Educational gamification with Quizizz: improving English grammatical competence in university students

The purpose of this study was to analyze in detail the use of the digital assessment tool Quizizz in the grammatical competence of the English language among students of the Center for Language Studies - USIL. The research was framed in a basic type quantitative approach, with a causal correlational design, and adhered to the paradigm of positivism. For the development of the research, a questionnaire was implemented that allowed evaluating the two variables analyzed with precision: grammatical competence, and discursive competence in the student's ability to organize messages in everyday situations, as well as functional competence that ranges from writing short paragraphs to specialized essays. At a theoretical level, it was based on the theory of constructivism, and for the analysis of the study the forest diagram was used, rigorously identifying the relevance of the Quizizz tool in the evaluation and feedback process. Likewise, it was possible to discern different learning styles among the students: kinesthetic, reflective, pragmatic and theoretical. The meticulous selection of the analyzed studies was based on the inclusion of publications of scientific articles indexed in Scielo, Web of Science and Scopus, highlighting the methodological forms of descriptive approach, inductive method and the use of virtual forms. The results showed that 44.4% of the students expressed a considerable degree of agreement with the use of Quizizz, while 32.2% were totally satisfied with its implementation. Regarding grammatical competence, it was found that 42.2% of the students exhibited a level qualified as good, while 45.6% demonstrated a level considered excellent. Therefore, the direct influence that the digital evaluation tool Quizizz exerts on the grammatical competence of the English language of the students of the aforementioned institution is ratified. The conclusions of the research highlight three fundamental aspects: (a) the systematic use of information to prepare online questionnaires that incorporate playful elements is highly conducive to the achievement of learning in the English language in the context of higher education; (b) digital platforms, in their ontology, are consecrated as essential tools to carry out evaluations in different educational contexts; and finally, (c) specific characteristics of the platform that generate an educational activity were identified, highlighting the use of virtual resources in pedagogy, the effectiveness of collaborative learning and the motivation of students through gamification, where a highly effective and significant interface is presented to achieve grammatical competence in its discursive and functional aspects.