Gamificación en la docència de lingüística clínica: un Cluedo per als trastorns del llenguatge

La incorporación de la gamificación en la enseñanza del idioma inglés ha demostrado ser un método eficaz para aumentar la motivación y el compromiso de los estudiantes en el aula. Este estudio investiga los efectos de la gamificación en la adquisición del idioma inglés, evaluando su impacto en la motivación estudiantil, la comprensión conceptual y la participación activa. Además, examina el uso de modelos matemáticos y simulaciones interactivas para mejorar la comprensión de conceptos abstractos del lenguaje, particularmente en la adquisición de gramática y sintaxis. Se empleó una estrategia de estudio con enfoque mixto, integrando metodologías cuantitativas y cualitativas. La investigación incluyó a 150 estudiantes de nivel secundario, divididos en un grupo experimental que participó en actividades de aprendizaje gamificadas y un grupo de control que siguió métodos de enseñanza convencionales. El grupo experimental utilizó simulaciones interactivas, sistemas de recompensas basados en puntos y plataformas de aprendizaje adaptativo, mientras que el grupo de control siguió planes de lecciones tradicionales. La recolección de datos incluyó evaluaciones pre y postintervención, encuestas sobre la motivación estudiantil y observaciones sistemáticas en el aula. Los resultados revelan que los estudiantes que emplearon metodologías de aprendizaje gamificadas mostraron una mejora del 30% en el compromiso y la retención de estructuras lingüísticas en comparación con el grupo de control. Además, los modelos matemáticos integrados en el marco de la gamificación, incluidos los algoritmos de seguimiento de progreso y los sistemas de recompensas basados en probabilidad, mejoraron la comprensión de los principios gramaticales abstractos. Las simulaciones interactivas facilitaron la visualización de estructuras sintácticas, permitiendo a los estudiantes internalizar patrones lingüísticos complejos a través del aprendizaje práctico. La investigación resalta la eficacia de la gamificación y las simulaciones digitales en la creación de entornos educativos inmersivos y centrados en el estudiante. A través de la integración de mecánicas de juego y bucles de retroalimentación adaptativa, los estudiantes desarrollan competencia lingüística mientras mejoran simultáneamente habilidades cognitivas esenciales para la resolución de problemas y la aplicación del lenguaje. Estos hallazgos coinciden con investigaciones recientes que respaldan la enseñanza mejorada con tecnología en la adquisición de idiomas. El estudio subraya la eficacia de la gamificación como una herramienta pedagógica en la enseñanza del idioma inglés. La integración de modelos matemáticos y simulaciones interactivas es fundamental para mejorar la comprensión de conceptos abstractos, aumentar la retención del aprendizaje y fomentar una motivación sostenida. Investigaciones futuras deberían explorar los efectos a largo plazo de los procedimientos de aprendizaje gamificados en diferentes entornos educativos para perfeccionar metodologías que maximicen el compromiso estudiantil y la competencia lingüística.

