Abstract:

The profile of today's university student, in many cases, is characterized by a lack of concentration and interest, in general. For young university students it is increasingly difficult to get excited about the lessons taught in the classroom. And for teachers it is quite a challenge to find techniques that engage the students without harming their education. There is a common consensus that gamification enhances students’ motivation and increases their interest in learning. It is also undeniable that this new teaching methodology facilitates the students’ approach to the subject.
Therefore, to assess the main advantages and possible disadvantages of gamification for teaching and evaluating, this research analyzes the effects of the use of the game Kahoot at university. We base our study on the Social Sciences Faculty of Universidad Villanueva’s experience, which is implementing the Kahoot game in different subjects. Our article performs the comparison of academic results obtained, students’ satisfaction and teachers’ opinions after using Kahoot in university classrooms.
The main objective of the project is to determine whether the implementation of Kahoot brings other advantages beyond the pure motivation of the students. With that aim, our analysis consists of the following phases. First, we evaluate the effects on learning through the comparison of the academic results obtained in subjects before and after the use of Kahoot. Second, we observe the experience of the educators and assess whether it is practical for them to carry out part of their teaching or even evaluation through Kahoot. Third, we undertake a significant number of surveys to understand the benefits that this gamification technique entails to students.
The analysis justifies if the use of Kahoot is preferable only for teaching or if, on the contrary, it use for evaluation is positive. Finally, we explain why these results can be extrapolated to any gamification technique.
All in all, the study also allows to analyze possible disadvantages of the use of Kahoot by answering controversial questions such as: Is the innovative gamification useful for learning or can it even be detrimental to it?

Keywords:

Gamification, engagement, participation, academic results, Kahoot.