Gamification and the strengthening of interactive play environments for learning in Higher Education

Abstract

Gamification is a methodology that suggests using game elements and game design to improve student engagement and motivation. In the present investigation, the implementation of a recommendation method is proposed in order to generate recommendations on asynchronous gamification activities in Higher Education. The knowledge-based recommendation system was executed in five basic activities: Obtaining student preferences; Recovery of learning objects from the query obtained; Filtering of retrieved learning objects according to gamification preferences; Analysis of the quality of a learning object; Generation of the recommendation list. A study was carried out with 15 students and 3 university professors, for which there was a repository of learning objects with 234 games classified in 8 disciplines. After 14 iterations, the number of learning objects reviewed by students remains between 3 and 6 objects, regardless of the number of recommended objects. Generally, the items reviewed were also completed. With the study carried out, the students indicated that they consider it important for learning to have a game recommendation tool that contributes to the learning of various disciplines. They also declared that after the consultation, the recommendation tool provided them with relevant games to practice the contents of the discipline that interests them the most, and it was possible to make more use of study time by helping to locate the appropriate games at all times; so they would recommend the tool to other students who are not familiar with it.