Developing a Gameful Approach as a Tool for Innovation and Teaching Quality in Higher Education

Introduction

Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in the literature towards the use of games in the classroom (Cardinot & Fairfield, 2019; Rao & Stupans, 2012; Rice, 2009; Tobias et al., 2014). As children, most of our learning experiences are related to gaming. For instance, toys like pattern blocks help toddlers to enhance their cognitive abilities (Guyton, 2011). However, as adults (including university students), games are considered a hobby (i.e. as something you play with during your free time). Nørgård et al. (2017) argue that the learning experiences of these individuals are increasingly related to productivity. In this paper, the authors present the findings on the application of a gameful approach based on six playful activities as a resource to enhance the learning process in higher education (HE).