Target audience
Teachers at different educational levels: primary education, secondary education, vocational education and training, and university. Educators, project coordinators and mentors. Final-year undergraduate and master’s students in these fields.
Duration
Objectives
1. Understand the foundations of gamification, clearly distinguishing what gamification is and what it is not, and identifying its potential to improve motivation, participation, inclusion and learning.
2. Analyse learners’ profiles and needs in order to design more equitable, engaging and effective gamified experiences for different educational contexts and target groups.
3. Apply a structured gamification model based on mechanics, components and dynamics to design courses, teaching units, activities or educational projects.
4. Explore analogue, digital and AI-supported tools to create narratives, challenges, resources, feedback systems and assessment strategies aligned with learning objectives.
5. Design and present a gamified learning proposal, individually or in pairs, receiving feedback from trainers and peers to improve its coherence, feasibility and educational impact.
Methodology
The course methodology is interactive and practical, combining guided discussions with individual and team-based exercises. Participants receive support materials related to the theoretical content explained by the trainers, together with practical examples to facilitate application.
When ICT tools for gamification are addressed, sessions take place in a computer room, or with each participant using their own computer. Some activities may also involve the use of mobile phones.
At the end of the course, each participant, individually or in pairs, develops an action plan to apply gamification in the classroom, presents it to the group and receives feedback from the trainers.
Contents
– Foundations of gamification: what gamification is and what it is not, common misconceptions, benefits for the teaching-learning process, motivation, participation, inclusion and learner diversity.
– Learner profiles and educational needs: types of students and players, classroom diversity, engagement barriers and strategies to design inclusive and meaningful gamified experiences.
– Gamification design model: mechanics, components and dynamics; progression systems, challenges, rewards, feedback, collaboration, competition and alignment with learning outcomes.
– Tools, storytelling and AI support: analogue and digital tools for gamification, use of artificial intelligence for ideation, narrative design, resource creation, activity adaptation and material optimisation.
– Practical design of a gamified proposal: steps to gamify a course, project or teaching unit; planning of the initial phase, implementation, content delivery, feedback and assessment; presentation of participants’ proposals and feedback from trainers.
Participants
Language
Dates and Course Venue
Dates and schedule can be adapted to the needs of the sending institution or group.
The course can be delivered in Valladolid, Spain, or in other formats agreed with the organising institution.
Cost
Info and registration
For further information, please write to: info@ludusmagnus.es
To register: https://forms.gle/bcBWHpw9jBwCFnk56
Trainers
Azael Herrero is a Full Professor at the Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes, UEMC, and holds a PhD in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences from the University of León, with European Mention and Extraordinary Doctorate Award. In addition to his teaching work, he has held university management positions, including Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Vice-Rector for Academic Organisation and Faculty Affairs, and has a consolidated research career.
In the field of education, he stands out for his specialisation in gamification and board game-based learning, with more than 15 years of experience applying modern board games for educational purposes and gamifying his university teaching since 2017.
He is co-founder of the European Institute for Modern Board Games, Ludus Magnus, and leads initiatives and training activities, including training of trainers, linked to local and European projects such as Erasmus+. His work involves primary education, vocational education and university students, while also exploring the impact of board games on cognitive variables and quality of life in older adults.