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Proceeding Paper

Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning on English Learning Using Experimental Design in Elementary School: A Case Study of the Quizlet Online Platform †

1
Department of Business Administration, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung 413310, Taiwan
2
Department of Leisure Service Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung 413310, Taiwan
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Presented at the 2024 4th International Conference on Social Sciences and Intelligence Management (SSIM 2024), Taichung, Taiwan, 20–22 December 2024.
Eng. Proc. 2025, 98(1), 8007; https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025098007
Published: 9 June 2025

Abstract

We examined the effects of cooperative learning on learning satisfaction and learning effectiveness of elementary school students on the Quizlet online platform using an experimental design approach. Third and fourth-grade students from an elementary school in Taichung City were recruited in this study. A total of 55 students participated in this study and were grouped into the experimental group (28) and the control group (27). The experimental group engaged in game-based cooperative learning activities, while the control group participated in individual learning sessions. After eight weeks of the intervention in which one 30 min session was conducted every week, data on learning satisfaction and learning effectiveness were collected using a questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed to obtain descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The participants in the experimental group reported improved learning satisfaction, learning environments, learning outcomes, and peer interactions compared with the control group. The experimental group also scored higher in learning effectiveness including skills. Significant differences were observed in learning satisfaction and effectiveness across genders and grade levels. A strong positive correlation indicated that higher learning satisfaction improved learning effectiveness among elementary students. Learning satisfaction was a significant predictor of learning effectiveness, highlighting the importance of cooperative learning for better learning outcomes. The results of this study provide a reference for elementary English teachers to incorporate online platforms in their teaching practices.

1. Introduction

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, education has undergone significant transformations in teaching methods and the application of online courses. During the pandemic, school closures prompted remote learning at home, resulting in a considerable increase in demand for online learning platforms. The global adoption of online courses is presently prevalent, and, after the pandemic, the online merge offline (OMO) model combining online and physical learning has become a future trend in education. Digital learning platforms such as Quizlet, for example, effectively enhance students’ learning motivation through gamification. These platforms allow teachers to implement personalized instruction based on individual learning differences to improve students’ learning experiences and effectiveness.
In language learning, learners’ willingness and interest are critical. Online gamified learning platforms enable students to actively construct knowledge in an interactive and engaging learning environment while engaging in cooperative learning with peers to advance learning skills. By integrating cooperative learning into digital learning tools, learning motivation, satisfaction, and effectiveness are significantly enhanced. In the learning process, cooperative learning fosters peer interactions, the sharing of learning experiences, and problem-solving skills, thereby improving interpersonal communication abilities.
As Taiwan promotes English education by incorporating English learning from the elementary school level, educators are actively exploring how to utilize digital tools and gamified learning methods to enhance teaching effectiveness. Platforms such as Quizlet integrate multimedia elements for visual and auditory stimuli and enable learning beyond memorization. Through interactive games, including spelling challenges and image matching, students effectively learn vocabulary and enhance their English proficiency. This approach encourages self-directed learning and significantly improves learning effectiveness.
This study aims to explore the impact of cooperative learning using the online gamified learning platform Quizlet on elementary school students’ learning satisfaction and learning effectiveness. The results serve as a reference for educators to promote effective English teaching models.

