Abstract:

Introduction:
The unprecedented situation occurring with the COVID-19 pandemic has generated a significant impact in education. Faced with this crisis, a new educational challenge has aimed at furthering both blended teaching methods and summative and formative assessment methods for fostering “competence based” and “learner centered” meaningful learning.
The research question underlying this contribution is: Which theoretical and methodological criteria are useful for designing a blended learning experiences based on Gamification in Education (GiE) able to encourage meaningful learning in Higher Education students?

Objective:
This contribution aims to present the case study of the Salesian Polytechnic University of Ecuador (UPS-E), which, thanks to a research-intervention project called "Game-Lab" funded from own resources, has designed a Blended Learning tool based on GiE for enhancing students' sense of initiative and entrepreneurship competence.

Methodology:
Starting from "Game-Lab" project, UPS-E has carried on a process of both theoretical reflection and renewal of teaching and evaluation practices finalized to develop a Blended Learning tool based on GiE.
Initially, the main literature on Blended Learning was analyzed considering the main meta-analyses suggesting some useful criteria for planning and evaluating blended learning experiences.
Subsequently, the literature on GiE was analyzed coherently with a socio-constructivist approach.
In light of these two levels of theoretical analysis, professors participating in the "Game-Lab" project had carried out a participatory evaluation process through a Delphi analysis technique. This process has aimed at defining shared criteria both for planning a blended learning tool based on GiE and summative and formative assessment of the "sense of initiative and entrepreneurship" competence. This competence has been developed in the blended learning tool based on GiE.

Results:
Epistemological viewpoint:
-A concise overview of the thematic literature on both “Blended Learning” and “Gamification in Education - GiE" is presented, aimed at defining main criteria for the design and evaluation of the blended learning tool based on GiE.

Methodological viewpoint:
-The participatory evaluation process with all professors participating into "Game-Lab" project carried on through a Delphi analysis technique and aimed at the definition of a shared conceptual framework on the "sense of initiative and entrepreneurship" competence chosen for blended learning with GiE.

Phenomenological viewpoint:
-Main pedagogical criteria for design and evaluation of blended learning experiences;
-A summary exploration of the literature on GiE;
-The framework of the transversal competence “Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship” (Entrecomp 2016) recalibrated by the professors at the end of the participatory evaluation process thanks to Delphi analysis technique;
-A proposal of hetero-assessment and self-assessment tools of the “Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship” competence chosen for blended learning with GiE tool.

Conclusions:
“Game Lab” tool has been designed in a socio-constructivist perspective for fostering meaningful and playful learning in Higher Education students. Learning outcomes fostered by “Game Lab” tool can be appropriately evaluated in both a formative and a summative viewpoint with reference to “Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship" key competence.

Keywords:

competence, blended learning, gamification in education, participatory evaluation