Video games in robotics teaching in primary education: a comparative study

This research focuses on the application of gamification, through video games, in teaching robotics to primary school students (boys and girls), aiming to assess the effectiveness of different educational and commercial video games in this context. It highlights the growing importance of robotics in education and the potential of gamification to increase student motivation and engagement. Using a focus group comprised of educators and educational technology experts (men and women), five video games were evaluated following criteria such as general interest, ease of use, educational relevance, learning potential, skills stimulation, curriculum integration feasibility, and motivation. Findings indicate significant differences in the evaluation of the games, especially highlighting Minecraft Education Edition and Scratch for their high educational value and ease of integration. The discussion emphasizes the importance of carefully selecting and using video games in teaching robotics, pointing out their capacity to enrich traditional teaching. Finally, it concludes that video games represent valuable and flexible tools for robotics education, stressing the need for future research to better understand their direct impact on student performance and engagement.