Gamification in Higher Education, the experience at ULPGC

Abstract

University professors are looking for ways to strengthen students' emotional and behavioral engagement in the classroom in order to improve their learning and increase their performance. One of the strategies used to achieve these goals is gamification, a term introduced in 2002 by video game developer Nick Pelling. This technique involves incorporating game elements and dynamics into non-game contexts [1]. The use of gamification in education has grown rapidly due to its great potential to motivate and engage students [2]. At the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), various gamification initiatives have been implemented as part of educational innovation projects to provide a more engaging and meaningful learning experience in different Faculties. These experiences have involved more than 1000 students and have used tools such as Kahoot, Quizziz, and Wix to develop and assess gamification, along with additional resources like Educaplay and Powtoon to create games and dynamics. The results show an increase in students' motivation, participation, and engagement in the subjects, highlighting the importance of educational games and gamification in teaching due to their impact on student motivation, reducing monotony, and presenting learning materials in a more effective and entertaining way.