2. Literature Review

Yu and Lai [1] examined the application of the survey, question, read, reflect, recite, review (SQ4R) learning strategy and cooperative learning in online teaching systems and found that students using online teaching systems outperformed independent learners in reading comprehension and motivation and their cooperative learning enhanced student interaction and learning experiences. Qin [2] studied the impact of cooperative learning on elementary English teaching, discovering that students with cooperative learning outperformed the individual learning group in learning satisfaction, participation, and interpersonal interaction. Based on previous research results, we examined the learning satisfaction of elementary students who participated in Quizlet cooperative learning.
Cooperative learning is considered an effective teaching strategy that promotes conceptual change and enhances learning effectiveness. Lonning [3] and Wei [4] revealed that cooperative learning positively impacts language interaction and academic achievement. Slavin [5] emphasized that high levels of peer interaction significantly improved learning outcomes, while Liu [6] found that cooperative learning was superior to individual learning in computer-assisted instruction, with students expressing positive attitudes toward cooperative learning. Wang [7] highlighted that cooperative learning improved the programming skills of technical college students. Therefore, we assumed that elementary students participating in Quizlet cooperative learning facilitated high learning effectiveness.
Hsu [8] found significant differences in learning satisfaction among students across different grade levels, with lower-grade students exhibiting higher satisfaction. Tu [9] reported that augmented reality (AR)-assisted learning improved learning effectiveness and satisfaction, with female students showing significantly higher satisfaction than males. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the effect of gender and the grade of students on learning satisfaction.
Yeh [10] reported that students’ English learning motivation differed significantly by grade level and parental education background, with learning outcomes also varying by gender and school size. Similarly, Li [11] found partial correlations between students’ demographic variables, learning effectiveness, and motivation on online tutoring platforms. Hence, the effects of gender and grade differences significantly influence learning effectiveness.
Learning satisfaction is crucial for learning effectiveness. Lin [12] highlighted that learning satisfaction reflected learners’ fulfillment and positive experiences in the learning process. Motiwalla and Tello [13] assessed students’ satisfaction with online course flexibility and content using subjective evaluations and objective tests. Hsueh [14] found that digital gamified learning systems significantly improved students’ learning satisfaction and effectiveness. Wu [15] and Tu [9] found a strong positive correlation between digital tools, learning motivation, and satisfaction. Therefore, we examined how learning satisfaction influenced learning effectiveness in this study.

3. Research Method

We investigated the impact of cooperative learning on elementary school students’ learning satisfaction and learning effectiveness in Taichung City using the Quizlet online gamified learning platform. The research procedure consisted of a preparatory phase, experiment preparation, pre-test, teaching implementation, post-test, questionnaire administration, data processing, result analysis, conclusion, and recommendation formulation. Figure 1 shows the research framework to examine the influence of cooperative learning on learning satisfaction and learning effectiveness among elementary school students with varying backgrounds.
The participants were grouped into the experimental group using Quizlet Live cooperative learning and the control group adopting individual gamified learning. The participants included 55 third- and fourth-grade students from an elementary school in Wufeng District, Taichung City, Taiwan. A questionnaire survey was conducted to gather data measuring learning satisfaction and learning effectiveness with a questionnaire created based on the literature and theoretical frameworks. The survey’s reliability and validity were verified through item and factor analyses. Descriptive statistical analysis, independent sample t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and regression analysis were employed to examine the effects of cooperative learning on learning satisfaction and learning effectiveness.

4. Results and Discussion

A total of 55 valid responses were returned with a 100% response rate. The experimental group included 28 students (50.9%), while 27 students (49.1%) belonged to the control group. A total of 32 participants were male (58.2%), and 23 were female (41.8%). A total of 28 third-grade students (50.9%) and 27 fourth-grade students (49.1%) were included in both groups.
Learning satisfaction showed a mean score of 4.18 (standard deviation (SD) = 0.67). The learning environment scored the highest (4.23), followed by learning outcomes (4.20), reflecting students’ positive attitudes toward learning on the Quizlet platform. However, the peer interaction score was 4.09, indicating room for improvement in cooperative learning. The mean score of learning effectiveness was 4.11 (SD = 0.73), and cognition scored the highest (4.24), suggesting that the participants effectively understood the learning content. After eight weeks of Quizlet-based teaching, students’ academic performance improved, with the mean scores increasing from 58.47 in the pre-test to 60.15 in the post-test, indicating the positive impact of online gamified learning on academic performance.
The experimental group exhibited significantly higher satisfaction with the learning environment, learning outcomes, and peer interaction than the control group. The overall satisfaction of the experimental group surpassed that of the control group, indicating that the Quizlet Live cooperative learning model effectively enhanced the learning atmosphere, interest, confidence, and peer interaction (Table 1). These results aligned with those of Chou [16], Lin [17], and Wang [18].
Independent sample t-tests indicated that the experimental group showed significantly higher scores in the affective and skill dimensions of learning effectiveness (4.40 and 4.23) than the control group (3.94 and 3.56) (Table 2).
There was no significant difference in learning outcomes or peer interaction by gender. However, females scored significantly higher than males in learning environment satisfaction (4.48 and 4.04, respectively), which coincided with the results of Chen [19] and Chou [16] (Table 3).
No significant difference was observed between third- and fourth-grade students in the satisfaction with learning environment, learning outcomes, and peer interaction, suggesting that satisfaction levels were similar across grades (Table 4).
Independent sample t-test results showed no significant gender differences in cognition, affective, or skills. While females scored slightly higher than males in both pre-test and post-test scores, the difference was not significant due to insufficient teaching time (Table 5).
No significant difference was observed between students in different grades in cognition, affective, or skill variables. Pre-test results indicated better performance of the fourth-grade students than the third-grade students, while post-test results showed significant improvement of the third-grade students with Quizlet learning (Table 6).
Pearson correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the impact of learning satisfaction on learning effectiveness. The results indicated moderate to strong correlations between learning environment, learning outcomes, peer interaction, and learning effectiveness. The correlation coefficients ranged from 0.57 to 0.80. Regression analysis results revealed a significant effect of learning satisfaction on learning effectiveness (F = 57.960, p < 0.05) with R2 of 0.760, explaining 76% of the variance in learning effectiveness. Among the predictors, learning outcomes had the greatest impact (standardized R = 0.479), followed by peer interaction (0.339) and learning environment (0.207). Variance inflation factors ranged from 1.62 to 2.29, indicating no multicollinearity issues, and all t-values were statistically significant (p < 0.05). These results confirmed higher learning satisfaction and learning effectiveness (Table 7).

