綜上所述，本研究透過兩項研究逐步開發與優化 SAGE，並深入探討不同性別學習者於英語同義字遊戲式學習中的需求與差異。研究結果顯示，雖然不同性別學習者最終皆能獲得相近的學習成效和學習情緒，但在學習觀感及學習行為上仍呈現不同特徵。因此，本研究的貢獻在於提出一套兼顧情緒投入與學習監控之雙重回饋設計，透過整合動態刺激回饋與靜態資訊回饋，同時滿足學習者在遊戲互動與學習支持上的需求。此設計不僅有助於降低學習過程中的不確定感與學習焦慮，提升整體學習體驗，也能回應不同性別學習者在學習需求與情緒反應上的差異。此外，本研究進一步提供不同性別學習者於遊戲式英語詞彙學習中的需求、情緒反應與學習策略之實證證據，可作為未來發展性別友善與個人化遊戲式學習系統的重要參考。;English has become an important language for international communication and academic exchange， and vocabulary competence serves as a foundation for English learning and is closely related to academic writing abilities. However， vocabulary learning requires drilling and practice and long-term accumulation， which may reduce learners’ engagement. Therefore， digital learning approaches have increasingly been applied to support English vocabulary learning for recent years. Among these approaches， Game-based Learning (GBL) has attracted considerable attention because it integrates both learning and entertainment.
Furthermore， previous studies demonstrated that GBL could facilitate English vocabulary learning. However， gender differences may influence learners’ needs， preferences， and learning processes within GBL environments. For example， male learners tended to learn through exploration and interaction whereas female learners placed greater emphasis on hints and guidance. In addition， vocabulary learning may induce learning anxiety， and female and male learners may also exhibit different emotional responses. Thus， how to design digital learning games through appropriate mechanisms to address the needs of female and male learners while enhancing learners’ positive emotions remains an issue that warrants further investigation.
To address the above issues， this research developed the Synonym-Action Game for Education (SAGE)， a GBL system specifically designed for English synonym learning. Unlike traditional vocabulary memorization， the SAGE integrated game elements to help learners continuously practice synonyms in a low anxiety yet challenging learning environment and gradually constructed vocabulary knowledge. The SAGE incorporated a shooting-based interaction mechanism， repetitive practice， cost scaffolding， self-competition， and immediate feedback. For immediate feedback， the SAGE adopted a dual-feedback mechanism consisting of dynamic stimulus feedback and static informational feedback. The former enhanced learning engagement and interactive experience through real-time visual effects whereas the latter could help learners monitor their learning status through learning progress， scores， and outcomes. By appropriately integrating these two types of feedback， the SAGE not only provided game experience that supported exploration and interaction but also facilitated the learning process through immediate and explicit hints and feedback. By doing so， the needs and preferences of female and male learners could be satisfied.
To further understand how gender differences influenced learners′ reactions to the SAGE， this research adopted a two-stage research design consisting of two empirical studies. In Study 1， six postgraduate students (three males and three females) were recruited to use the SAGE 1.0. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to collect learners′ perceptions regarding the system functions， interface design， and gaming experience， with the aim of identifying the needs of female and male learners and providing a basis for system refinement. Based on the findings of Study 1， the SAGE 1.0 was further optimized to develop the SAGE 2.0. In Study 2， 31 learners (18 males and 13 females) were recruited. Pre- and post-tests， an emotion questionnaire， and behavioral analyses were applied to identify gender differences in learning performance， learning emotions， behavior frequencies， and behavioral sequences.
In Study 1， the SAGE 1.0 was developed. The SAGE 1.0 presented answer outcomes， learning progress， and game performance through immediate feedback and provided various scaffolding support， including translation hints， form hints， and example sentence hints， to assist learners in understanding vocabulary meanings， completing learning tasks， and reducing difficulties and uncertainty during the learning process. Subsequently， interviews and qualitative analysis were conducted to explore the learning perceptions of female and male learners.
The results from Study 1 indicated that both male and female learners valued button design and gameplay smoothness. Nevertheless， male and female learners exhibited different learning perceptions when using the SAGE 1.0. First， female learners placed greater emphasis on color arrangement and the consistency of the overall visual style whereas male learners paid greater attention to the clarity of information presentation and the consistency of functional design. Second， female learners were more concerned with game enjoyment and visual interactive elements， such as shooting animations and gameplay features whereas male learners focused more on whether the SAGE 1.0. could provide immediate and functional learning feedback， such as incorrect answer notifications and correct answers. Third， female learners placed greater importance on whether the game operation was easy to understand and preferred to quickly grasp the gameplay through a clear interface and operational guidance whereas male learners were more concerned with the learning content. Finally， female learners generally demonstrated lower demands for additional functions. In contrast， male learners provided positive feedback regarding the low-pressure learning environment.
Based on the findings of Study 1， the SAGE 1.0 was optimized in Study 2， where the SAGE 2.0 was developed Regarding the system interface and feedback mechanism， the SAGE 2.0 redesigned button labels and the operational interface and added a question hint function to improve system usability and address the usage needs of female and male learners. Regarding the operational process， the SAGE 2.0introduced an emotion measurement mechanism and a Learning Zone. The former was used to understand learners’ emotional changes before and after using the SAGE 2.0， whereas the latter required learners to first read the learning materials and use the vocabulary support functions before entering the game for practice. Subsequently， the SAGE 2.0 was used to investigate the learning processes and preferences of female and male learners.
The results indicated that all learners achieved significant improvement in learning performance. In addition， no significant gender differences were found in pre-test scores， post-test scores， gain scores， hint scores， task scores， or learning time， suggesting that the SAGE 2.0 effectively supported English synonym learning for female and male learners. However， female learners spent significantly more time playing the game than male learners， indicating that the two groups adopted different learning strategies during the game interaction process. Regarding learning emotions， male learners exhibited higher levels of negative emotions than female learners before using the SAGE 2.0. After using the SAGE 2.0， however， the emotions of both groups improved significantly， and the gender difference was no longer significant. Regarding behavior frequencies， the frequencies of hint usage among male learners decreased significantly throughout the learning process whereas no significant change was observed among female learners. Regarding behavioral sequences， both male and female learners utilized the scaffolding hints. However， male learners tended to preview questions and directly enter a level after reading the game instructions. During the learning process， they frequently switched between translation hints and example sentences， and when encountering difficulties， they made exploration by reviewing game instructions， previewing questions， or re-entering levels. In contrast， female learners more frequently confirmed information by repeatedly switching between game instructions and question previews. They also tended to use translation hints， example sentences， and correct answers in sequence， demonstrating a more sequential and confirmation-oriented learning process.
In summary， this research progressively developed and refined SAGE through two empirical studies and provided an in-depth investigation of the needs and differences of female and male learners in English synonym GBL. The findings indicated that female and male learners achieved comparable learning performance and learning emotions， but they exhibited different characteristics in learning perceptions and learning behavior. Therefore， the contribution of this research lies in proposing a dual-feedback design that simultaneously supports emotional engagement and learning monitoring. By integrating dynamic stimulus feedback and static informational feedback， the SAGE addressed learners’ needs for both game interaction and learning support. This design approach can not only reduce uncertainty and learning anxiety during the learning process and enhances the overall learning experience but also addresses differences in the learning needs and emotional responses of female and male learners. In addition， this research provides empirical evidence regarding the needs， emotional responses， and learning strategies of female and male learners in English vocabulary GBL， which can serve as an important reference for the future development of gender-friendly and personalized GBL.