Reviewed by: La manipulación del lenguaje: Breve diccionario de los engaños by Nicolás Sartorius Michael Vrooman Sartorius, Nicolás. La manipulación del lenguaje: Breve diccionario de los engaños. Espasa, 2018. Pp. 279. ISBN 978-8-46705-288-6. Sartorius begins La manipulación del lenguaje with a prologue that details his motives for writing this text, recalling his years as a university student during the dictatorship of general Franco and a developing awareness of the systematic lies perpetrated by the regime and their effects. The author recounts how the slogan that Spain was “Una, Grande y Libre” was a particularly disingenuous fabrication as the country was neither united, great, nor free under Franco. More recently, in democratic Spain, he began to notice how the meaning of words used repeatedly in the media were being severely distorted. It is these words that form the basis for his Breve diccionario de los engaños. At first glance, phrases such as ajuste de cuentas and voto útil may not appear to have anything in common, yet as the first and last entries in this text, and affirmed in the title, they serve as examples of how language can be used in deceiving ways. Sartorius identifies sixty-five such words and phrases that pervade print and online media, radio, television, and everyday communication and he reflects on their harmful effects on society. The entries are arranged in alphabetical order and address diverse topics, primarily of an economic, political, or social nature. [End Page 140] Examples such as crecimiento negativo and vivir por encima de nuestras posibilidades exemplify entries in the dictionary with an economic focus. Negative growth refers to a slowdown or contraction in the economy, but is a misleading term as it encourages us to believe that our financial situation only grows. Why would anyone create a term to suggest that an economic downturn was not possible? Perhaps it was out of fear of the impact that consumer confidence could have on the economy, perhaps that there could never be an economic crisis. Nevertheless, the contradiction in meaning is evident. Living beyond our possibilities is a phrase born of the economic crisis of the last decade and has been used to describe and chastise those Spaniards who were perceived to have spent beyond their means. Yet it was not the spending habits of most Spaniards that led to the economic crisis, but rather, as many have argued, international monetary policies and practices, a resulting housing boom and the fallout around the world. Almost one half of the terms in this text address political issues. Among them are phrases such as armas inteligentes and España nos roba. The use of intelligent weapons implies that these weapons would only target criminals and leave innocent civilians unharmed, in clear contrast to unintelligent weapons that kill indiscriminately. It appears to be preferable to have smart weapons than to accept the reality of weapons of another type. With a dose of sarcasm, the author comments that nowadays everything is smart: smart car, smart bombs, smart house and so on, with the exception of the majority of the population. España nos roba, used by some supporters of Catalonian independence during the last few years, alludes to the belief that the rest of Spain had been plundering Catalonia and that only by independence could Catalonia recover those resources. The author argues that the phrase was used to manipulate opinion in two ways. First, it served to underscore that Spain was in some way separate from Catalonia by the use of the pronoun nos. Second, it reinforced the belief that Spain had committed criminal acts by stealing from the region. He convincingly refutes both assertions. In the social realm, posverdad stands out as an example of language that has undoubtedly been used to deceive. It is the deliberate distortion of reality with the goal of manipulating beliefs and social attitudes. To knowingly and intentionally recast a lie as post-truth permeates much of contemporary political discourse around the world. While deliberate distortions of facts are not a new human phenomenon, the instantaneous nature of world-wide communication mediated by technology has dramatically intensified the...

The article considers the positive opportunities that are revealed by involving students in research processes during their studies. The analysis showed that the integrated combination of students’ acquisition of competencies such elements as individual and group approach to decision making, multicriteria assessment, creative research methods, behavioral economics, etc. allows students to better master the relevant areas of knowledge. The motivation is an important issue of students studying. Behavioral aspects are an effective tool for the formation and development of students’ interest in in-depth learning of economic disciplines.The purpose of the article is to determine the factors due to which the practical application of decisionmaking techniques affects learning outcomes. If the case studies address economic issues that students often meet in their daily lives, it gives the opportunity to maximize their creative participation in the learning process, because they are more interested in finding a “better” solution. Acquisition of knowledge is more effective not on abstract or detached examples, but on cases of solving students’ economic problems. Particular attention is paid to the development of appropriate case studies, as well as the procedure for further analysis of the results of solving such cases. The implementation of these studies in classes on economic disciplines contributes to the formation of a more active students’ attitude to learning. The article reveals the role of the application of behavioral economics models in the educational process. Involving students in research processes in the study should become one of the mandatory learning elements for more effective acquisition of the necessary competencies. The illustrative example testifies to the expediency and usefulness of wide implementation of the proposed approaches in the practice of teaching economic disciplines. JEL classification: А13, А22, D03, D81

The Blooms Taxonomy, which encapsulates learning in the cognitive, psychomotor and the affective domain, has historically defined the development of learning outcomes in the teaching and learning process. However, despite the continued use of the Blooms Taxonomy as the underpinning model for developing learning outcomes and formulating assessments, little emphasis has been placed on revising the Blooms Taxonomy to integrate the dynamics of competence development and acquisition. This undergirds the importance of revisiting the Blooms Taxonomy with the aim of developing a new model that defines competence acquisition in the cognitive domain. Adopting an experimental design, this research aims at developing a Taxonomy framework for competence acquisition in the cognitive domain. The control group for the experiment was 20 business studies students who had been taught leadership theories using the conventional Bloom's Taxonomy of learning while the experimental group was 20 students from the Instructor Training department at Kenya School of TVET with no prior training on leadership theories. The control group was given a cognitive test that utilized the use of higher order thinking verbs as outlined in the Bloom’s Taxonomy and was required to propose ways of improving employee motivation at the workplace from a leadership perspective. On the other hand, the experimental group was exposed to a Problem Based Learning (PBL) model in which a case study on leadership was presented, and the students were required to explain ways of solving the identified leadership problems. All the proposed recommendations from both the control and the experimental groups were listed as Likert type questionnaire items and presented to both groups for ranking. Results from the statistical analysis indicate that leadership recommendations proposed by the experimental group were highly ranked and had a high frequency count. Based on the outcomes of the study, the Cyclic Taxonomy of Cognitive Learning (CTCL) is proposed which is based on the philosophy that competence acquisition does not only follow the linear, sequential progression as outlined in the Bloom's Taxonomy but also happens in a cyclic manner with interoperability occurring between action verbs and knowledge categories.

