Gamification as a Didactic Tool in the Teaching of the Pythagorean Theorem

Abstract

This research deals with the application of the modern methodology Gamification as a didactic tool in the teaching of the Pythagorean Theorem to the eighth-year students of Basic General Education of the Educational Unit “Vicente Fierro” of the city of Tulcán. This study starts from the need to incorporate the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the teaching-learning process in order to achieve meaningful learning in students. It is a research with a mixed approach of documentary, field and experimental design with the use of descriptive and observational methodologies applied in three phases: The first one by means of the realization of the diagnosis to the teachers of Mathematics; observation was used consecutively in the classroom and surveys aimed at teachers and students. The second phase consisted in designing and applying a pilot experience in gamification within the classroom for the teaching of the Pythagorean Theorem, and finally, a comparison was made of the academic performance of the students of the two groups investigated. In the results it was evidenced that the gamification allows to make curricular adaptations to dynamize, to interact the learning in mathematics and to improve the academic performance in the students.