Integrating Aspects of Gamification in the Classroom: Takeaways from a Tentative Experience with Undergraduates

Departamento de Estatística e Informática (DEINFO) Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE) Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos 52171-900 Recife/PE Brasil [email protected] Abstract. The growing interest for gamification in education is undeniable. However, the pedagogy behind it is overshadowed by promises of seducing students through the appeal of games. Despite the rather optimistic accounts in the literature, integrating gamification into learning processes is in fact much more complex than it may seem. This paper reflects on a tentative experience at undergraduate level, with aspects of gamification integrated to the face-to-face classroom using a methodology that tried to escape from traditional format of lectures and exams.