Abstract
A reduced interest and low motivation in learning amongst vocational students has become a challenge with many traditional strategies not capable of providing a solution to motivation and encouraging participation in learning. The use of elements of games in non-recreational environments (gamification) may be a possible solution, since research indicates an improvement in user experience and engagement, with possibilities of improved motivation and behavioral results. However not all studies obtain positive results, the success of gamification is influenced by the design, the sample, and the context. This study analyzes a gamification design with the most common elements in three methodological approaches (teacher-centered, student-centered, and mixed) in three different periods throughout a program of study with vocational training students. The results indicate that the mixed approach performed worse than the other two. Carrying out a greater number of tasks did not imply a better result in the subject marks, but rather paying more attention to each task influences the result positively.
Highlights
A major problem schools and educators often encounter today is that many students lack the motivation and interest to learn
Throughout a full academic year, a gamified experience was developed with dual vocational students; the idea was to compare how different methodologies affected student learning in a gamified environment
The implemented gamification design did not work for students to work more in their free time and it did not work for students to work consistently every day
Summary
A major problem schools and educators often encounter today is that many students lack the motivation and interest to learn. If given the choice, many would rather play video games than read a book or complete a task [1]. Taking this scenario into account, different pedagogical innovations have emerged that incorporate the logic of games, such as gamification and game-based learning. According to the findings of many studies [3,4], traditional strategies cannot provide a solution to the lack of motivation of students. Nor can they generate participation in learning [5,6]
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