SPELLINGUAL: A Gamiﬁed Approach to Enhance Multilingual

Spelling Skills

Caitlin R. Parrott and Elham Ebrahimi

Computer Science Department, University of North Carolina University, Wilmington, NC, U.S.A.

Keywords:

Multilingual Spelling Skill Training, Educational Games.

Abstract:

This project introduces Spellingual, an educational application aimed at enhancing the spelling abilities of

second-grade multilingual children who are verbally ﬂuent in Farsi. This web-based application acts as a

platform for fostering foreign language learning, focusing on spelling proﬁciency as a fundamental aspect

of language acquisition. Spellingual seeks to encourage these skills through a gamiﬁed and multimedia-rich

environment. With its highly adaptable nature, the application is designed to aid multilingual children of vary-

ing proﬁciency levels while allowing them to work at their own pace. Central to Spellingual is its emphasis

on accessibility and visual appeal, improving motivation and fostering a desire to learn. By incorporating

feedback mechanisms, level progression, point accumulation, and a hint system, the application ensures sus-

tained engagement and helpful tools for learners through positive reinforcement. This approach is informed

by comprehensive research demonstrating the effectiveness of game-based learning strategies in keeping chil-

dren interested and motivated over time. Additional research supporting this project includes the beneﬁts of

multilingualism in children and the lack of accessible tools to assist with spelling proﬁciency in a non-native

language.

1 INTRODUCTION

Multilingualism is increasingly recognized for its

cognitive and social advantages, especially when it

is incorporated into early education. By providing

a means to become proﬁcient in a foreign language,

children are presented with a strong foundation for

success throughout their lives. In the age of digital

education, applications focusing on foreign language

acquisition are more prevalent than ever. However,

the focus of these applications is predominantly on

general language skills like pronunciation, sentence

formation, and vocabulary - often overlooking for-

eign language spelling skills like forming words and

letter recognition. Existing applications that do ad-

dress spelling are either inaccessible or not specif-

ically designed for elementary children, particularly

those who are multilingual.

This project intends to address these issues with

the introduction of a web-based educational appli-

cation designed speciﬁcally for 7-10 year-old mul-

tilingual children who are verbally ﬂuent in Farsi.

Spellingual incorporates gamiﬁcation elements and

multimedia content to enhance Farsi spelling skills

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9431-557X

through an effective and engaging learning process.

The application is designed to be inclusive, catering to

varying levels of spelling proﬁciency and familiariza-

tion with the Farsi writing system. It aims to improve

motivation and sustained engagement through inter-

active elements, feedback mechanisms, and a hint

system tailored to early elementary needs. This ap-

proach is intended to provide a positive learning en-

vironment that continuously encourages interaction

with the application, thus reinforcing spelling proﬁ-

ciency in Farsi.

The development of Spellingual is supported by

an extensive review of recent research on multi-

lingualism, foreign language education, vocabulary

learning applications, mobile-assisted language learn-

ing (MALL), and gamiﬁcation in education. This re-

view ensures relevance and efﬁcacy in the current e-

learning environment. These applications have sur-

passed traditional classroom instruction and conven-

tional textbooks in recent years, using technology to

engage learners in innovative ways. Gamiﬁcation, or

the incorporation of game design elements into non-

game contexts, has become a powerful factor in ap-

plications for the development of foreign language

spelling skills. It does this by providing a sense of

628

Parrott, C. R. and Ebrahimi, E.

SPELLINGUAL: A Gamiﬁed Approach to Enhance Multilingual Spelling Skills.

DOI: 10.5220/0013500900003932

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2025) - Volume 1, pages 628-635

ISBN: 978-989-758-746-7; ISSN: 2184-5026

“achievement and progression” that fulﬁlls the psy-

chological needs of competence, autonomy, and relat-

edness (Bitri

an et al., 2021). Gamiﬁcation elements

like rewards, interactivity, feedback mechanisms, and

progressive levels also play a pivotal role in sustaining

learners’ engagement and commitment to the learning

process (Wang et al., 2021). The potential of gami-

ﬁcation in foreign language learning, particularly in

the development of spelling skills among young mul-

tilingual children, holds great promise and has proven

effective in application. Gamiﬁed education applica-

tions on mobile devices leverage the prevalence of

technology to offer a ﬂexible and accessible means

of learning, free from constraints related to time and

location (Mortazavi et al., 2021).

