Immediate and delayed effects of multi-element and points-only gamified mobile apps on EFL learners' engagement in English vocabulary learning.

EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners' engagement is a crucial determinant influencing learning outcomes in English vocabulary learning. In recent years, gamification elements such as points, badges, and leaderboard have been increasingly used in mobile-assisted language learning to promote EFL learners' engagement. However, empirical evidence comparing learners' engagement in multi-element and points-only gamified mobile apps remains limited, particularly across multiple engagement dimensions. To address this gap, the present study employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest and delayed posttest measures to compare the immediate and delayed effects of multi-element versus points-only gamified mobile apps on EFL learners' overall engagement and its dimensions (cognitive, emotional, and behavioural engagement) in English vocabulary learning. In this study, the experimental group (n = 35) used a gamified mobile app incorporating points, badges, and leaderboard, while the comparison group (n = 31) used a points-only gamified mobile app. The results indicated that EFL learners using the multi-element gamified mobile app reported significantly higher overall engagement and all three engagement dimensions immediately after the intervention. However, these positive effects were not maintained at the delayed posttest, suggesting that the initial effects may weaken over time. These findings provide cautious quasi-experimental evidence of the immediate and delayed effects of multi-element and points-only gamified mobile apps on EFL learners' engagement in English vocabulary learning.