Volume 13 - Issue 73
/ January 2024
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http:// www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2024.73.01.28
How to Cite:
Folomieieva, N., Pelekh, V., Haidamashko, I., Sivak, N., & Koriakin, O. (2024). Gamification in the educational process of higher
education institutions. Amazonia Investiga, 13(73), 331-343. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2024.73.01.28
Gamification in the educational process of higher education
institutions
Гейміфікація в освітньому процесі закладів вищої освіти
Received: December 14, 2023 Accepted: January 27, 2024
Written by:
Nataliia Folomieieva1
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7832-4748
Vladyslav Pelekh2
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4049-4567
Iryna Haidamashko3
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6655-6640
Nataliia Sivak4
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2605-1781
Oleksii Koriakin5
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3084-8796
Abstract
The article theoretically reveals the content of the
terminological apparatus of gamification. The
purpose of the article is the need to introduce and
study the most effective ways of introducing
gamification into the educational process of higher
educational institutions for the preparation of a
competitive young generation. The methodological
concept reflects the relationship and interaction of
the use of gamification methods in the educational
process of higher education institutions, in
particular the use of various components
(motivational, meaningful, active, and reflective
components). The results show the main directions
of influence and structural elements of
gamification; the main areas of influence of
gamification on the educational environment are
clarified; six steps of game mechanisms for
introducing gamification into the educational space
are described; the importance of implementation,
negative manifestations of gamification for the
educational process are shown, and the main
aspects of gamification are revealed. The most
1
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Stage & Variety Art, and Directing Techniques, Sumy
State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko, Ukraine. WoS Researcher ID: JUU-7235-2023
2
Ph.D. Student at the Institute of Pedagogy, National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine. WoS Researcher ID:
JOK-9057-2023
3
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Pedagogy, Khmelnytskyi
Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy, Ukraine. WoS Researcher ID: JUV-5221-2023
4
Candidate Of Pedagogic Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Pedagogy, Khmelnytskyi
Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy, Ukraine. WoS Researcher ID: JUV-5267-2023
5
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Head of the Department of Stage & Variety Art, and Directing Techniques, Sumy State
Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko, Ukraine. WoS Researcher ID: JQW-1756-2023
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effective features of gamification for students of
higher education are listed and examples of Internet
projects using gamification in the educational space
are given. The introduction of gamification
methods through the use of models is substantiated.
An experimental study was conducted to check the
formation of professional competence in future
specialists by providing an educational gamified
system in higher education institutions.
Keywords: gamification, professional competence,
education, gamified system in institutions of higher
education, students of higher education.
Introduction
Nowadays, gamification has a significant impact
on the life of every person. From the screen of a
laptop, smartphone, or computer, we are
constantly and continuously affected by a huge
flow of information that can be modified and this
allows us to use game elements as a potential
incentive for the self-development of each
individual. The market of gamified technologies
is actively developing all over the world, thereby
attracting a new audience to education and self-
education. In institutions of higher education,
game technologies are actively implemented,
making the educational process interesting and
effective in the work of students of higher
education. With the help of gamification,
personal motivation becomes the most effective
way of interaction for each person, in particular,
and large corporations, in general. The higher
education system is actively moving to a training
model from an academic lecture model
(Trishchuk et al., 2019).
At the heart of gamification is the idea of using a
game approach to make teaching and learning
more interesting and effective.
The real value of gamification is that the game
principle contributes to the creation of a
meaningful learning experience, which is
necessary for the training of a competent
specialist.
The abundance of computer equipment and the
availability of high-speed access to the global
Internet network made it possible to widely use
digital didactic tools, global information
resources, and educational Internet services in
the educational process, which created
conditions for improving the educational process
and increasing its quality and effectiveness.
However, the realities testify to the lack of a
proper return from the technical modernization
of educational institutions: in mass pedagogical
practice, the predominant use of traditional
methods is observed; the pace and level of
mastering of the latest pedagogical tools by
teachers do not meet the requirements of a
modern digital school; the educational process is
not adapted to the needs and expectations of
modern students who live in the world of the
Internet and gadgets.
The determining factor in solving the outlined
problem is the improvement of the system of
professional training of personnel in the direction
of ensuring their ability to creatively and
productively use the powerful educational
potential of innovative digital technologies.
From the point of view of the training of
specialists, the possession of modern
technologies comes to the fore.