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

In contemporary education and training, educational

applications have emerged as indispensable tools.

They remove geographical limitations, render educa-

tion accessible to a global audience, and promote in-

clusivity by accommodating diverse learning styles.

Their adaptability and convenience empower learners

to engage with content at their own pace and on their

schedules, catering to the varied demands of learn-

ers with diverse lifestyles. An intriguing aspect of

educational applications is their capacity to incorpo-

rate gamiﬁcation elements, which enhance engage-

ment and aid in information retention, as corroborated

by research in this ﬁeld. Multilingualism or bilingual-

ism in children has proven to provide signiﬁcant im-

provements in cognitive and social-emotional skills as

well as vocabulary and writing studies compared to

monolinguisitic children (Pransiska, 2016).

Some studies found that linguistic skills translate

best between languages that “used similar writing sys-

tems” (Barac and Bialystok, 2011). This brings to

question how to provide additional support to multi-

lingual children who switch between different forms

of writing to continually provide the same beneﬁts.

One such study on Hangul and English writing sys-

tems found that young children gradually improve

their writing system letter identiﬁcation by “high-

lighting their knowledge of the similarities and differ-

ences between writing systems” (Nam, 2018). This

evidence further supports the case to expose children

to foreign language writing systems in early elemen-

tary, providing additional opportunities to improve

social and cognitive skills by taking advantage of their

adaptability during this age.

Foreign Language Learning (FLL) in early edu-

cation skills require a “clear, interesting, and well-

placed learning environment” with personal invest-

ment and engaging learning activities (Oga-Baldwin

et al., 2017). Modern models of learning a for-

eign language rely on applications to assist learners

in “developing their reading, listening, writing, and

speaking skills as well as providing them with new

vocabulary and grammar structures” (Casa

n-Pitarch,

2018). This is possible due to the relationship be-

tween learner motivation and emotion, which can de-

termine the success of FLL and the interpersonal mo-

tivation factors that engage learners with a foreign

language: cooperation, competence, and recognition

(Casa

n-Pitarch, 2018). If these requirements are sat-

isﬁed, then the success of FLL signiﬁcantly improves.

It is important to note that proﬁciency levels were

found in early-start programs regardless of age but

have been cited to begin as early as age six (Baumert

et al., 2020).

Vocabulary Learning Applications. The integration

of multimedia technology in vocabulary learning ap-

plications has consistently demonstrated its effective-

ness, particularly among young learners. Research in

this area consistently highlights the positive impact of

these applications on reading and writing skill acqui-

sition in foreign languages, achieved through inter-

active exercises and multimedia-rich content. Users

beneﬁt from their high accessibility, contextualiza-

tion features, and the incorporation of multimedia el-

ements such as visuals and interactive components

(Wang et al., 2021). Vocabulary learning applica-

tions enriched with multimedia have shown promise

in enhancing vocabulary comprehension and memo-

rization (Mortazavi et al., 2021). The inclusion of vi-

suals, audio pronunciations, and interactive exercises

offers a multi-sensory learning experience that is par-

ticularly advantageous for young learners (Panﬁlova

et al., 2022). These applications facilitate improve-

ment in reading and writing skills by providing an en-

gaging and enjoyable learning process, especially for

children (Elaish et al., 2019; Polakova and Klimova,

2022).

Research ﬁndings indicate that students hold a

strong appreciation for vocabulary learning applica-

tions. In a study involving a substantial number of

English as a foreign language (EFL) students, a no-

table 86% of participants recognized mobile applica-

tions as highly effective tools for vocabulary acquisi-

tion (Wang et al., 2021). It is important to note that the

standard assessment measure of success is academic

achievement, but additional measures include behav-

ioral and cognitive engagement. Based on the results

of these measures, they were reliant on individual dif-

ferences, meaningful gamiﬁcation, and diversiﬁed el-

ement selection (Luo, 2023).