During the teaching of engineering disciplines, there is a need for new approaches that are associated with interdisciplinary training and the use of modern technologies. Widespread using online learning tools in modern conditions caused by a pandemic and a full-scale invasion and can be provided in the online educational environment of a higher education institution. As online learning practices and the technological tools to deliver them change, such learning continues to evolve. Modern applicants of higher education must possess a base of theoretical knowledge, be able to operate modern digital media communication technologies, and use advanced learning achievements in the digital environment. The content of education in universities is determined, on the one hand, by the globalization processes of the world, and on the other hand, by the emergence of new technologies in professional education. The purpose of the study is the implementation of online learning tools as a tool for the transformation of engineering education in modern conditions and experimental verification of the feasibility of using the proposed tools in the context of engineering education.The research methodology involved the analysis and generalization of scientific, pedagogical, methodical sources and empirical methods, as well as the analysis of the obtained results. A study was conducted before the implementation of the developed technology and after the completion of the experiment. It involved an analysis of the quality of knowledge of higher education applicants while studying engineering disciplines in the online learning environment of a higher education institution. The obtained results before and after the experiment were checked using a statistical calculation.The use of audiovisual materials is growing exponentially. Interactive video-based learning offers a much higher level of immersion in the learning process in online learning environments and learning experiences in platforms of distance education. Theoretical knowledge or classroom work supplemented with interactive practical or laboratory tasks provide an opportunity to use visualization methods. The development of new technologies, the computerization of all branches of the economy, science and education requires, on the one hand, the creation and implementation of new information tools and technologies, and on the other hand, due to problems with their use in professional activity, it is necessary to implement new approaches in the training of future specialists. The technology of implementing online learning tools in the conditions of digital transformation of engineering education is presented. In the context of the outlined technology, the acquisition of professional competences in engineering disciplines in the conditions of an online educational environment is considered, online learning tools are presented in the preparation of applicants of higher education in engineering specialties of agricultural educational institutions. In the context of the proposed technology there are outlined the use of simulation tools in the performance of practical and laboratory work in engineering disciplines, the creation of educational test simulators for applicants of higher education in engineering specialties, application of the monitoring system of the online learning environment in the system of engineering education. The rationale for the effectiveness of using online learning tools in the context of the digital transformation of engineering education is presented.The training of future engineers requires a systematic analysis of the degree of assimilation of knowledge at various stages of education, the acquisition of competences by profession, and stimulation of oneself as a specialist for further self-improvement. The presentation of the content of the education should take into account the degree of complexity of the tasks in the context of acquiring competencies and the use of interactive tools for correcting the knowledge of future engineers. The study makes it possible to assert that in modern conditions there is a need to introduce online learning tools as an instrument for the transformation of engineering education in modern conditions and experimental verification of the feasibility of using the proposed tools in the context of engineering education, which can be used to improve the quality of training engineers.

Резюме. Стаття присвячена актуальній проблемі модернізації сучасної системи вищої медичної освіти та інтеграції її у світовий простір. Впровадження системи безперервного професійного розвитку для лікарів поставило нові вимоги до педагогічних технологій та формату навчання, особливо в умовах пандемії COVID-19. Перспективними в цьому плані є медичні освітні платформи, наприклад, «Школа доказової медицини» – інформаційний онлайн ресурс, завдяки якому відбувається взаємодія між носіями та споживачами медичної освіти. Платформа містить різноманітні способи безпосередньої та дистанційної взаємодії, а також передбачає контроль отриманих знань у вигляді електронного тестування.
 Мета дослідження: проаналізувати можливості платформи «Школа доказової медицини» для отримання професійних компетентностей лікарями отоларингологами з питань діагностики.
 Для засвоєння професійних компетентностей з питань діагностики на платформі «Школа доказової медицини» для лікарів отоларингологів підготовлено, прочитано та записано цикл лекцій та клінічних розглядів. На конференцію зареєструвалось 4502 лікарів. Відбулось 9476 сесій, тобто в середньому один лікар повертався на сайт для перегляду конференції три рази протягом двох днів. Проведений аналіз дозволяє зробити висновок, що новими методами безперервного професійного розвитку цікавляться переважно лікарі молодого віку. Практично всі слухачі, 98,33 %, знаходились в Україні. Переважна більшість лікарів, 72,3 %, для перегляду конференції використовують мобільні телефони.
 Розроблена і запропонована методика може бути використана для покращення професійних компетентностей лікарів оториноларингологів.

