Applications of Gamification in the Context of Higher Education. A Theoretical Approach

Gamification is a learning technique through which the mechanism of games is transferred to the educational environment. The ultimate aim of gamification is to improve students' results. In recent years, the union between the digital aspect and gamification has made the latter achieve great popularity due to the advantages it brings to the teaching and learning processes. On the other hand, the Higher Education stage is undergoing important changes in recent years, including the implementation of new methodologies and new methodological techniques, among which gamification stands out. The main objective of this paper is to address the role of gamification in Higher Education through the existing scientific literature and research on this topic. The aim is to offer an overview of what gamification consists of and how it influences all the agents involved in the university stage. Likewise, to show the characteristics of this technique as well as its advantages and disadvantages and different ways of implementation in the classroom through various devices, tools and materials.