SPELLINGUAL: A Gamiﬁed Approach to Enhance Multilingual Spelling Skills

629

Gamiﬁcation in Education. Within the realm of

gamiﬁcation, several elements come into play to

enrich the educational experience. One of these

elements involves implementing a points system,

whereby learners accumulate points as they advance

through tasks or modules. These points often cor-

relate with rewards like badges, certiﬁcates, or vir-

tual items, capitalizing on individuals’ innate de-

sire for recognition and accomplishment (Sandberg

et al., 2014). Additionally, progress tracking ele-

ments, such as progress bars or indicators, visually

represent learners’ advancement, evoking a sense of

achievement and motivating them to persevere dur-

ing the educational process (Zeybek and Saygı, 2024).

Dividing the learning material into challenges or lev-

els offers a structured approach to the educational

process. Each new challenge presents an opportu-

nity to apply knowledge and attain mastery, further

enhancing motivation. Lastly, interactivity and im-

mediate feedback are indispensable gamiﬁcation ele-

ments. Learners are prompted to actively engage with

the content through puzzles, quizzes, or simulations

and receive real-time feedback on their actions, pro-

moting critical thinking and the adjustment of learn-

ing strategies (Zainuddin et al., 2020).

Multimedia Elements. Multimedia integration

within vocabulary learning applications stands as

a cornerstone in augmenting language acquisition.

These applications ingeniously blend visual and in-

teractive elements to create a comprehensive and en-

gaging learning experience. Visual elements are in-

strumental in fortifying vocabulary acquisition. The

inclusion of images within gamiﬁed vocabulary ap-

plications enables learners to associate words with vi-

sual representations. By intertwining language with

tangible images, these applications facilitate not only

heightened comprehension but also extended reten-

tion (Mortazavi et al., 2021). Blending textual in-

formation with images that illustrate the meaning of

words converts abstract vocabulary into tangible con-

cepts, facilitating the learners’ understanding of the

language.

Integrating gamiﬁcation elements with multime-

dia enhances the educational experience, adding an

extra layer of engagement and effectiveness while

also catering to diverse learning styles and prefer-

ences. This combination improves learner motivation

and accommodates individual approaches to learn-

ing. Multimedia components, encompassing visu-

als like images and info-graphics, not only enhance

comprehension but also render learning visually cap-

tivating. Interactive simulations create a risk-free en-

vironment for learners to experiment with complex

concepts, thereby facilitating a deeper grasp of the

subject matter. 15 existing applications that share a

common emphasis on vocabulary learning were in-

vestigated. Among them, numerous gamiﬁed ele-

ments such as Characters, Challenges/Levels, Inter-

activity/Feedback, Rewards, and Time Limits are cur-

rently incorporated, all of which have documented

successful outcomes (Wang et al., 2021).

Several forms of multimedia are used to enhance

the learning process among the 15 existing applica-

tions investigated (Wang et al., 2021): Video (3/15),

Audio (14/15), Image (5/15), and Text (15/15). These

applications facilitate improvement in challenges that

not only encourage but require the practical applica-

tion of freshly acquired vocabulary, providing learn-

ers with immediate feedback that reinforces their

comprehension (Wang et al., 2021). Consequently,

what was once passive vocabulary acquisition pro-

cesses have become dynamic learning experiences.

These gamiﬁcation elements, such as rewards, points,

and level progression, serve as motivators that drive

learners to actively participate with the application

(Chen et al., 2019).

3 METHODOLOGY

The methodology section of this project summarizes

the strategic approach by describing the requirements

and limitations identiﬁcation and iterative prototype.

It also includes the pilot data collection methods and

analytical techniques for evaluating the application’s

impact on spelling skills.

Gamiﬁcation Elements. Gamiﬁcation components

were integrated to motivate and engage the target au-

dience through the use of a level progression sys-

tem, points, streak bonuses, and feedback mecha-

nisms. Amidst the numerous gamiﬁcation elements

made available to incorporate into educational appli-

cations, Spellingual leverages a select few based on

their previous success. Figure 1 displays the gam-

iﬁcation elements incorporated into the application.

