Game base learning in Psychology education: improving undergraduates competence for team working

Abstract

Gamification has been identified, as an interesting tool, to make educational processes more efficient. It supposes the application of gameful thinking, and game mechanics, in non-game contexts to engage users in solving problems or carrying out tasks. There is solid and growing empirical evidence that supports how games can favour effective learning in a variety of subjects. Some findings showed, that the mean scores of university students in classrooms using the game were significantly higher than those in classes that did not, supporting the idea that knowledge acquisition and content understanding can be learning from games. Moreover, it has been found that simulation games build more confidence for on-the-job application of learned knowledge, than classroom instruction does. Throughout their university training, Psychology undergraduates must acquire various knowledges and competences that are necessary to exercise their future professional activity in an effective and efficient way. Among them is the competence to work in teams, as well as to manage teams and groups so that they work properly. An important part of key knowledges to develop such competences are worked and developed in the classroom of Groups Psychology, at the end of the third course of Psychology Degree. In this context this paper deals, on one hand, with the development of a proposal of a game-based learning experience amongst Psychology undergraduates and on the other hand, with testing its effects on such undergraduates´ own competence perceptions for teamworking. We developed a simulation game called “the group to the rescue” that implies for the undergraduates to be confronted as a group to a new and a potential stressing situation that needs a fast and effective solution. In order to identify that solution, it is necessary to use some of the learnings and knowledges related to the physical and social environment of the groups that will be easier acquired and interiorized through this game. Moreover, this simulation game will have a positive impact in terms of building more confidence in one´s own competence perception for teamwork. Our results, in a sample composed by the 31 Psychology Undergraduates that participated in the game, showed that after it, undergraduates have a higher perception of their competence for working effectively in teams. These findings are useful in order to foster the development of team working competence.