El estudio actual se titula innovación didáctica en el lenguaje y la literatura basada en el aprendizaje individualizado, con el objetivo de analizar la efectividad de la implementación de estrategias educativas innovadoras basadas en el rendimiento académico, la motivación y las habilidades de comunicación de los estudiantes de capacitación secundaria en el campo del lenguaje y la literatura. Este estudio responde a la creciente necesidad de usar métodos tradicionales, especialmente para temas que requieren el desarrollo de habilidades críticas, interpretativas y expresivas para repensar a los estudiantes de los estudiantes. Metodologías aplicadas fueron mixtas, incluido un grupo experimental de 120 estudiantes entre las edades de 13 y 15 años, y se mezclaron con un diseño semiexperimental que pertenece a las instituciones educativas urbanas. La intervención se realizó durante un período de 10 semanas y consistió en tecnología educativa crítica y el uso de actividades de lectura crítica, producción de texto y discusiones de discusión comunicadas por plataformas de colaboración digital. Se utilizaron instrumentación cuantitativa (pruebas estandarizadas de comprensión de lectura y escritura) y cualitativamente (entrevistas semiestructuradas, periódicos de reflexión en el aula, observaciones) para la recopilación de datos. Los resultados muestran que los logros académicos de los estudiantes en el grupo de prueba se mejoran significativamente en dimensiones de comprensión de lectura profunda, consistencia del discurso y capacidad del discurso. También hubo un aumento en los niveles esenciales de motivación, participación activa, percepción de autoeficacia y componentes esenciales para el aprendizaje sostenible e importante. La triangulación de datos mostró que la combinación de adaptación y colaboración favoreció la autorregulación del aprendizaje y el desarrollo de habilidades metacognitivas importantes. Finalmente, la innovación didáctica basada en el aprendizaje colaborativo personalizado representa una estrategia efectiva para la transformación del lenguaje y la literatura. Este estudio proporciona evidencia empírica para apoyar la necesidad de integrar modelos de enseñanza centrados en los estudiantes y mejorar la capacitación más equitativa e integrada adaptada a los desafíos contemporáneos.

The article examines the process, conditions and stages of acquisition of lexical competence by students in the process of learning foreign languages. One of the basic conditions of lexical competence is the work of students with authentic materials. The criteria of using authentic audio- and videomaterials, that will positively influence the process of learning grammatical and lexical elements of a foreign language by students, are investigated. The purpose of this article is the search and approbation of the most effective methods and means of learning English using authentic English videomaterials that will contribute to the successful development of lexical competence in students. The topicality of the research lies in the fact that the main task for students in the process of learning a foreign language is the acquisition of lexical competence, which is a component of communicative competence. The object is the lexical competence and the subject of the study is the process of the acquisition of lexical competence with the help of the authentic materials. The problem concerning the Ukrainian system of education is that the students possess a number of competences (theoretical knowledge), but are not able to apply them into practice (in the context of our study, students are not able to freely operate foreign language units and use them in real-life situations). The work of students with properly selected authentic materials (according to the students' age, level of knowledge, interests, topic and objectives of a lesson) facilitates students' acquisition of lexical competence and stimulates them to motivational activity.

The present article shows a novel approach for the acquisition of competences related to physical geodesy in the Bachelor's Degree in Geomatics using virtual materials to promote the autonomous learning and support it during exceptional periods of confinement, like the Covid-19 pandemic. More specifically, the article is focused in the geoid undulation determination, which is a critical issue in hydraulic works, land subsidence, and civil projects. So, this concept has to be learned in the Bachelor's Degree in Geomatics for the proper acquisition of competences. The approach is aimed to three-dimensional fitting techniques and statistical analysis to improve the comprehension and interpretation of the different local geoid models from the same set of field measurements, and therefore the conclusions and analysis derived from them for the subsequent Geomatic practical works. The current contribution is originated from the virtual laboratories’ paradigm, as it is proposed the use of virtual materials for the acquisition and evaluation of competences and skills in an asynchronous way, that can be use not only for and e-learning or b-learning programs, but also as support for traditional face to face programs. The present contribution will help the students to contextualize the theoretical knowledge, so better understand the challenges they will face in the working market as future professionals.

El Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) sitúa al estudiante en el centro del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje y persigue que este desarrolle una serie de competencias genéricas y específicas. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar en qué medida la integración de los sistemas de mandos de respuesta en la metodología docente de una asignatura permite potenciar la adquisición de las competencias genéricas más relevantes para los perfiles de los estudiantes de los grados objeto de análisis, y las específicas asociadas a la asignatura. La actuación descrita se desarrolla en el marco de una nueva asignatura, Introducción al Marketing, correspondiente a dos enseñanzas de grado de la Universidad de Zaragoza. Para evaluar la capacidad de los sistemas de mandos de respuesta para potenciar la adquisición de competencias se ha obtenido información de carácter subjetivo procedente de una encuesta realizada entre los estudiantes participantes en esta actividad, así como datos de carácter objetivo a partir de las calificaciones obtenidas en la asignatura. Los resultados confirman que dicha actuación ha favorecido el logro de los resultados de aprendizaje y, en consecuencia, la adquisición de las competencias específicas. Además, esta actuación ha potenciado la adquisición de competencias genéricas como la capacidad para trabajar en equipo, la habilidad en las relaciones interpersonales, la capacidad crítica y autocrítica, y la capacidad de tomar decisiones, entre otras. A modo de conclusión, podemos afirmar que si los sistemas de mandos respuesta se integran en un adecuado diseño pedagógico, su empleo permite alcanzar mejoras significativas en el proceso de aprendizaje de los estudiantes y facilita el proceso de adaptación de las enseñanzas universitarias a las directrices establecidas por el EEES.http://dx.doi.org/10.15304/ie.24.1516

Public service advertisements (PSAs) about COVID-19 were a main means of slowing the spread of the virus in 2020. Yet the literature lacks research on the design of such PSAs regarding motivation elements, though this knowledge can help develop more persuasive PSAs for health communication beyond COVID-19. The present study turned to motivation theory as the foundation of behavior change and explored whether and how motivation elements were incorporated into COVID-19 PSAs through goal-framing theory (GFT) and using a deductive thematic analysis to identify goal appeals. In addition, an inductive thematic analysis was used to explore other persuasion strategies and tactics in PSAs for a fuller picture of their design. The analysis of sixty-three PSAs raises several concerns. First, in the United States there was insufficient use of goal appeals; federal government organizations (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] in the United States) incorporated goal appeals much less frequently than global health organizations and advertising organizations did. Second, the prevalence of PSAs that were built on instructions without any motivation elements, as well as those using positive elements and humor, may have decreased persuasiveness. The study’s findings should be taken into consideration by advertising scholars and practitioners in health communication.

The aim of this research project is to develop scientifically based recommendations to support the educational institutions of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WKW) in effectively integrating Generative Artificial intelligence (GenAI) into their programmes. The educational institutions include the University of Applied Sciences for Management and Communication – FHWien der WKW) for the tertiary sector, two schools (Tourism College MODUL Vienna and Vienna Business School – VBS) in the field of high school education and a further education institution for further adult education (Institute for Economic Promotion – WIFI Vienna). The project examines the current perception of AI in the labour market and investigates the impact of Generative AI on students' competency acquisition, as well as strategies for its effective utilisation in educational settings. The central research question of this project is as follows: What strategies might be employed to ensure the effective utilisation of Generative AI in the educational institutions of the WKW, with a view to enhancing learners' competency acquisition and integrating it meaningfully into future education? To evaluate the present utilisation of GenAI among educators and learners, the study will employ questionnaires, workshops and practice-oriented experiments. Based on the findings of this research, an AI Info Hub will be established as a central resource platform. Its purpose is to provide educators and learners with up-to-date information, best practices, workshops, and support for integrating AI into teaching and learning processes. By comprehensively understanding and addressing the challenges and opportunities of AI in education, this project will empower educational institutions of the WKW to promote the acquisition of competencies that enable effective human-AI collaboration. Ultimately, this will contribute to improving the quality of education and preparing learners for future work environments in which AI is an integral component.

