Gamification of the Learning Process: Lessons Learned

Abstract

Although several definitions of gamification can be found in the literature, they all have in common certain aspects: the application of strategies, models, dynamics, mechanics, and elements of the games in other contexts than games, and the objective of producing a playful experience that fosters motivation, involvement, and fun. In this paper, our approach gamifying the learning process of a subject is presented. Our experience throughout time in using games and gamification in learning have led us to propose, lately, a personalized, automated, and gamified learning system. As a result of this experience and after several years of continuous feedback from our students, we have learned several lessons on how to approach the task of gamification. These lessons are summarized in the following concepts: fun, motivation, autonomy, progressiveness, feedback, error tolerance, experimentation, creativity, and adaptation to the specific case. The final aim is sharing our experience and opening a debate about what key elements the gamification lie in.