In the modern educational situation, there are
several contradictions between:
− the growing influence of information
resources on the development of education
and the lag of theoretical and methodical
research on their systematic use in the
educational process;
− the significant didactic potential of the
informational educational environment and
the lack of theoretically grounded models
and effective methods of using gamification
in educational institutions;
− the growing demands of society for the
organization of the educational process and
the low level of use of ICT tools;
− the presence of a significant amount of
software, teaching-methodical and didactic
support for the educational process, and the
lack of universal access to it;
− the significant technological potential of the
informational educational environment and
the low educational mobility of participants
in the educational process;
Folomieieva, N., Pelekh, V., Haidamashko, I., Sivak, N., Koriakin, O. / Volume 13 - Issue 73: 331-343 / January, 2024
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− intensive development of ICT and the speed
of updating the content of educational
programs, which ensure the formation of IC
competence for educational communication,
cooperation, cooperative work.
In the article, we considered: the content of the
terminological apparatus of gamification; the
main directions of influence and structural
elements of gamification; six steps of game
mechanisms for introducing gamification into the
educational space; the importance of
implementation, negative manifestations of
gamification for the educational process and the
main aspects of gamification; the most effective
features of gamification for students of higher
education; examples of Internet projects using
gamification in the educational space;
introduction of gamification methods through the
use of models; experimental verification of the
formation of professional competence in future
specialists by providing an educational gamified
system in institutions of higher education.
However, despite a significant amount of
research, the problem of using gamification in
the educational process of a higher school has not
yet been fully explored, further research is
needed to provide theoretical and practical
support for the implementation of the technology
and its application methods. The insufficient
development of aspects of this problem, and its
relevance determined the choice of the topic of
the article.
Literature review
In recent years, interest in education has
increased significantly, and teachers increasingly
turn to the services of the Internet to use ICT for
communication, cooperation, and work
organization, and the rapid development of
Internet resources, in particular gamification, has
become a leading trend in solving the problems
of educational mobility of all participants of the
educational process.
The psychological-pedagogical analysis of the
research made it possible to analyze and show the
advantages of the gamification process in the
professional development of students of higher
education of various specialties, to reveal its role
in the educational environment of higher
education institutions. In particular, O. Trischuk,
N. Fihol, & N. Volyk (2019) structured the stages
of gamification development; revealed
gamification as a scientific term, as a social and
cultural phenomenon; developed a method of
analyzing the effectiveness of gamified
materials; proposed criteria for the uniqueness of
gamification tools. O. Karabin (2019) also
presented gamification as a social and cultural
phenomenon. The need to implement the
hemification process in education to form
professional competencies and practical skills is
shown; formation of positive motivation to
consolidate and master new professional
material; the inherent influence of game
technologies on the educational process of
education seekers; awakening a sense of self-
sufficiency of the individual, forming creative
thinking, improving his mental abilities,
mastering the skills of the cognitive process,
developing critical thinking skills. In the form of
a pyramid by levels, the scientist considered the
structural elements of gamification and identified
the main components of game activity at various
stages of educational activity, characterized
game mechanisms, and showed their content.
Scientists emphasize that the introduction of ICT
into the educational process and its digitalization
allows to implementation of a new format of
education. Gamification is considered by modern
scientists as a component of the educational
environment and acts as a complex, multifaceted
entity. At the same time, the analysis of scientific
sources on the topic of the study proved the
absence of works devoted to the comprehensive
study of the problems of the organization of the
information environment, in particular its
organizational mechanisms, as well as the
involvement of pedagogical workers of
educational institutions in the processes of
ensuring the quality of the training of specialists
using the capabilities of the information
environment.
As an innovative and promising means of
increasing the foreign language competence of
higher education students, the study of the
gamification process during independent,
remote, classroom work by O. Pasichnyk (2018)
is presented. To create interactive quests,
professionally oriented games, and quizzes based
on educational platforms, the possibilities of
integrating such various educational platforms in
the educational process of a higher school were
considered.
O. Zhernovnykova et al., (2020) devoted their
research to the formation of digital competence
of future teachers using gamification. The
researchers revealed the essence of the concepts
of "digital competence", "digital training of the
future teacher", and "gamification of education".
It has been proven that the formation of digital
competence of future specialists using
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gamification is one of the factors that contribute
to the effective development of the entire
educational process in a modern institution of
higher education since gamification in education
is a new ideology based on the "digitalization" of
education, in which coordinators of educational
trajectories and online platforms replace
traditional teachers. The authors developed and
theoretically substantiated the technology of
forming the digital competence of future
specialists using gamification, while the
following mobile applications were chosen:
ClassDojo, DuoLingo, Brainscape, Coursera,
and Socrative.
The didactic properties of the use of electronic
educational resources in general educational
institutions are summarized by M. Imeridze,
I. Bykov, & D. Velychko (2020). They analyzed
the process of gamification in the professional
development of students of various
undergraduate majors, which are innovations in
the process of professional development of
students. The importance of computer games has
been proven, which allows for the creation of
new educational practices; new forms of
professional training and education are proposed.
