Is Classroom Gamification Opposed to Performance?

Abstract

Learning through digital media is currently considered as a mixture of methodologies that aim to approach the reality of students to motivate them. Gamification emerges as one of the pedagogical methodologies on the rise in digital classrooms, but is it really practical? What are its effects? A gamification longitudinal case-study experience was carried out in the subject: complements for disciplinary training in technology of the master’s degree of secondary school teachers (technology specialty) that is taught at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, where gamified activities and alternatives to traditional master teaching have been introduced in a progressive way throughout three academic years (2016/17 to 2018/19). The results show that there is a negative correlation between the numerical scores of the different components of the evaluation and the marks obtained in the activities of gamification. It is surprising that the group less involved in the gamification obtained better academic results, although gamification improved the motivation and the valuations of the subject, due to the inclusion of more games in the course. This raises doubts on whether the positive effects of gamification on the climate of the classroom and on motivation are opposed to academic results.