ESL LEARNERS’ ACCEPTANCE OF A DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL ESCAPE ROOM (DEER) FOR DISCOURSE COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT

Discourse competence plays a crucial role in preparing English as Second Language (ESL) learners to produce coherent and cohesive communication. Nevertheless, the effective use of cohesive devices remains a challenge for many ESL learners, hindering their ability to produce coherent and meaningful discourse. To address this issue, the Case of the Lost Linkers Digital Educational Escape Room (DEER) was developed as a gamified learning tool to support the development of discourse competence. This study aimed to investigate ESL learners’ acceptance of the DEER game using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A quantitative survey design was employed involving 151 ESL learners from a Malaysian public university. Data were collected using a five-section questionnaire consisting of demographic information and four TAM constructs: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward use, and behavioural intention to use. Descriptive analysis revealed high levels of acceptance across all constructs. Learners perceived the DEER game as useful, user-friendly, enjoyable, and effective for learning linkers and cohesive devices. They also expressed strong intentions to continue using and recommending the game. The findings suggest that DEER has considerable potential as an engaging and learner-centred tool for supporting discourse competence development in ESL contexts.