Abstract:

In the last past decades, especially in the post-pandemic world, educational systems around the world are under increasing pressure to use the New Information and Communication Technologies (NTIC) to prepare children and young people for an informational society. And, in this process of active, experiential, deeply student-centered learning, the computer is gaining more and more ground, being a real tool to facilitate learning.

In these complex and dynamic conditions, the school is faced with the imperative need for change, adoption and effective capitalization of the potential offered by NTIC. The game, factor of the effective development of children, in any hystoric period, is passing through a deep methamorphosis process, becoming video-game or digital application game.

Gamification in education involves the introduction of game elements and the creation of a playful learning experience in the non-playful processes, such as learning and assesment of students.

The main aim of this study is the analysis of teachersʹ opinions about the use of gamification in early education, at preschool and primary school level. The target group of the study is represented by 120 kindergarten and primary school teachers, from three different counties in the northwest of Romania: Maramureș, Sălaj and Satu Mare. The tool of data analysis is a 16 items questionnaire, with both closed and open questions, investigating teachersʹ attitude and knowledge about the gamification in education.

The results of the study include: identifying the most used educational apps, teachersʹ opinion about implementing them in their classes, impact on studentsʹ learning and development. It also offers an objective analysis of gamification advantages in the learning and evaluation processes (as increasing studentsʹ motivation and attention, reducing stress, stimulating active and experiential learning), but also its limits.

Gamification of learning it's a new process, but its use will definitely change the methodological system of the future education.

Keywords:

New Technologies in Information and Communication, gamification, educational digital resources, blended-learning.