Este estudio tiene como objetivo mejorar la articulación del lenguaje en niños de educación básica con dislalias mediante el uso de Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC), empleando una metodología cualitativa. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas con docentes, padres y estudiantes, así como observaciones en el aula, para comprender las experiencias y percepciones sobre la efectividad de las TIC en el proceso educativo. Los resultados revelaron que la mayoría de los docentes considera que las TIC son efectivas para motivar a los estudiantes y personalizar el aprendizaje. Los niños, al utilizar aplicaciones interactivas, mostraron un mayor compromiso y entusiasmo por aprender, lo que respalda la importancia del aprendizaje lúdico en la educación infantil. Sin embargo, también se identificaron desafíos, como la falta de formación adecuada para los docentes y el acceso desigual a la tecnología. La participación activa de los padres se destacó como un factor crucial en el éxito de la intervención, evidenciando que su involucramiento puede potenciar los avances en la articulación del lenguaje. Se concluye que el uso de las TIC debe ser parte de un enfoque integral que contemple aspectos emocionales y sociales del desarrollo infantil. Las TIC pueden ser herramientas valiosas para mejorar la articulación del lenguaje en niños con dislalias, siempre que se utilicen de manera adecuada y se asegure el acceso equitativo. Este estudio resalta la necesidad de formación continua para docentes y la colaboración entre padres y educadores para crear un entorno de aprendizaje cohesivo y efectivo.

Este estudio analiza los efectos de la inteligencia artificial (IA) en personalizar el aprendizaje en los campos del lenguaje y la literatura para evaluar la efectividad de las herramientas de adaptación basadas en la IA para mejorar las habilidades de comunicación de los estudiantes. En un contexto educativo caracterizado por una variedad de ritmos, estilos y necesidades de aprendizaje, KI representa una solución innovadora que proporciona rutas educativas individualizadas, retroalimentación verdadera y un proceso educativo más efectivo y efectivo. El estudio persigue un enfoque sistemático mixto con ventajas cuantitativas, compuestas bajo un diseño semi-predominante utilizando grupos de control y prueba. 200 estudiantes con inglés de tamaño mediano como idioma extranjero se distribuyeron por igual entre los dos grupos. El grupo experimental trabajó con plataformas de IA como Duolingo, Promva, ChatGPT y Grammatario, mientras que el grupo de control siguió un enfoque tradicional centrado en la dirección de la memorización y las lecciones. La recopilación de datos incluyó pruebas estandarizadas (pre y publicaciones), investigaciones de tipo Likert, entrevistas semiestructuradas y observaciones en el aula que permiten una sólida triangulación metodológica. Los resultados muestran que el grupo experimental registró una mejora estadísticamente significativa en la competencia del lenguaje con una expansión del 18% después de la intervención, en comparación con solo el 5,7% del grupo control. En un nivel cualitativo, se identificaron mejoras en la motivación, la autonomía, la confianza del idioma y las interacciones orales. Esto está relacionado con el uso de un entorno inteligente adaptativo. Estos resultados confirman que la IA puede promover un proceso de aprendizaje más personalizado y efectivo y fortalecer la autorregulación y el compromiso de los estudiantes. Se ha establecido la conclusión de que la integración sistemática de las herramientas de IA tiene un alto potencial de transformación en las lecciones de idiomas, siempre que se articule dentro de un marco educativo sólido. Se recomienda que la investigación se amplíe a otros niveles de educación para promover la formación de maestros de tecnología ambiciosa y para verificar la sostenibilidad y la escalabilidad de los resultados logrados.

This paper presents a methodology based on Lego construction and applications in a context of simple games, for the development of soft competencies in sixth-semester high school students and helping them in the decision of which Engineering program is best for them. These students have declared interest in enrolling at our university, particularly at the School of Engineering and Science. Soft competencies have always been a valuable resource that employers look for in students that finish a college education. Universities around the world make many efforts to attract more students into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs. This work presents a simple but effective methodology that has worked for us during visits and workshops to high schools as part of our attraction process. In this work we show how some soft competencies like creativity, teamwork, stress management and goal-oriented work are developed at a basic level within a gamification context. The results of a survey answered by two hundred students show the perception of students on how those competencies were developed, how their interest in STEM programs was confirmed and also, how their self confidence in pursuing a “hard” program was strengthened. We present this work so that other universities, particularly those in developing nations, could include this type of gamification activities in their attraction process and improve on the enrolling numbers of students in STEM programs.