These elements were determined based on the litera-

ture review and their success. Interactivity and feed-

back encompass the vast majority of Spellingual as a

means to guide how they interact with the application.

This involves sounds to signify conﬁrmation of inter-

action, the outcome of a result, or conﬁrmation of a

task. For example, when a user clicks the button to

‘guess’ their attempt to complete a level (1) they hear

a click sound to conﬁrm they clicked the button; (2)

a celebratory sound or warning sound signiﬁes the re-

sult of their guess; (3) they are asked what task they

would like to do next depending on the result.

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630

Additional elements like Levels, Points, Progres-

sion View, and Unlockable Content are combined to

create a player pace and to prevent overwhelming the

player. The player will see their Points before and

during their attempts to complete Levels and earn

Points by completing Levels. The Points can be used

to purchase Hints as Unlockable Content to provide

additional material to progress. The Progression View

is made available in the form of Level Select, allow-

ing the player to see how many levels they have com-

pleted, where they are now, and how many levels re-

main ahead.

3.0.1 Limitations

Spellingual is designed with a speciﬁc audience and

purpose in mind, which introduces certain limitations.

These were directly affected by the project’s scope,

time frame, and objectives. These limitations allowed

for informed decision-making with a priority focused

on the application’s key aspects in functionality and

user experience.

Multimedia Inclusion. The application has limited

multimedia features. User interface sounds as feed-

back mechanisms and audible pronunciation of words

were incorporated, but additional audio elements or

the word pictures were not included.

Age Range. The application is designed exclusively

for children in early elementary school. It does not

cater to the more advanced needs of an older audi-

ence.

Content Depth. Spellingual is intended to provide

a basic vocabulary learning platform focusing on a

speciﬁed target audience with the intention of improv-

ing spelling skills. It is intended as a supplementary

resource for a more complex language learning envi-

ronment.

The prototype for Spellingual served as the ini-

tial version of the application with a focus on core

functionalities and the user experience. It provided a

clear representation of the application’s intended us-

age and user engagement. The functionalities are cen-

tered around spelling challenges introduced as levels.

These levels provide a word in English and the letters

to spell the word in Farsi. To complete the challenge,

the user spells the word by tapping or clicking each

letter to place it or remove it from the spaces repre-

senting the completed Farsi spelling of the word. The

user is tasked to spell the word correctly using the

tools provided within the interface (See Figure 3).

”Spellingual” integrates a touch-based interaction

mechanism, allowing users to intuitively spell words

by tapping or clicking on letters. This method, which

enables the addition and removal of letters seam-

lessly, signiﬁcantly reduces cognitive and physical ef-

fort, thereby minimizing frustration and enhancing

the learning experience. This approach is particularly

beneﬁcial for the application’s target demographic,

offering an engaging, efﬁcient, and user-friendly in-

terface (Holz and Meurers, 2021).

The hypotheses serve as the foundation for this re-

search by posing key questions about the expected im-

pact of project elements, including gamiﬁcation and

multimedia integration. The expected outcomes pro-

vide a glimpse into the results and beneﬁts that the

application delivers to its target audience.

The following hypotheses form the basis for eval-

uating the project’s success and its impact on the in-

tended audience.

• H1: Regular user feedback sessions, along with

iterative development, will lead to continuous im-

provements in the application’s usability and ef-

fectiveness.

• H2: The application will demonstrate its effec-

tiveness in improving foreign language spelling

skills among young, multilingual children ver-

bally ﬂuent in Farsi during the pilot testing and

feedback phases.

4 PILOT STUDY

This section describes the project phases from incep-

tion to its completion while highlighting key develop-

ment milestones, iterative improvements, and signiﬁ-

cant adjustments required due to an evolving scope.

This section also covers the testing methodologies

employed, the analysis of results, and a reﬂective

summary of the entire experiment.

Functionality Testing. Gathering comprehensive

feedback from users was accomplished through ob-

served user testing as the primary data collection

method. Observations centered around hands-on in-

teraction with Spellingual were conducted with con-

senting participants. Initial user testing was per-

formed through adult participants who participated

in feedback and reported any issues encountered.

