Abstract:

Gamification consists of the use of mechanics, elements and game design techniques in context that are not games to involve users and solve problems. The incorporation of elements of the games in contexts that are not games -gamification- like the teaching-learning processes, is a promising area in the field of education due to the possibilities of interaction and motivation that it can generate in students. Learning to program is considered basic for students who are studying a career in the areas of computer science and computing. The learning of the programming subjects is one of the most difficult and complex. Students have always shown difficulty in assimilating abstract notions, and therefore high rates of failure and dropout are shown in the courses. This research paper presents some preliminary results and conclusions about the experience of using a didactic tool designed and developed to implement gamification techniques in introductory courses in the teaching of higher level programming. Through the tool it is possible to design algorithms in pseudocode and check their operation, facilitating the study of logic for solving problems. The experiences were applied to an introductory course in the teaching of programming in Software Development Engineering (IDS, by its initials in Spanish) at the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS, by its initials in Spanish). Some theoretical references that support the proposal are exposed and a description of the application context is made. Finally, the results of the use and conclusions obtained are presented.

Keywords:

Gamification, Teaching programming, Teaching, Challenges, Motivation.