Gamification in the Education: the Benefits of Learning through Play

Abstract

The last report of PISA test classified Spanish students in the level two of knowledge, from six possible levels, and on the other hand UNESCO states that one of every three young Spanish abandon their studies before they finish compulsory secondary education. With an aim to improve these results in mathematics, it was proposed to apply active methodologies and to improve learning process through Gamification. This classroom working tool aims at teaching through games, building on the success they have among teenagers. For that purpose, two activities have been developed to be carried out during one didactic unit that pretend to generate emotions and motivate students to learn mathematics. The results obtained with secondary school students were evaluated, showing a significant improvement compared to traditional methods based on master lecture.