Throughout early testing, changes were made based

on this feedback to improve the application before

testing with the target demographic. The intention of

early testing was to determine if the gamiﬁcation ele-

ments included in the application improved the acqui-

sition of spelling skills through observed interaction.

Additionally, the hands-on interaction during

early testing was observed to determine improved per-

formance and motivation through the progression of

the application. These sessions allowed for the moni-

toring of user behavior and engagement levels and to

SPELLINGUAL: A Gamiﬁed Approach to Enhance Multilingual Spelling Skills

631

Figure 1: Gamiﬁcation Elements Incorporated into Application.

determine challenges encountered during use. Real-

time feedback was also encouraged during interactive

simulations within Spellingual, along with directed

tasks where necessary. Participants were given the op-

portunity to provide immediate impressions and sug-

gestions, helping to capture thoughts and insights as

they engaged with the content.

Early design decisions included a user-friendly

design with multimedia elements for engagement

with a focus on early childhood development. Col-

ors suitable for grabbing and keeping the attention of

a young audience were used, along with easy-to-read

text. No icons were used in place of text for any user-

interface elements to promote clarity for young users,

and contrast was considered in all aspects of the ap-

plication. Additionally, audio was identiﬁed as a re-

quirement to provide helpful feedback and alert users

of interactions and results.

The initial version of the prototype design, as

development commenced, is depicted in the ﬁgures

below. Figure 2.a displays the early design of the

Level Select screen, where levels are distinguished by

color according to the word category, with the num-

ber of levels varying by availability, complexity, and

term. Figure 2.b presents the preliminary design for

the Level screen itself, highlighting the word in En-

glish, the letters for spelling the word in Farsi, and

the player’s input. These elements are interactive and

change in response to the player’s actions. Figure 2.c

illustrates the original feedback modal, designed to

inform the player about the outcome of the Level.

Figure 2.d displays the Level Select screen as of

Version 1 after applying simple styling using Boot-

strap Version 5 and custom styling. On this screen,

the user can view their accumulated points and ongo-

ing streaks, with streaks awarded for consecutive lev-

els completed correctly on the ﬁrst try. Figure 2.e dis-

plays the Level screen as of Version 1, where selecting

a letter populates a blank space below the word in En-

glish to spell the word in Farsi. Letters are populated

into the spaces from right to left as they are spelled in

Farsi.

Figure 2.f displays the Level Modal screen for

Version 1, detailing user performance on level at-

tempts. At this development phase, audio for clicks

was included, while correct and incorrect guesses

were not due to challenges in selecting suitable

sounds and integrating them effectively. Importantly,

this version omitted background music, a decision

driven by the complexity of integrating non-intrusive

yet helpful audio feedback and hints, avoiding any

potential conﬂict or distraction from essential audio

cues. The design changes from the prototype to Ver-

sion 1 focus on improving usability and accessibility.

Background music was removed to highlight feed-

back audio, letter and font sizes were adjusted for

clarity, and navigation was simpliﬁed with a back but-

ton near the check button. Level Modals were reﬁned

for functionality, and levels are now organized by in-

creasing difﬁculty.

Version 2 of the project, introduced substantial en-

hancements to both the application’s core architec-

ture and its user interface. Through regular feedback

sessions on usability and desired features, signiﬁcant

modiﬁcations were integrated. The design changes

from Version 1 to Version 2 are a Landing screen for

username input, a Level screen with points and a fu-

ture hint purchase feature, and reset options for both

individual levels and overall progress. Additionally,

a “View Alphabet” button helps users review Persian

letters, and a logo in the Menu provides quick naviga-

tion back to the Landing screen.

Many minor changes were made through early

user testing, improving the functionality of the Ver-

sion 3 live prototype of Spellingual. The enhance-

ments introduced during this period included the im-

plementation of three distinct types of hints, the reor-

ganization of how levels were categorized, and signif-

icant upgrades to the word dictionary. Following the

integration of all essential functionalities, Spellingual

underwent further reﬁnement. This reﬁnement pro-

cess included the improvement of on-screen text clar-

ity, the provision of complimentary hints for the ini-

tial levels to assist young learners, and the offering of

additional points for the completion of levels already

cleared by users.

