Abstract:

The aim of this presentation is to determine the pedagogical and technical factors that influence the design and educational adoption of a gamified app. Integration of gamified digital resources, including the use of learning apps, depends on a range of variables that influence teachers’ predisposition towards their use. Although there is a lack of research evidence on teachers’ perceptions of the use of gamification (Sánchez-Mena & Martí-Parreño, 2017), their views on the benefits of, and barriers to, implementation of gamified learning apps in terms of infrastructure and pedagogy have certainly been identified. An argument in favor is the interactive properties of the game itself, which propitiates trail-and-error learning and attracts students’ attention to the material in question (Demirbilek & Tamer, 2010; Sánchez-Mena & Martí-Parreño, 2017). These resources have also been positively assessed as facilitators for understanding concepts as additional visual input, and for developing creativity and capacity to process content (Demirbilek & Tamer, 2010), and develop essential social skills in cooperation, collaboration and team work (Smith, 2018). Jodel & Palmquist (2021) emphasize that these apps provide learning alternatives in terms of variability, in presenting content in more inclusive learning settings. And Marín et al. (2015) state that teachers laud the capacity of such apps to promote inductive learning and knowledge in terms of basic aspects such as success and failure. We adopted a methodological model formed of elements from three other models: the information success systems model (ISS), the technology acceptance model (TAM), and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). Partial Least-Squares (PLS) with Smart PLS 2.0 (Ringle et al. 2005) was used as the analysis technique to predict pedagogial factors influencing app gamified educational app adoption. The study sample consisted of 212 primary Spanish teachers from the 16 autonomous communities of Spain: 32.1% men and 67.9% women. Of these teachers, 38.7% were in Primary Education, 32.8% in Secondary Education, and 28.5% Post-secondary Education. The mean age of participants was about 34 (mean=33.14, standard deviation = 2.41).

The results show that teachers value six dimensions in the design of a gamified app:
(1) establish a clear link between the game and the development of curriculum content and competencies;
(2) favor self-regulated learning through individual and collaborative activities;
(3) offer adapted learning, integrating different personalized itineraries;
(4) integrate learning analytics into its design that can be consulted by students, teachers and families;
(5) comply with data protection requirements and promote an ethical, safe and sustainable use of the information generated;
(6) consider the different levels of functional diversity. When these attributes are met in the design of gamified apps, primary school teachers perceive greater efficiency in being able to be integrated into the teaching-learning processes.

Keywords:

Primary education, app, gamification, didactic implications, technical aspects.