENCE
I find it easy to navigate through the game.
The game design allowed me to form Filipino words with ease.
I find it challenging while playing the game since there is a varying level of difficulty.
The inclusion of a leaderboard makes me motivated and challenged to play better. WITH
FILIPINO WORDS
I find the game challenging with the presence of a timer.
The game provides me with a badge after completing a story.
I find the game engaging and interactive.
I find the sound effects of the game well balanced
FUNCTIONALITY
The information in the leaderboard is accurate and up to date.
The Filipino words formed are valid
RELIABILITY
I find that loading from one screen to another feels smooth and responsive.
66
RATING
4 3 2
1
The game does not have any missing images or textures.
PERFORMANCE EFFICIENCY
I find the loading time of the game to be acceptable
APPENDIX E – Survey Results
67
68
69
APPENDIX F – Survey Results (Respondents)
70
71