One of the standout achievements of this develop-

ment phase was the introduction of the Hint system,

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632

Figure 2: Screenshots of the application prototypes.

Figure 3: Screenshots of the ﬁnal version of the application.

which has proven to be a major support mechanism,

making Spellingual more suitable for its intended de-

mographic. The provided hints comprise word def-

initions, which address the potential for words to

have multiple meanings in English but speciﬁc ones

in Farsi; audio pronunciations to assist users in con-

ﬁrming the Farsi word; and letter sounds, designed to

aid in phonetic spelling by demonstrating the English

pronunciation of each Farsi letter. Collectively, these

hints offer substantial beneﬁts to the user, working

in tandem to ensure that players are well-equipped to

progress through each level given sufﬁcient time. Fig-

ure 3 illustrates the application’s development during

the ﬁnal iterations and reﬁnement.

Figure 3.a displays the Level Select screen for

Version 3, highlighting updated levels, the modiﬁed

‘View Alphabet’ button, levels’ new arrangement, and

the visual update for completed levels, which now

feature a gold color to signal progress and indicate

where users left off. Levels are organized to introduce

users to smaller word sets with initially free hints.

As progress is made, hints gradually become pur-

chasable with points, encouraging strategic use and

learning. Figure 3.b displays the Level screen for Ver-

sion 3, demonstrating the use of all three hints. The

word’s deﬁnition appears below the English spelling

for clear viewing, while the pronunciation of each let-

ter is shown under the corresponding Farsi character

in the blocks provided. Additionally, a clickable au-

dio icon next to the hint button enables users to listen

to the word’s pronunciation as often as necessary, fa-

cilitating understanding of the word’s meaning and its

phonetic breakdown.

Figure 3.c displays the Hint Modal screen for Ver-

sion 3, accessible via each level during gameplay.

This screen allows users to buy one of three hints,

each priced differently. After selecting and conﬁrm-

ing their purchase, users are taken back to the level

screen where the newly acquired hint is ready for use.

Purchased hints stay accessible for the corresponding

level without expiration unless the user opts to reset

their progress via the Menu.

4.1 Pilot Testing

The testing involved direct user interaction with the

application and included collecting behavioral obser-

vations and participant feedback. Preparatory steps

included assessing participants’ current proﬁciency in

English and Farsi spelling, accompanied by an in-

troductory session on the Farsi alphabet. The test-

ing sessions were designed to simulate a natural us-

age environment: children, guided by a native Farsi-

speaking parent, interacted freely with the applica-

tion. Each participant was allocated approximately

one hour to explore the application, with no restric-

tions on how they navigated through its levels. Par-

ticipants were recruited via a series of IRB-approved

social media campaigns and through professional net-

works. The testing sessions consisted of children re-

siding within the United States who will be observed

and provided feedback in-person or remotely via on-

line video-sharing platforms. We were able to collect

data from three young participants due to the small

SPELLINGUAL: A Gamiﬁed Approach to Enhance Multilingual Spelling Skills

633

group of participants who met the requirements of the

study (age between 7-10 and ﬂuent in both Farsi and

English with being able to read and write in English).

However, we tested the functionality of the applica-

tion with 15 adult participants.

Observational strategies focused on utilizing the

features within Spellingual to monitor improvements

and behaviors, assessing engagement, motivation, and

comfort levels of the participants. Behavior was ob-

served closely and verbal feedback from the parent.

Direct Metrics. Metrics such as in-game scores in

the case of one participant provided quantitative data

on the application’s impact. Future testing should

involve resetting progress and progressing through

the game a second time to determine the immediate

recognition of letters and words based on the ﬁrst

playthrough. However, quantitative data was gathered

through direct observation and parental insights based

on the known behavior of the participant.

Quantitative metrics included the frequency and

helpfulness of hints, parental reporting of the partic-

ipant’s familiarity with the Farsi alphabet pre- and

post-playthrough, and the speed at which the partic-

ipant recognized Farsi letters or words. Additionally,

memory recall of letters was determined based on ob-

servation, establishing how frequently the participant

would exhibit concentration, hesitation, or conﬁdence

levels. Though direct values for hint utilization were

not gathered, immediate recognition of frequency was

seen through the incentive provided by the point sys-

tem and the participant’s reluctance to utilize them to

buy hints over time. This is due to the participant’s

preference to collect points to gain a higher score over

using them to obtain hints.

