Use design interventions that make the levels system visible and prompt continuation to encourage learners to level up¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Because learner awareness of the levels system was relatively low, Duolingo added design elements giving learners "a visual stand-in for how the levels system works" and a pop-up with a redirect button shown upon finishing a level, prompting learners to start the next level in the skill. These interventions directly operationalize the finding that completing higher levels has measurable learning value, and A/B tests showed they increased lessons completed beyond the required foundational level and overall studying activity.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A platform with a multi-level skill structure whose levels carry learning value
• Measurement infrastructure to detect changes in leveling behavior

Constraints¶

• Grounded in the Duolingo gamified self-directed platform context; the article does not claim generalization to other platforms

Target Learners¶

• Self-directed learners on gamified online learning platforms

Target Learning Goals¶

• Increased practice at higher difficulty levels of previously studied material

Related Strategies¶

• Points or Experience (XP) Systems

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Lucy Portnoff, Erin Gustafson, Klinton Bicknell and Joseph Rollinson. (2021). Methods for Language Learning Assessment at Scale: Duolingo Case Study. Proceedings of The 14th International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM21). https://educationaldatamining.org/edm2021/