(Diary of Learning) - GAMIFICATION

In this last we had the opportunity to attend an online conference given by Rubén González on the use of the concept of Gamification and the possibilities that this entails in second language classrooms.

Among the tools we worked with, the speaker talked about the dynamization power of the Kahoot! tool and the attraction it awakens in children due to its high level of competitiveness. Certainly, this is one of the most popular online pedagogical tools today, and I think it can be a great resource for both establishing new concepts in the classroom, as well as for reviewing ideas that have been seen in the classroom.
 
I believe that competitiveness is one of the elements that awakes the motivation and interest of students more effectively, it is the moment when they begin to see far beyond the acquisition of mere theoretical components, and try to answer the different questions more correctly than their peers. In this way, and although the students themselves are not aware of it, they will synthesize and acquire the information in a secondary but effective way, since they will associate the theoretical contents with the moment of adrenaline and excitement that the competition in the classroom entails.
 

On the other hand, we were exposed to the Genially tool and how it enables the possibility of creating completely customized Escape Rooms.

 

Although I was familiar with the Genially tool on the one hand and the Escape Rooms game methodology on the other, I was completely unaware that both concepts could be combined, let alone introduced in the classroom in such an effective way. Again, I think that linked to the concept of Escape Room there is an implicit competitive component, but this time, instead of competition among peers, it is a personal or group competition (with which the children perform this activity), which will make them much more motivated and attracted to participate in the activity.

 

In conclusion, I think it is interesting to highlight the usefulness that is implicit in the process of gamification of classroom activities, but it is true that I consider this to be a particularly difficult task, and that, as mentioned throughout the conference, the personal preparation of all these resources involves the use of a long period of time and a great creative effort by the teacher when developing the various "tests" or "phases".

 

Even so, I believe that this effort will be well rewarded when, as a teacher, you see that your students enjoy and, in other words, have fun at the same time as they learn.