GAMIFICATION DESIGN FOR TUTOR EDUCATION IN AN ONLINE COURSE

This paper analyzes the use of gamification approach in tutor education, based on the development of multidimensional competencies. It checks the possibilities and limitations of the structural and content gamification approach to promote student engagement over an online course and to simulate authentic problem situations faced by tutors in their real playing field. By the use of a formative research, called design based research (DBR), a naturalistic case post factum was analyzed, in order to contribute to the improvement of the original design proposed for the course. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in a pilot class that had 54 students enrolled. The results indicate that the combination of the two types of gamification, based on different theoretical foundations, can contribute to increase student engagement in online learning courses and to provide opportunities to transpose into practice what was theoretically discussed in the course curriculum.