Examination / review of educational software used in language learning applications in the context of gamification

Gamification has become increasingly popular recently not only in education but also in different sectors such as banking, business, and marketing. Gamification which could be described as the use of game elements such as rewards, points, leaderboards, and badges in non-game contexts is a method that has been seen to be effective also in distance education processes to motivate and support learners, and engage them with content. In this research, gamification elements used in online language learning applications were examined. The extent to which gamification elements are used, widely, and effectively was examined, and successful uses were attempted to be determined. Some elements such as feedback and personalization were seen to be used frequently, but elements like real rewards and stories were not found. In the research, the items that were found to be effective regardless of whether they were used a lot or widely were also mentioned. Additionally, the findings about the items that were thought to be ineffective even though they were formally accepted were also expressed to draw attention to this issue. According to the results obtained, suggestions were made to researchers, system designers, and teachers working in the field of distance education.