Gamification is presented as "the application of
game elements and game principles in non-game
contexts to achieve real educational goals while
studying an educational subject".
With the continuous development of ICT comes
opportunities for widespread access to electronic
educational resources, which is an urgent issue
for domestic general educational institutions, but
this problem is not fully disclosed in scientific
works.
Many foreign scientists pay attention to the need
to explore gamification in the educational
process. In particular, V. Malvasi &
D. Recio-Moreno (2022) emphasize that
gamification is projected as a challenge for
innovation in the educational context. In recent
years, game-based learning proposals have been
developed to facilitate the learning of the
learning content of the subjects. This study aims
to diagnose the level of application of
gamification as a learning strategy in the field of
mathematics based on the perception of
secondary school teachers and students. In turn,
the authors K.Werbach & D. Hunter (2015) note
that gamification is one of the effective ways to
solve the problem in education. However, there
is still a lack of systematic understanding and
effective use of gamification due to the diversity
of gamification functions. More importantly,
most gamification feature classification methods
fail to provide practice guidance. In their study, a
new model (SMART) was proposed for the
classification of gamification functions.
So, our psychological and pedagogical analysis
of research showed that gamification is a process
that contributes to the transformation of the
educational process into a game and ensures the
use of the dynamics of games and game thinking
to attract students of higher education to solve
educational tasks. Research shows that one of the
main methods of organizing education is
gamification. At the same time, the analysis of
scientific research on the specified problem
provides grounds for asserting that gamification
in the educational process of higher education
institutions was not the subject of detailed
scientific research.
It should be noted that despite the presence of a
large number of sources that consider the
theoretical and practical aspects of the use of
gamification in the educational process, their use
remains limited, which is caused, first of all, by
the lack of proper preparation of teachers for
such activities in psychological, pedagogical,
methodological and technological aspects. At the
same time, there is a lack of research focused on
the highlighted entities, the theoretical and
methodological foundations of training
specialists to use gamification technologies in the
educational process, and the issues of didactic
and methodological support for the said training
remain problematic.
According to this purpose of the study is a need
to implement and study the most effective ways
of introducing gamification into the educational
process of higher education institutions to
prepare a competitive young generation. To
conduct an experimental study to check the
formation of professional competence in future
specialists by providing an educational gamified
system in institutions of higher education.
Methodology
The methodological concept reflects the
relationship and interaction of the use of
gamification methods in the educational process
of higher education institutions, in particular the
use of various components (motivational,
meaningful, activity, and reflective components).
In the process of the conducted research, a set of
methods was used to ensure the achievement of
the goal, namely: theoretical: conducting a
systematic analysis of research and scientific
literature to clarify the different approaches of
scientists to the concept of gamification in the
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educational process of higher education
institutions, comparing different views on the
problem under study, analysis of works on
improving the organization of the educational
process, analyzing the training of future
specialists and researching pedagogical
experience; empirical: application of methods:
conversations, observations, surveys,
questionnaires to find out the features of the
gamification of the educational process of
universities in the process of professional
training of specialists; conducting a pedagogical
experiment to collect data on the effectiveness of
gamification in the educational process of
universities; experimental research base:
experimental research was conducted during
2022-2023. A total of 86 students from higher
education institutions took part in the experiment
(45 in the control group and 41 in the
experimental group).
Optimal research methods were chosen based on
such factors as the field of science, the
availability of raw data for analysis, and the
amount of material.
The research is quantitative. The purpose of this
is to measure and analyze numerical data to test
effective pathways, identify patterns, and make
predictions. Our research includes an
experiment.
The implementation of the pedagogical
experiment was carried out in three stages:
preparatory, main, and final.
At the preparatory stage, the purpose and tasks of
the research were determined, the experimental
plan was developed, methods of measurement
and processing of results were selected, control
and experimental groups were selected, and their
homogeneity was checked.
At the main stage, an experiment was conducted.
At the final stage, the results of the experiment
were analyzed, their reliability was confirmed,
and conclusions were drawn about the
pedagogical effect of the experiment. The
experiment was conducted at several
universities: A.S. Makarenko Sumy State
Pedagogical University, and Khmelnytskyi
Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy.
Permission to experiment was approved by the
academic councils of these universities and
considered by the ethics.
The reliability and validity of the obtained
results, and the objectivity of their assessment
were ensured by the methodological soundness
of the initial positions and the qualitative
mechanism for evaluating the quality under
study, the use of a complex of complementary
research methods, and the involvement of a
group of respondents from a higher educational
institution in the analysis of its results.