4.2 Observation Results

Feedback from three participants highlighted the ap-

plication’s success in engaging children while facili-

tating their language learning. Participants squarely

within the intended age range demonstrated high en-

thusiasm and notable improvements in letter recog-

nition, suggesting that the game’s design effectively

captures and maintains the interest of young learn-

ers. Participant’s increased interest in learning more

Farsi letters, as noted by their parents, and their ea-

gerness to continue playing beyond the testing ses-

sions illustrate the game’s strong engagement and ed-

ucational potential. Notably, the point system pro-

vided a strong incentive to improve Farsi letter recog-

nition and spelling skills by motivating participants to

forego hints to gain a higher score, proving the effec-

tiveness of this gamiﬁcation element. The level sys-

tem also caused a progressively increasing difﬁculty

level that kept the attention of the participants, partic-

ularly with participants one and two.

However, the feedback also brought to light sev-

eral areas for improvement. Participant Two, who was

slightly older (10 years old), provided more nuanced

feedback that led to actionable suggestions, such as

introducing verbal pronunciation aids and a pre-test to

customize the learning experience based on the user’s

reading level. These suggestions point to the need

for adaptive features that can cater to diverse learning

paces and styles. The feedback from all participants

collectively suggested enhancements that could make

the game not only more engaging but also more ed-

ucationally effective by addressing speciﬁc learning

challenges.

In conclusion, the pilot testing conﬁrmed that

Spellingual effectively meets its educational aims by

teaching the Farsi alphabet and improving spelling

skills while maintaining high levels of learner engage-

ment. The detailed feedback provided has led to tar-

geted improvements in the game’s design and func-

tionality, making it more user-friendly and education-

ally relevant. These enhancements, informed by di-

rect user and expert insights, position the game well

for future integration into the educational curriculum

and highlight its adaptability to evolving educational

methodologies.

5 CONCLUSIONS

The primary goal of Spellingual was to provide a plat-

form that was motivating, user-friendly, and engaging

for the target demographic. By integrating interactive

elements and feedback mechanisms, the application

encourages continual improvement in spelling skills.

This interactive approach caters to the needs of young

learners, making the learning process both fun and ef-

fective. Spellingual effectively utilizes a point system

and other gamiﬁcation techniques to motivate users to

engage with the application. These elements are de-

signed to challenge participants, urging them to con-

centrate on accurately spelling words to earn points.

This gamiﬁcation approach is particularly effective in

educational settings as it mirrors the reward systems

that children encounter in games, making the learning

process enjoyable and rewarding.

Throughout the development and initial testing

phases, the application was reﬁned based on feed-

back from users and educational experts. This feed-

back highlighted areas for interface improvement and

enhanced user experience, such as the optimization

of button placement and the organization of Farsi

alphabet characters by phonetic similarity. These

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changes aimed to minimize cognitive load and make

the learning tools more intuitive. Adjustments were

made to ensure that interactions within the applica-

tion were straightforward to reduce potential frustra-

tion and optimize learning outcomes. This responsive

approach to design highlights the project’s focus on

user-centered development and continuous improve-

ment.

5.1 Future Work

For future projects, extending the capabilities of

Spellingual is suggested, such as incorporating a

broader vocabulary set that spans a larger range of ele-

mentary grades and could be integrated into academic

institutions. Simpler enhancements could include

the addition of gamiﬁcation elements like badges

for progression milestones, custom content for im-

proved user interaction, more animations to increase

engagement, a friend system to encourage collabora-

tive learning experiences, and more user testing. In-

sights from pilot testing suggest the application would

beneﬁt from features that allow for more personal-

ized learning paths, such as adaptive difﬁculty lev-

els or content that adjusts to a user’s existing lan-

guage proﬁciency. Additionally, connecting with edu-

cational institutions for broader feedback and integra-

tion into school curricula could provide a more struc-

tured learning environment using Spellingual.

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