Computer-based drill and practice games as support tools for English second language learners

Abstract

Computer-based drill and practice games may play an important part in supporting outcomes-based education by automatizing the sub-skills required for life-long learning. South African schools vary in diversity from resource advantaged to resource deprived. This article indicates that, although resource advantaged learners may benefit from computer-based drill and practice games, they prefer strategy games. Resource-deprived learners, however, prefer twitch games. Drill and practice games are a combination of the two. Depending on their resource levels, different intrinsic motivators cause learners to continue playing these games, although for both groups recognition is the most important motivator. Lower levels of psychomotor skills and game literacy prove to be a problem for resource deprived learners only in the early phases of learning to play computer games. Resource deprived learners showed a greater improvement in language proficiency resource advantaged ones.