Herramientas gamificadas para el desarrollo de habilidades en resolución de problemas en estudiantes de segundo de bachillerato de la Unidad Educativa “Dr. Juan Henrique Coello”

Abstract

The current thesis focuses on the implementation of gamified tools to develop problemsolving skills among second-year high school students at the Dr. Juan Henrique Coello Educational Unit. The study was prompted by students' low motivation and limited interest in Web Programming, which restricts their practical and independent learning. The main objective was to create, execute, and test a gamified prototype called "Mentes en Programación" (Ments in Programming). This prototype combines platforms such as YouTube, Canva, Symbaloo, and CodeCombat to make teaching more participatory, relevant, and dynamic. The chosen method is a mixed method (qualitative and quantitative), using surveys, interviews, and direct observation of 25 students and the course instructor. