Abstract:

Based on the impact of the global pandemic situation in recent years, an analysis was carried out after the highest peaks of the pandemic to understand how students who return to attendance can be attracted by new forms of learning from the use of gamification as a learning methodology that allows them to improve their performance and engage in their learning process.

The educational transformation that has been experienced in the last 20 years with the entry of information technology has allowed us to take giant steps in class dynamics, it has allowed greater integration between more activities, a class in which the student has the main role, and the teacher becomes a facilitator of the learning process.

There is a significant difference between active learning and gamification; active learning can be defined "as activities that students do to construct knowledge and understanding" (Brame, 2016, p. 1), while gamification, according to Kapp (2012, p. 12), "uses mechanics based on Games, aesthetics, and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning, and solve problems.

Consequently, a comparative study was carried out between a group of 100 students to whom lecture and the active learning methodology were applied and 100 students to whom gamification and lecture methodology were applied, analyzing the impact of gamification on university students and performance differences between the two groups. This comparison between groups presents two treatments, one quantitative from descriptive statistics and a second from qualitative data treatment.

The effect of gamification on the motivation and commitment of the students can be evidenced, especially since students themselves recognize that participation is higher in this methodology; throughout the course, the students expressed the improvement in social connection, especially those more introverted, and how it has allowed them to improve additional elements such as public speaking, making friends, finding new support networks, accepting differences, recognizing their strengths, and improving their levels of resilience. Therefore, it can be affirmed that the effect or outcome of gamification in a learning process is:

Proposition: Gamification, in combination with the lecture class, generates greater engagement in the learning process, more significant inclusion in the classroom, and better social interactions between students.

A fundamental element appears in the students' active participation of their own free will and gamification dynamics. The main contribution of the study is the analysis of the outcome of gamification within the learning process, the commitment to their learning process and the interest in their partners learn as well. Generally, gamification can be associated with a way to lighten a course, but it requires much more content design that fits both the conceptual content, the learning styles, and the teaching process; therefore, a fundamental element is a good design of content and the application of the methodology that engages students and generates a considerable decrease in students who drop out of the subject. Based on these conclusions, the construction of educational policy should focus on developing more inclusive curricula that strengthen soft skills and build inclusive classrooms.

Keywords:

Gamification, students, learning process, experiment.