To assess the homogeneity of experimental and
control data, statistical processing was performed
using MS Excel and SPSS (Statistical Package
for Social Science).
When determining the sample of subjects, the
general specificity of the subject of the study was
taken into account. The total sample size was 86
subjects. When forming the sample, the criteria
of meaningfulness, representativeness, and
equivalence were taken into account. The sample
was formed by random selection using the
technical procedure for calculating the selection
step.
The results of the experimental study confirmed
the applicability, optimality, and effectiveness of
the proposed pedagogical conditions for the
formation of an environmental culture of an
ecologist in the process of professional training.
We conducted an experimental study to check the
formation of professional competence in future
specialists by providing an educational gamified
system in higher education institutions, which
ensures interest in professional activity,
stimulates the creative expression of a specialist
in professional activity, and directs his need to
acquire competitive knowledge.
Results and discussion
1. Content of the terminological apparatus
of gamification.
The term "gamification" was coined by the
British video game developer Nick Pelling, who
used it in his own development in 2002. At the
same time, the inclusion of game elements in
educational technologies in Western institutions
of higher education gained wide popularity in
2010 and began in 2008. At this time,
gamification has spread in professional activity,
the education system, in all spheres of human
life.
Gamification is considered a process of using the
dynamics of games, game thinking to transform
the educational process into a game, the
introduction of game techniques, games, game
practices with an educational purpose, the
involvement of students of higher education in
solving tasks, the activation of educational
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activities throughout life (Karabin, 2019); this is
the effective use of individual game elements in
non-game situations when game elements are
involved in real circumstances to motivate
participants in the educational process for
behavioral reactions or certain actions. The focus
of process participants on a real goal
distinguishes gamification from other game
forms. With this approach, gamification is
related to one's own activity, and the success of
this method lies in the power of motivation for
the educational space and learning (López Marí
et al., 2022).
2. Main directions of influence and
structural elements of gamification.
The phenomenon of gamification is inextricably
linked to the field of education, today it is
actively used in many areas of human activity,
where it demonstrates its effectiveness as best as
possible (Malvasi & Recio-Moreno, 2022).
Let's find out the main areas of influence of
gamification on the educational environment:
1) psychology of decision-making;
2) implementation of motivational solutions;
3) further behavioral results (Trishchuk et al.,
2019).
We will consider the structural elements of
gamification at the following levels: principles of
work (interaction, expectation of victory,
feedback, and competition with game
participants); gamification components (badges,
awards, symbols, etc.); game dynamics
(relationships between game participants, player
progress, emotions).
Elements of gamification can be applied at
various stages of educational activity: a complete
lesson; multiple use; and structural elements of
the lesson.
Allowance for mistakes is a great feature of
gamification. Therefore, with such an approach,
students feel free, they are not afraid of
punishment and condemnation for mistakes, their
fear of wrong actions disappears and fear is
replaced by confidence and initiative. This
allows higher education students to
independently choose options for action in the
educational process. This forms a sense of
responsibility for their own actions and
encourages them to be active.
3. Six steps of game mechanisms for
introducing gamification into the
educational space.
To successfully implement gamification, it is
worth using the instructions for building a game
system by the main experts in the field of
gamification, Kevin Werbach and Dan Hunter,
who developed six steps of game mechanisms for
introducing gamification into the educational
space.
Step 1: Setting gamification goals. Goals should
correspond to the acronym SMART (Specific
Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound)
and should be: relevant; achievable; measurable;
specific; and time-bound. Gamification tasks
should, according to each element of the system,
be guided by the set goals and contain the
specified characteristics.
Step 2: target determination of the behavior of
those seeking higher education. For each of the
participants of the gamification system, the
behavior should be thought out. To further design
the system, it is necessary to describe all the
chains of actions of each of the players (students
of higher education). At this stage, it is worth
giving answers to the following questions: How
does such an approach in education contribute to
the achievement of the set goal? What should
players (graduates) do? How does feedback
work? How do we measure it?
Step 3: Perform the description of players (higher
education students). The images of players
(students of higher education) must be clearly
defined. At each of the stages, it is mandatory to
define the description of different types of
players (students of higher education), with a
well-thought-out motivation for performing their
actions.
Step 4: development of structural elements of the
gamification system. The structure of the game
system has the following levels (according to
K. Werbach & D. Hunter (2015)):
− micro-level – "cycles of involvement in the
educational space". These are "motivation to
action – action – feedback" chains.