5. Conclusions

The study results demonstrated positive responses to learning satisfaction, learning environment, learning outcomes, and peer interaction. The experimental group with Quizlet learning exhibited significantly higher satisfaction than the control group. Additionally, female students showed higher satisfaction across all variables than male students. Learning effectiveness was evaluated for cognition, affective, and skill variables, and the experimental group showed superior performance for all variables, with significant differences in affective and skills. However, differences in cognition were not significant. Learning satisfaction was significantly influenced by learning effectiveness. Learning outcomes were the most critical factor, followed by peer interaction and the learning environment, to enhance learning satisfaction. Differences in learning outcomes by gender and grade were significant between students with and without cooperative learning. Cooperative learning models particularly benefit male and fourth-grade students. The results demonstrated that cooperative learning models significantly benefited low-achieving students. Heterogeneous group collaboration can promote collective progress. Future research is necessary to optimize this approach to meet diverse learners’ needs and investigate the causes of observed differences in this study and potential instructional strategies.
The study results also highlighted the positive impacts of the learning environment, learning outcomes, and peer interaction on learning effectiveness, with learning outcomes as the most influential. Future research is needed to delve into the roles and interactions of these factors to design more effective teaching models. To gain broader insights, participants from diverse disciplines (e.g., history, geography) need to be included. Additional variables such as learning motivation also need to be incorporated to comprehensively understand factors affecting learning outcomes.
Extending the duration of research can enable more accurate data to understand the sustainability and trends of learning effects. By integrating qualitative methods, such as interviews, students’ psychological processes in learning can be elucidated. This approach enriches research content and enables a better understanding of the impacts of cooperative learning.
Digital tools such as Quizlet, combined with cooperative learning models, can significantly enhance learning satisfaction and effectiveness. Educational institutions must promote the use of digital learning tools and provide relevant training for teachers to improve the overall efficacy of digital instruction.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, C.-C.Y., C.-W.L. and Y.-F.H.; methodology, C.-W.L. and C.-C.Y.; writing—original draft preparation, C.-P.O.Y., S.-S.C. and C.C.; writing—review and editing, C.-C.Y., Y.-F.H. and C.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Acknowledgments

All subjects’ enthusiastic participation is greatly appreciated.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

