Abstract:

Gamification has been identified as an interesting tool to make educational processes more efficient. It supposes the application of gameful thinking and game mechanics in non-game contexts to engage users in solving problems or carrying out tasks. There is solid and growing empirical evidence that supports how games can favour effective learning in a variety of subjects. Some findings showed that the mean scores of university students in classrooms using the game were significantly higher than those in classes that did not, supporting the idea that knowledge acquisition and content understanding can be learning from games. Moreover, it has been found that simulation games build more confidence for on-the-job application of learned knowledge than does classroom instruction.

Throughout their university training, psychology undergraduates must acquire various knowledge and competences that are necessary to exercise their future professional activity in an effective and efficient way. Among them is the competence to work in teams, as well as to manage teams and groups so that they work properly. An important part of key knowledges to develop such competences are worked and must be learned in the classroom of Groups Psychology, at the end of the third course of Psychology Degree.

In this context this paper deals, by one hand, with the development of a proposal of a game-based learning experience amongst psychology undergraduates and by the other, with texting its effects on own such undergraduates´ competence perceptions for team working. We developed a simulation game called “the group to the rescue” that implies for the undergraduates to be confronted as a group to a new and a potential stressing situation that needs a fast and effective solution. In order to identify such solution it is necessary to use some of the learnings and knowledges related to the physical and social environment of the groups that will be easier acquired and interiorized through this game. Moreover, this simulation game will have a positive impact in terms of building more confidence in own competence perception for working in teams. Our results, in a sample composed by the 31 Psychology Undergraduates that participated in the game, showed that after it, undergraduates have a higher perception of their competence for working effectively in teams. These findings are useful in order to foster the development of team working competence.

Keywords:

Game-based learning, Group Psychology, team working competence.