GAMIFICATION IN CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE EDUCATION

In recent years, gamification and its methods have become one of the leading tools for socialization and innovative communication with consumers in a variety of areas - marketing, finance, business communication, training, IT and of course - leisure and entertainment. Exploring the games - skills link shows that games play a strong and constructive role in developing the key skills and competences needed for success in real life, education, and professional realization.

Educational games are a means by which students can take on the role of researchers, solve problems, face challenges, and make decisions. Gamification enhances learner motivation, which in turn undoubtedly leads to more attention to content. Motivated learners are more likely to accept activities based on specific challenges. Such activities are preferred and in fact trainees spend more time devoted to them than when engaged in traditional educational practices.

The cultural and historical heritage has been present in the world of computer games for a long time. The series of games such as Civilization, Freeciv are good examples for presenting the usage of real historical background while provoking deeper investigation of the real facts. These and other games have been a great success since the early 1990s on the video game market. They are not purely educational but they could be a good basis as supportive tools for the learning process.

Involving the cultural and historical heritage in the field of gaming education today may be one of the most motivating educational approaches for learners of all ages. Gaming techniques applied to cultural heritage studies include a possibility to develop educational scenarios and routes based on key historical topics and provide students a chance for first-hand experiential learning.

The new approach for the museums is to become a third place- after home and school/university. The games are turning into an excellent tool for institutionalizing this new role. The games generate emotions and emotions stimulate the desire of visitors to get to know the world they are present in. By using technology focused on how the user interacts with exhibits, museums not only create something fun but can also inspire creativity, engagement, or even social change. Permanently evolving mass technology tools such as smart phones, tablets, and the like represent a credible set of tools that further contributes to the promotion of gaming practices among the different types of museum visitors.

The present work focuses on the advantages of the games as a motivational factor in education in general and in the learning and experiencing cultural heritage in particular. The text explores the benefits of gamification by attempting to take into account the views of all stakeholders - learners of different ages, educational institutions, museums and, last but not least, policy makers. This paper deals with the educational tools developed in our university. They recreate the Thracian world for the students in several areas and stimulate their research nature.