GAME-INES (GAmificación de Metodología de la INvestigación y EStadística)

Partners

UEMC Educational Innovation Project performed by:

Azael J. Herrero

Pablo Alonso Lorenzo

Héctor Menéndez Alegre

Jaime Palomo Luquero

Francisco José Pinto Fraga

Beatriz Fernández Díez

Santiago Bellido Blanco

Matías López Iglesias

The main objective of the GAME-INES project was to gamify the Research Methodology and Statistics courses taught in the Sport and Exercise Science, Nutrition, and Occupational Therapy degree programmes. The aim was to create an engaging narrative for each course, increasing students’ motivation and willingness to learn. In the case of Research Methodology, students had to earn “prestige points” in order to progress through different levels related to the world of research. In the Statistics course, the narrative revolved around the Olympic Games, with students organised into teams to compete in different challenges linked to the course content.

The methodology used in the project was divided into four phases: (1) analysing the courses to identify content suitable for gamification, (2) selecting technological tools such as Genially, (3) creating materials and game dynamics, and (4) designing success indicators, such as questionnaires, to assess student satisfaction and engagement. In addition, two different methodologies were implemented for the Statistics course: a traditional approach and a gamified one. The results showed that, although both groups achieved similar grades, motivation, attendance, and participation were significantly higher in the gamified group.

Results

The project results showed that the gamification of the Research Methodology and Statistics courses was very well received by students, increasing their motivation and willingness to learn. In the Research Methodology course, students responded positively to the game dynamics, especially the “prestige points” system, which improved their involvement and collaboration. Through satisfaction surveys, most students stated that the gamified component made the course more attractive and enjoyable. It was also observed that class activities such as “The Paper Corner” fostered greater interest in scientific research.

As for the Statistics course, although no significant differences were found in final grades between the gamified group and the traditional group, attendance, discipline, and student engagement were considerably higher in the gamified group. In addition, students in the gamified group showed greater interest in staying after class to review the course content. These observations suggest that gamification not only increased students’ motivation, but also improved their disposition towards learning, strengthening transversal competences such as teamwork and collaboration.