Performing an action, motivating the player
(higher education student) to act, receiving
feedback from the system (rewards, etc.,
which is the system's reaction to the higher
education student's actions). At the feedback
stage, students of higher education are
encouraged to take the next action (calls to
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action, motivation management techniques,
etc.);
− macro-level – “the player’s journey to gain
new knowledge”, this is the phasing of tasks
according to a pre-developed scenario;
presenting an exciting story on which the
gamification system is based.
Step 5: Provide players (students of higher
education) with a sense of success and
satisfaction with the implementation of
gamification mechanisms. Gaming activities of
students of higher education should bring
pleasure and a sense of joy. The game process
itself should be fun, and a pleasant activity
(Vergara et al., 2023).
Step 6: selection of tools by students of higher
education. The use of information technologies
for the game system, the implementation of the
gamification process by using electronic and
digital devices, gadgets, cloud technologies, and
mobile applications prepared at the previous
stages of the educational process (Liashenko,
2017).
4. Significance of implementation, negative
manifestations of gamification for the
educational process, and main aspects of
gamification.
Implementation of gamification:
− develops mental skills of students of higher
education, promotes students' motivation for
the educational process in a higher education
institution;
− develops a person's spatial imagination and
reaction to the promotion of new material;
− encourages students of higher education to
work in an interactive environment;
− promotes the organization of independent
work of students of higher education;
− forms practical work skills and abilities of
students in groups with consolidation of
educational material, etc.
We note the shortcomings of the implementation
of gamification in the educational process, in
particular:
− imperfect implementation of game
techniques;
− misunderstanding of the tasks and goals of
the educational process;
− the presence of a deficit in communication
during the educational process;
− improvement of training of teachers in the
use of tools and information technologies;
− the presence of time costs associated with
the implementation and development of
gaming activities (Karabin, 2019).
Let's name the main aspects of gamification:
1) dynamics – the use of scenarios to focus the
user's attention and his reaction in real time;
2) mechanics – the use of scenario elements
that are characteristic of the game process
(status, virtual awards, virtual goods,
points);
3) aesthetics – to promote emotional torture,
creating a general gaming impression;
4) social interaction – a wide range of
techniques that provide interaction between
users (Sergeieva, 2014).
5. The most effective features of
gamification for students of higher
education.
Considering the impact of game methods in
education, let's highlight the most effective
features for students of higher education:
− quick, unlike traditional, feedback (higher
education graduates immediately make the
next decision, because they see the
consequences of their actions);
− clear rules for achieving goals (the
conditions for obtaining the required result
in traditional education may change
depending on the circumstances, be
dynamic, and during gamification, such
algorithms are used (they must be clear and
unchanging), which are processed by
computer technology);
− the plot of the game (attracting higher
education students to a certain plot line,
certain activities within the framework of a
common goal, creates the effect of
penetration, involvement in exactly such a
story, which is played by the character);
− challenging tasks (those that can be solved,
unlike life difficulties, but are sufficiently
complex and divided into small, step-by-
step, global tasks, which helps create a
situation of success and increases interest in
learning);
− the complication of tasks and goals,
expansion and opening of access to
educational content, and gradual change as
students of higher education acquire new
competencies of skills, manifested in the
change of levels, obtaining points (obtaining
a digital indication of the significance of the
work done);
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− conditional infinity of the game (the game
continues until the player (student of higher
education) becomes an expert.
Games used for educational purposes can be
MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-
playing game) – online role-playing games with
a large number of users; games alternative reality
games (Alternative Reality Games) – an
interactive story that uses game elements, objects
of the real world; pervasive games (Pervasive
games) – games where there is no clear boundary
between the virtual fictional world and reality.
When introducing games into educational
activities applicants for higher education, the
following points must be taken into account:
there must be a rating system for each new level,
a task (learning module), and a point system,
each type of activity must be evaluated, and the
evaluation system must start from 0; games can
be influenced by outsiders and take place in the
real world, that is, depending on the
circumstances, certain conditions may be
changed; human behavior is unpredictable, it
cannot be programmed.
6. Examples of Internet projects using
gamification in the educational space.
Today, there are many projects on the Internet
using gamification in the educational space. Here
are some examples:
− Codecademy – teaching programming in
HTML, JavaScript, Ruby, Python
(https://www.codecademy.com/);
− Motion Math Games – mobile math games
make learning fun and make education
exciting (https://motionmathgames.com/);
− Code School – a service with gamification
elements for teaching programming
(https://www.codeschool.com/courses);
− Khanacademy – free video courses on
various subjects
(https://www.khanacademy.org/);
− Mathletics – a program for the educational
space of school education, aimed at
strengthening mathematical skills through
tasks and games that are difficult to
complete (https://www.mathletics.eu/);
− Foldit – solving scientific tasks as puzzles
(https://fold.it/portal/);
− Spongelab – an innovative platform for
personalized scientific education
(https://www.spongelab.com/);
− Physicsgames – interesting scientific games
that require knowledge of physics
(http://www.physicsgames.net/)
(Bondarenko, 2017).
