Abstract:

Game-based learning (GBL) is a methodology which has shown important educational benefits over the last years. The wide range of GBL approaches includes a whole plethora of experiences ranging from the use of full-fledge games (both commercial and educational) to the inclusion of game elements in the learning process in the so-called gamification. This exploratory research analyzes the experience of teachers from Spain, Belgium, and Turkey regarding the use of GBL. It also identifies which are the most common ways in which they implement GBL in the classroom. Results suggest that teachers have a certain degree of experience, with most of them having used games or gamification for one to three years. An in-depth analysis shows important differences by countries with most teachers in Spain and Belgium having more than five years’ experience. Results also show that most of teachers’ experiences is related to the use of games (especially physical games or educational digital games) rather than with gamification practices.

Keywords:

Game-based learning, gamification, video games, educational games.