Gamification in a textbook for Brazilian learners of English

Abstract

Gamification, i.e. the use of game design elements in non-game settings, has attracted an increasing academic interest with numerous research papers having been published on the application and evaluation of gamification in education. The strenuous effort to introduce innovation to textbooks and improve student engagement in the classroom has allowed gamification to gain ground in English language teaching. This article aims to present and discuss the strategies implemented to gamify a textbook for young Brazilian learners of English. In addition, it also intends to contribute to materials writing by describing some game design principles. Pedagogic and design implications stemming from the strategies adopted in the examined textbook include providing a variety of game design elements on varying levels of abstraction (game interface design patters, game design patterns and mechanics, game design principles and heuristics, and game models). Finally, the text shares some reflections on the importance of creating a student-centred learning environment based on meaningful gamification.

REFLEXÕES SOBRE LETRAMENTOS DIGITAIS NO LIVRO DIDÁTICO DE LÍNGUA INGLESA E SUA RELAÇÃO COM DECOLONIALIDADE / Reflections on digital literacies in the english language textbook and its connection to decoloniality

“…Frente a esse cenário, neste artigo, temos como foco analisar uma unidade do livro didático "Way to English" (FRANCO, 2018), o qual é voltado para o 9º ano do ensino fundamental. Para a condução da investigação da qual este artigo é resultante, traçamos o seguinte objetivo geral: analisar como as atividades sugeridas pelo livro didático selecionado englobam práticas de letramentos digitais e sua relação com as teorias decoloniais.…”