Role of gamification at the University of Debrecen, with special regard to the Faculty of Economics

Abstract

With the spread of technology and Internet, the way of teaching has changed in recent decades, as opposed to traditional personal practice, with the current pandemic situation bringing to the fore various forms of distance learning that have posed increasing challenges for both educators and students at all levels of education. In many places, lecturers may experience a negative shift in the motivation and attention of university students, so that distractions in class or appearances in classes become more frequent than technical problems. At the same time, there is a huge increase in the amount of time spent on individual video games among young people. Gamification seeks to promote the connection between the fun experience of games and learning in education. Research has highlighted that some elements of games effectively contribute to learning, and the method can also have a number of positive benefits for higher education too. Nevertheless, many higher education institutions have not introduced gamification into their programs, nor are they included in the individual recommendations. The aim of the study is to explore the assessment of the method of gamification among the students and lecturers at the University of Debrecen, on the spot of the Faculty of Economics and Business. As results of the research, it can be stated that the students of the Faculty are on average less familiar with the method compared to the lecturers, however in general perception of gamification among the two groups can be said to be positive.