Abstract
Problem-solving is one of the biggest challenges that students can find in an Engineering degree. Information and communication technologies are of great use in this regard, providing learners with tools that complement their study and facilitate skills acquisition. A good strategy to enhance student motivation towards problem-solving is to use engaging and interactive gamification techniques. To achieve this, we developed a web board game with six categories of problems for the Industrial Systems Optimization Techniques subject, which is part of the Industrial Organization Engineering curriculum at Madrid Open University. The game relies on case-study simulators for six categories of problems in such way that the cases presented to the students are always different. Students receive instant feedback about the accurateness of their response as well as the correct solution. The results of the experience, based on data obtained and surveys carried out, indicate that the board game is dynamic and motivational as well as academically encouraging.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Game perception survey form
GENERAL SATISFACTION WITH THE SUBJECT’S BOARD GAME
Rate between 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) according Likert’s scale.
- 1.
Was the game useful for your study?
- 2.
Was the availability of various and numerous examples helpful in preparing the final exam?
- 3.
Did your knowledge of the subject improve?
- 4.
Does it provide the explanations required to understanding the solution?
- 5.
Is it an incentive that motivates you to engage with the subject?
- 6.
Do you think it is a fun learning experience?
- 7.
Does it add value to the subject?
Open question:
- 8.
What is your opinion about the game, overall impression, usability, feel, structure, types of exercises, time spent on the game, etc.
Appendix 2: Exam grade and game statistics per student
See Table 12.
Appendix 3: Number of classroom accesses by students who played the game more than once
See Table 13.
Appendix 4: Detailed game statistics per student
See Table 14.
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de la Peña Esteban, F.D., Lara Torralbo, J.A., Lizcano Casas, D. et al. Web gamification with problem simulators for teaching engineering. J Comput High Educ 32, 135–161 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-019-09221-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-019-09221-2