STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GAMIFICATION AS A PEDAGOGICAL STRATEGY IN DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

This study is the systematization of a methodological experience previously accepted for publication in the journal Minerva. It designed gamified activities aimed at strengthening business plan learning among undergraduate students at the State University of Southern Manabí (UNESUM). In this second phase, student perceptions of this methodological strategy were analyzed through a structured survey administered to 100 students. Visualization techniques such as heat maps and violin plots identified a positive relationship between the gamified experience, theoretical understanding, and willingness to use it in the future. This study used a quantitative approach and a descriptive, non-experimental design. The main novelty of this study lies in providing empirical evidence from the university undergraduate level, an area underexplored in the literature on gamification. It is concluded that this strategy, when properly implemented and contextualized, can strengthen theoretical learning and student motivation, generating direct implications for teaching practice in academic transition contexts.