Evaluation of Perception of Use of a Gamified Platform from the Student Perspective: An Approach for Studying Unified Modeling Language

• Published in: Informatics in education Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 369 - 394
• Main Authors: Feichas, Felipe A, Seabra, Rodrigo D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vilnius Vilniaus Universiteto Leidykla 01.09.2023; Vilnius University Press; Institute of Mathematics and Informatics; Vilnius University
• Subjects: Addition; Cognitive Psychology; Computer models; Computer Software; Educational Environment; Educational Psychology; Educational Strategies; Educational Technology; Engineering Education; Engineering Technology; Experiential Learning; Games; Gamification; Higher Education; ICT Information and Communications Technologies; Influence of Technology; Learner Engagement; Learning Activities; Learning Motivation; Learning Processes; Modelling; Participant Satisfaction; Pedagogy; Professional Education; Programming languages; Skill Development; software engineering; Software Modeling; Student Attitudes; Student Motivation; Student Participation; Student Satisfaction; Students; Teaching methods; unified modeling language; Usability; User satisfaction; World Problems; gamification; software modeling; software engineering; unified modeling language
• ISSN: 1648-5831; 2335-8971
• DOI: 10.15388/infedu.2023.22

This research discusses the use of a gamified web platform for studying software modeling with Unified Modeling Language (UML). Although UML is constantly being improved and studied, many works show that there is difficulty in teaching and learning the subject, due to the complexity of its concepts and the students’ cognitive difficulties with abstraction. There are challenges for instructors to find different pedagogical strategies to teach modeling. The platform proposed allowed students to complement their UML knowledge in an environment with game elements. From the results, it can be concluded that the platform obtained great acceptance and satisfaction of use. Most of the students participating in the research were satisfied with the usability of the platform, reporting a feeling of contribution of the tool to studying the content, in addition to pointing out the satisfaction of using gamification as a pedagogical strategy.