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Figure 1. Research framework.
Figure 1. Research framework.
Engproc 98 08007 g001
Table 1. Summary of independent sample t-test results for cooperative learning on learning satisfaction.
Table 1. Summary of independent sample t-test results for cooperative learning on learning satisfaction.
VariableGroupNMeanSDtp
Learning
environment
Experimental Group284.390.5952.03 *0.047
Control Group274.050.648
Learning
outcomes
Experimental Group284.530.4833.26 *0.002
Control Group273.860.952
Peer interactionExperimental Group284.330.5262.21 *0.033
Control Group273.841.036
OverallExperimental Group284.440.4383.18 *0.003
Control Group273.910.761
* p < 0.05.
Table 2. Summary of independent sample t-test results for cooperative learning on learning effectiveness.
Table 2. Summary of independent sample t-test results for cooperative learning on learning effectiveness.
VariableFactorGroupNMeanSDtp
Learning
effectiveness
CognitiveExperimental Group284.410.5531.8690.067
Control Group274.060.846
AffectiveExperimental Group284.400.4752.315 *0.026
Control Group273.940.920
SkillExperimental Group284.230.6622.845 *0.007
Control Group273.561.051
OverallExperimental Group284.350.5022.619 *0.012
Control Group273.850.846
* p < 0.05.
Table 3. Summary of independent sample t-test results for gender differences in learning satisfaction.
Table 3. Summary of independent sample t-test results for gender differences in learning satisfaction.
VariableGenderNMeanSDtp
Learning
satisfaction
Learning
environment
Male324.040.6682.617 *0.120
Female234.480.511
Learning
outcomes
Male324.050.921−1.6940.096
Female234.420.596
Peer interactionMale323.990.881−1.0320.307
Female234.230.794
OverallMale324.030.719−1.9820.053
Female234.380.543
* p < 0.05.
Table 4. Summary of independent sample t-test results for differences in learning satisfaction by grade.
Table 4. Summary of independent sample t-test results for differences in learning satisfaction by grade.
VariableGrade NMeanSDtp
Learning
satisfaction
Learning
Environment
Third Grade284.270.6120.5390.592
Fourth Grade274.180.676
Learning
Outcomes
Third Grade284.310.5810.9290.358
Fourth Grade274.101.005
Peer
Interaction
Third Grade284.200.6210.9970.324
Fourth Grade273.971.030
OverallThird Grade284.270.5411.0080.319
Fourth Grade274.090.780
Table 5. Summary of independent sample t-test results for differences in learning effectiveness by gender.
Table 5. Summary of independent sample t-test results for differences in learning effectiveness by gender.
VariableGender NMeanSDtp
Learning
effectiveness
CognitiveMale324.080.787−1.9790.053
Female234.460.561
AffectiveMale324.010.884−1.9180.061
Female234.400.560
SkillMale323.861.050−0.4320.667
Female233.970.705
OverallMale323.980.816−1.4810.145
Female234.280.563
Table 6. Summary of independent sample t-test results for differences in learning effectiveness by grade.
Table 6. Summary of independent sample t-test results for differences in learning effectiveness by grade.
VariableGender NMeanSDtp
Learning
effectiveness
CognitiveThird Grade284.240.550−0.0450.965
Fourth Grade274.240.874
AffectiveThird Grade284.210.5540.0320.751
Fourth Grade274.140.933
SkillThird Grade283.880.797−0.1890.851
Fourth Grade273.931.040
OverallThird Grade284.110.5150.0170.986
Fourth Grade274.100.911
Table 7. Regression analysis results of the impact of learning satisfaction on learning effectiveness.
Table 7. Regression analysis results of the impact of learning satisfaction on learning effectiveness.
Dependent VariableIndependent VariableβtpVIFR2Fp
Learning
effectiveness
Constant 0.330.741 0.76057.96 *0.000
Learning environment0.2072.44 *0.0181.62
Learning outcomes0.4794.75 *0.0002.29
Peer interaction0.3393.92 *0.0001.69
* p < 0.05.
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MDPI and ACS Style

Lin, C.-W.; Hsieh, Y.-F.; Ou Yang, C.-P.; Chen, S.-S.; Yang, C.-C.; Chang, C. Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning on English Learning Using Experimental Design in Elementary School: A Case Study of the Quizlet Online Platform. Eng. Proc. 2025, 98, 8007. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025098007

AMA Style

Lin C-W, Hsieh Y-F, Ou Yang C-P, Chen S-S, Yang C-C, Chang C. Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning on English Learning Using Experimental Design in Elementary School: A Case Study of the Quizlet Online Platform. Engineering Proceedings. 2025; 98(1):8007. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025098007

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lin, Chih-Wei, Ya-Fang Hsieh, Chi-Pei Ou Yang, Shan-Shan Chen, Chin-Cheng Yang, and Chuan Chang. 2025. "Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning on English Learning Using Experimental Design in Elementary School: A Case Study of the Quizlet Online Platform" Engineering Proceedings 98, no. 1: 8007. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025098007

APA Style

Lin, C.-W., Hsieh, Y.-F., Ou Yang, C.-P., Chen, S.-S., Yang, C.-C., & Chang, C. (2025). Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning on English Learning Using Experimental Design in Elementary School: A Case Study of the Quizlet Online Platform. Engineering Proceedings, 98(1), 8007. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025098007

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