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The use of gamification in virtual learning environment to reduce the problem of externalization of undesirable behaviors

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Author(s):
Laís Zagatti Pedro
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Master's Dissertation
Press: São Carlos.
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação (ICMC/SB)
Defense date:
Examining board members:
Seiji Isotani; Rudinei Goularte; Joice Lee Otsuka
Advisor: Seiji Isotani
Abstract

Researches in Virtual Learning Environments are getting increasing attention from the research community due to the technological advances of the last decade, the modernization of schools and teaching environments. Several studies indicate that students who use virtual learning environments improve their performance and learn more. However, there are important problems that hinder their use and need to be further investigated. Among them, one of the main problems is the inappropriate use of these systems by students. The boredom, lack of interest, monotony, lack of motivation, among other factors, ultimately causes the student to behave inappropriately when interacting with these systems. The best known improper behavior is Gaming the System, which makes the student to ignore the content to be learned and find ways to perform mechanically the activities proposed by the system. In this content, this project aims to study and define an alternative to reduce the appearance of this undesirable behaviors through the use of gamification techniques, where it can persuade the student to interact with the system in a proper way. This work presents the development of a gamified educational system (E-Game) in order to prove if the game elements can reduce the behavior such as Gaming the System, increasing the motivation in the students during the activity. The educational system was submitted to empirical experiments in real virtual learning environments, in order to get real data to analyze. Also, another educational system was developed, without the game elements, in order to get comparative data. One of the experiments was executed in a school in São Carlos city, with 60 students in the sixth grade. The results of the experiment showed that statistically there is a significative difference during the use of gamified and non-gamified educational systems. Empirically, the results proved that the externalization of undesirable behaviors decreased during the use of gamified educational systems. Furthermore, it was observed a difference in the results related to the students gender, so far not noticed in the literature. It was detected that the male gender externalized less undesirable behaviors in the gamified systems, than the female gender. On the other hand, the female gender practiced less gaming the system in the non-gamified environment, compared to the gamified environment. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 13/10900-9 - The Use of Gamification in Intelligent Educational Systems based on Semantic Web to Reduce the Problem of Externalizing Inappropriate Behaviors
Grantee:Laís Zagatti Pedro
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master