49 FEATURE ARTICLE Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 58(1) September 2014 doi:10.1002/jaal.315 © 2014 International Reading Association (pp. 49–58) Gamified Vocabulary ONLINE RESOURCES AND ENRICHED LANGUAGE LEARNING Sandra Schamroth Abrams & Sara Walsh This article examines how gamified practices in online settings can support adolescents’ acquisition and application of vocabulary. G amification is “the process of using game thinking and game mechanics to engage au- diences and solve problems” (Zichermann, 2012, para 1), and it includes “game-like” elements, such as rewards, points, and top score leaderboards in non-game activities and environments (Kapp, 2012). Gamification is rooted in problem solving (Zichermann & Cunningham, 2011), and it is not to be confused with edutainment, or “any electronic games that use enter- tainment in the service of education… [and] tend to fo- cus on simple game structures, which provide a limited learning experience for younger children because edutainment feeds the player information, rather than encouraging curiosity and exploration” (Nielsen, Smith, & Tosca, 2008, p. 212). In this article, we focus on the gamified features of web-based software—rewards, adaptive feedback, and problem solving—in relation to students’ in- dependent and collab- orative development of vocabulary. More spe- cifically, we draw upon our separate experiences teaching vocabulary using online, adaptive resources as assistive tools, and we present data from two different settings: an after- school program and an in-school classroom. In so doing, we highlight features of online gamified educa- tional spaces that can be continuously updated, cus- tomized by the user, and responsive to individual learning trajectories. Such technology is adaptive, providing feedback tailored to each student’s needs and, thus, supports differentiated approaches that help students learn vocabulary both in a contextualized and rote fashion. This current discussion stems from our interac- tions with eleventh grade students and young adults in the New York City metropolitan area. Our inquiry emerged from the overarching question: What role does gamification have in adolescents’ vocabulary de- velopment and their attitudes toward learning vocab- ulary? In order to answer this question, we needed to examine the features of online vocabulary sites, as well as students’ behavior and feelings related to their experiences with vocabulary learning. Similar to Gómez and Kuronen (2011), who conducted a cross- national study by comparing their separate, respective ethnographic and case studies of local practices, we juxtaposed and compared our individual qualitative discoveries of vocabulary learning, engaging in Sandra Schamroth Abrams is an assistant professor at St. John’s University, Queens, New York, USA; email abramss@stjohns.edu. Sara Walsh is an English Teacher at EF International Academy, Tarrytown, New York, USA; email Sara.Walsh@ef.com. Authors (left to right)