An introduction to thematic learning

Gamification is another concept that we have used in the DEMETER project that has allowed us to create activities with excellent results. Gamification within thematic learning is not only possible but also desirable.

Gamification is motivation.

If you want to know a very simple and well explained example of gamification, you can take the thematic learning course in IT in which we invented a game with a rover that deactivates mines in a minefield and has to perform a series of missions.

Learning programming with this game is very simple and entertaining. In addition, using a very simple language has managed to avoid one of the problems of  learning how to program, such as syntactic errors.

“Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), depending on their use, can be a source of innovation for teaching, contributing to learning, offering methodologies and resources for the student of the 21st century”. (Sánchez, 2003)

Gamifying the learning process we try to achieve:

• Less learning curve. Introducing the students to the world of programming in a simpler way. Subsequently, more complex commands and structures can be used for troubleshooting.

• Facilitates systemic thinking. This is the thought based on the perception of the world for its understanding and analysis. It is produced in a system with several elements that are interrelated or subsystems, in which it is necessary to understand the operation and solve the problems of its properties.

• Simplifying problems for a better understanding: In programming there are a variety of elements that are interrelated, simplifying these elements allows you to understand in a simpler way how the system works, the parts and how to solve problems. It also favors faster scientific, logical and general thinking.

[1] Sánchez, J. (2003). Integración Curricular de TICs Concepto y Modelos. Revista Enfoques Educacionales