The ICT and gamification: tools for improving motivation and learning at universities

Abstract

[EN] The teacher-student technology gap and the lack of attention in the design of attractive and motivating learning methodologies often result in student´s demotivation and poor academic performance. To this end, from the research field, a series of methodologies and tools have been developed, such as gamification, as well as the introduction of ICT in lessons. By implementingSocrative, a classroom app to engage students, we tried to measure the evolution of students’ knowledge after the use of ICT and more interactive lessons. In addition, we tried to relate the level of motivation to students’ seating plan in the classroom (in rows). We also tried to analyse students' preferences and their feedback of the new techniques and methodologies used during the classes. The main result of the research is that the use of ICT and gamification in the classroom improved students’ motivation and learning, especially those who were less motivated. The direct relation between the students' seats in the classroom and their motivation was verified. At the same time, the learning differences between all the students in the classroom were reduced, achieving a balance between the learning and the motivation of the students. Keywords: Smartphone; incentive; learning; university students; Socrative.