Video games and computer games, which are the
basis of gamification, differ from other popular
media because they are interactive and allow
players (students of higher education) to act in
different roles (inventor, scientist, political
leader, traveler, etc.), to make choices and
evaluate its consequences, set tasks (Pasichnyk,
2018).
Gamification is closer to traditional games than
conventional educational games. Video games
that are used to gamify the educational space of
higher education are more complex than
educational games. Educational games may not
be included in gamified education at all.
The ClassCraft system is an example of a
gamification tool – it is a free educational role-
playing game in which the student and the
teacher play during the educational process. It
can be included in the teaching of any discipline,
is the foundation and background for the game-
based educational process, and is used to
motivate students to education and interest them
in the educational process of higher education.
The real success of the student of higher
education is reflected by the rewards and
achievements received during the game.
Performance analytics is integrated into the
gamification system, which allows parents to
receive information on the success of students.
This system also encourages higher education
seekers to cooperate, because it is they who help
each other during the game and this allows
getting additional points that add up to the overall
score of those who actively help other education
seekers (Arufe Giráldez et al., 2022).
Therefore, the ClassCraft system is flexible,
individualizes the educational process, provides
an accessible educational level for each student,
encourages active cooperation, and allows you to
spend less time tracking success. The difference
from educational games of the ClassCraft system
is that it does not just present educational
material in a game form, but acts as a game basis
for interaction between a student and a teacher,
allowing to transform educational material into a
game.
Game-Based Learning (GBL) is a form of
education that is used to add entertainment to the
educational process and to motivate learners to
learn through the game to make learning more
interesting. The involvement of video games in
the educational process in a higher education
institution occurs as an element of reward for the
achieved educational result, as a simulation, as an
educational example. The goal of GBL is to turn
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the entire educational process into a game. This
goal coincides with the goal of gamification, that
is, the use of a video game as part of the
educational process of a higher education
institution. The common features are that both of
these directions can successfully test certain
models, test identities and roles in the game
process, transfer values and information; and
appeal to the emotions of the player (student of
higher education), thanks to which the interaction
is often more effective than a simple exchange of
information; practicing skills in the game, similar
to practicing them during training (Durmaz et al.,
2022).
Using in education based on the game Minecraft:
Education Edition. This is a version of the
popular Minecraft game adapted specifically for
the educational process and can be used for a
better understanding of educational material, not
just for fun. It is a kind of compromise between
rewards for higher education achievers, full
gamification of education, and educational
games. Unfortunately, the transformation of the
educational process into a video game and the
use of video games in education has not gained
significant popularity. We agree with the opinion
of G. Frasca (2015), who notes that "games do
not change the educational system as long as it is
concerned with the fear of parents and the
administration, and not with the needs of
children.". For the full inclusion of games in the
educational process and the application of the
educational potential of video games in the
educational space, not only technical tools should
be used. An important direction is to work with
educators and parents, who do not always see
video games as an innovative and important tool
for quality education (Horban, 2019).
7. Implementation of gamification methods
through the use of models.
In the educational space of higher education
institutions, it is necessary to introduce
gamification methods, this can be done by using
the following models:
− within the framework of the mixed learning
model, the use of an educational gamified
system (Lingualeo, Codecademy) as a useful
application;
− use of game elements, embedding them in
the LMS;
− creation of an educational gamified system
by students of higher education (the game
"ARTé:Mecenas", developed by employees
and students of higher education at Texas
A&M University, which makes it possible to
follow, for example, the influence of art on
the development of the Italian economy in
the Renaissance era, acting on behalf of the
Medici family) ;
− adding game elements to the educational
process of the higher school, leveling out,
compared to the gamified system, the
negative signs of the traditional educational
system.
The choice of game technologies is an additional
useful component that should be used in
education and is not an alternative to the
academic style of presentation of educational
material.
It is important, and necessary to simplify
educational processes with game elements
according to the principle formulated by A.
Einstein: "Everything should be simplified as
long as possible, but no more" (Kravets, 2017).
8. Experimental verification of the
formation of professional competence in
future specialists by providing an
educational gamified system in
institutions of higher education.
We believe that the creation of an educational
gamified system in institutions of higher
education will ensure the formation of
professional competence in future specialists, the
components of which are motivational,
meaningful, active, and reflective components
(Zhernovnykova et al., 2020).
