To play or not to play: gamifying Moodle for undergraduate trainee translators / Jugar o no jugar: gamificamos Moodle para alumnos del grado en Traducción e Interpretación

Abstract

Resumen: El término "gamificación" se acuñó a principios del siglo 21 pero recibió poca atención antes de 2010. Desde entonces se ha convertido en moda en marketing, salud, sostenibilidad, los medios de comunicación y educación. Se define por la presencia de dos elementos: el uso de elementos de juegos en contextos que no son de juegos y las mejorías experiencial y conductuales que experimentan los usuarios en este contexto. Nuestros estudiantes son "nativos digitales" y participan en actividades en línea de manera espontánea. La teoría de juego demuestra que la participación repetida en estas actividades conduce a la maestría y a una mejoría en las competencias y, debido a que los nativos digitales se aburren con el aprendizaje convencional pero desean participar enla interacción en línea, creemos que la gamificación del aprendizaje puede acarrear beneficios. Por lo tanto, hemos introducido elementos de gamificación en Traducción e Interpretación a través de innovaciones en la plataforma Moodle 2.6. Aquí, describimos nuestro uso de insignias y las consecuencias aparentemente positivas para el rendimiento del alumno. ABSTRACT: “Gamification” was coined in the early 2000s but received little attention before 2010. Since, it has become a buzzword in marketing, health, sustainability, the media, and education. Definitions include two elements: the use of game elements in non-game contexts and the experiential and behavioural enhancement of that context for users. In the tertiary Translation studies classroom, our learners are “digital natives” who need no persuading to participate in online activities. As Game theory shows that repeated online participation leads to mastery and heightened competence and, because digital natives are bored by conventional learning but keen to participate in online interaction, we believe there may well be benefits in gamifying learning. So, we have gamified learning in Translation and Interpreting by innovating within the scope permitted by Moodle 2.6. Here, we describe our use of badges and the apparently positive consequences for actual learner performance.

ABSTRACT: “Gamification” was coined in the early 2000s but received little attention before 2010. Since, it has become a buzzword in marketing, health, sustainability, the media, and education. Definitions include two elements: the use of game elements in non-game contexts and the experiential and behavioural enhancement of that context for users. In the tertiary Translation studies classroom, our learners are “digital natives” who need no persuading to participate in online activities. As Game theory shows that repeated online participation leads to mastery and heightened competence and, because digital natives are bored by conventional learning but keen to participate in online interaction, we believe there may well be benefits in gamifying learning. So, we have gamified learning in Translation and Interpreting by innovating within the scope permitted by Moodle 2.6. Here, we describe our use of badges and the apparently positive consequences for actual learner performance.