The motivational component of the formation of
professional competence in future specialists by
providing an educational gamified system in
institutions of higher education stimulates the
creative expression of personality in professional
activity and is characterized by the purpose,
motives, and needs in the professional
educational process using gamification, assumes
the presence of interest in professional activity,
directs the need of future specialists to our
acquisition of professional knowledge
(Magadán-Díaz et al., 2022).
The content component of the formation of
professional competence in future specialists
through the provision of an educational gamified
system is determined by the depth, completeness,
and systematicity of the knowledge of the future
specialist and in his future professional activity
ensures the free introduction of gamification
tools that affect the formation of professional
competence, etc.
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The activity component in the educational
process of a higher education institution
contributes to the introduction of gamification
tools aimed at forming the development and
knowledge of professional competence,
creativity, and self-improvement
(Abad Escalante et al., 2022).
The reflexive component of the formation of
professional competence in future specialists
through the provision of an educational gamified
system is determined by the attitude of higher
education students to their practical activities, to
the world, and to themselves. Its components are
self-esteem, self-awareness, understanding of
one's own importance in the team and self-
control, responsibility for the results of one's
activities, understanding of the results of one's
activities, self-realization, and self-knowledge in
professional activity using gamification.
Properties interconnect each component and act
as a part of a holistic system of formation of
professional competence of future specialists
(Plakhotnik et al., 2023).
The study determined the criteria and indicators
of the formation of professional competence in
future specialists by providing an educational
gamified system:
− motivational (ensures the presence of
motivation for gamification in education,
interest in using gamification tools, and
awareness of the purpose of professional
activity);
− personal-reflective (reflective analysis, use
of knowledge in non-standard situations,
correction of professional activity);
− cognitive and informational (a set of
knowledge about the legal framework and
means of obtaining information, about
methods and methods of working with
information; knowledge of mechanisms for
the development of gamification tools);
− activity (skills and ability to use
gamification tools).
It should be noted that the survey of higher
education applicants and their questionnaire
testified mainly to the average and low level of
formation of professional competence in future
specialists by providing an educational gamified
system at the ascertainment stage of the
experiment.
Taking into account the content of the
components of the formation of professional
competence in future specialists by providing an
educational gamified system in institutions of
higher education and the entire logic of the
process of professional training of students of
higher education, the technology of its
implementation was substantiated.
The experimental stage of the technology for the
formation of professional competence in future
specialists by providing an educational gamified
system in institutions of higher education
provided students with the formation of a
professional focus on the use of gamification
tools in future professional activities. The
educational gamified system in institutions of
higher education consists of a complex of value
attitudes, formed motives, associated with the
desire to improve one's training, with an active
positive interest in gamification tools,
enthusiasm for this type of activity, which
involves the use of incentives for the successful
implementation of the planned.
According to the developed criteria, with the help
of a set of measurement procedures, at the control
stage during the experiment, the level of
formation of professional competence among
future specialists was monitored by providing an
educational gamified system in higher education
institutions. The motivational stage of the
developed technology for the formation of
professional competence in future specialists by
providing an educational gamified system in
institutions of higher education was evaluated
according to the motivational criterion.
The motivational criterion of the formation of
professional competence in future specialists by
providing an educational gamified system in
institutions of higher education was checked
using a questionnaire. Those seeking higher
education were asked to determine the
expediency of working with gamification tools in
their future professional activities and to evaluate
the importance of the proposed motives on a 3-
point scale: to improve knowledge; gain
professional authority from teachers and
colleagues; to motivate one's educational
activities during practice; be able to transfer your
knowledge to other colleagues; get pleasure from
creating didactic video games; successfully pass
tests, exams; to gain experience during life for
further professional activity; use the Class Dojo
mobile application in professional activities; be
able to create a professional electronic magazine;
self-improvement.
The results of the ascertainment and control
stages of the experimental verification of the
motivational criterion of the formation of
professional competence in future specialists by
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providing an educational gamified system in
institutions of higher education provide grounds
for asserting that higher education applicants of
the experimental group (EG) compared to the
respondents of the control group (CG) had a
significantly higher level of indicator
"Motivation for gamification in education".
The increase in EG is +68.0, and in СG the
increase is only 7.3.
As a positive, we note the low level of the
indicator "Understanding the possibilities of
using gamification tools in the educational
process." It decreased to 33.2% from 81.1%
among EG respondents, and to 52.4% from
82.9% among CG respondents.
We believe that the creation of an educational
gamified system in institutions of higher
education will ensure the formation of
professional competence in future specialists.
Therefore, we conducted an experimental study
to check the formation of professional
competence in future specialists by providing an
educational gamified system in institutions of
higher education, which ensures interest in
professional activity, stimulates the creative
expression of a specialist in professional activity,
and directs his need to acquire competitive
knowledge.
In the course of the research, a set of methods
was used to ensure the achievement of the goal,
namely: theoretical, empirical, and statistical.
Optimal research methods were chosen based on
such factors as the field of science, the
availability of raw data for analysis, and the
amount of material.
The experimental study was conducted during
2022-2023. A total of 86 higher education
students participated in the experiment (45 in the
control group and 41 in the experimental group).
To compare the results in the control and
experimental groups, control sections were
conducted simultaneously, the goal was for the
experimental group – to check the influence of
the system of formation of professional
competence in future specialists by providing an
educational gamified system in institutions of
higher education, and in the control group – to
check the formation of professional competence
of future specialists in the process of training
according to the traditional system.
We performed the most important function –
control of variables – as part of the validation of
the experiment. Special attention was paid to the
conceptual area, which refers to the issue of
validity control as the basic activity of the
experimenter. Validity was defined as the degree
of correspondence of the measured variable to
the studied property of a real object using an
experiment. As the optimal way to increase the
validity of the experiment, we chose the
preliminary planning of the system of formation
of professional competence in future specialists
by providing an educational gamified system in
institutions of higher education. The design of
the experimental procedure will ensure the
success of the application of the experimental
method in our research.
Validity was assessed using the following
criteria:
− physiological – skills, knowledge, comfort,
complexity, atmosphere;
− subjective – personal attitude of respondents
to specific conditions, and tasks of the
experiment;
− performance criteria – acquired skills,
volume of performed tasks, time spent;
− accident criteria caused by circumstances in
the course of experimental scientific activity
and unforeseen factors.
There was a phenomenon of mutual interference
in validity because it was the validity that arose
as a result of the simultaneous impact on the
same object being studied (testing the influence
of the system of formation of professional
competence in future specialists by providing an
educational gamified system in higher education
institutions), several groups of methods were
involved. Therefore, it is not just the number of
methods that are important for the research
process, but their competent selection and their
quality.
The reliability and effectiveness of empirical
research results depend on the optimally
developed organizational system for the
formation of professional competence in future
specialists by providing an educational gamified
system in institutions of higher education.
After re-diagnosing the level of formation of
professional competence among future
specialists by providing an educational gamified
system in institutions of higher education, we
have the following results, which are presented
in Figure 1.
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Fig. 1. The results of the comparative analysis of the conducted experiment.
Thus, comparing the results of the data with the
initial level of the formation of professional
competence in future specialists by providing an
educational gamified system in institutions of
higher education, we can say that in the
experimental group, the indicator increased after
the application of the work system for the
formation of professional competence in future
specialists by providing an educational gamified
system in institutions of higher education. In the
control group, the number of respondents with a
high level of formation of end-to-end skills of
professional competence in future specialists by
providing an educational gamified system in
higher education institutions increased by 23.6%,
with an average level, the number of respondents
decreased by 17.3%, and the number of
respondents decreased with a low level by 6.3%.
The data obtained during the control stage testify
to the plausibility of the proposed hypothesis and
the effectiveness of the developed work system,
which contributes to the formation of
professional competence in future specialists by
providing an educational gamified system in
higher education institutions. Therefore, the
system of work, which involves the formation of
professional competence through the
introduction of gamification tools, its key
elements, can be used in higher education
institutions, as it contributes to the deepening of
knowledge in the field of modern education. It
can be claimed that we have developed a system
for working with gamification in institutions of
higher education and it is effective because, in
the experimental group, the results of its
implementation among the respondents of the
experimental group showed positive dynamics.
Conclusions
The content of the terminological apparatus of
gamification is theoretically revealed; the main
directions of influence and structural elements
of gamification are shown; the main areas of
influence of gamification on the educational
environment are clarified; six steps of game
mechanisms for introducing gamification into
the educational space are described; the
importance of implementation, negative
manifestations of gamification for the
educational process are shown, and the main
aspects of gamification are revealed.
The most effective features of gamification for
students of higher education are listed and
examples of Internet projects using
gamification in the educational space are
given.
Such games are described, which differ from
other popular media and are the basis of
gamification, are interactive (ClassCraft
System, Game Based Learning (GBL), and
used in education based on the game
Minecraft: Education Edition).
The introduction of gamification methods
through the use of models is substantiated.
An experimental study was conducted to check
the formation of professional competence in
future specialists by providing an educational
gamified system in higher education
institutions, which ensures interest in
professional activity, stimulates the creative
expression of a specialist in professional
activity, and directs his need to acquire
competitive knowledge.
Consideration of Internet projects with the use
of gamification in the educational space
requires further research.
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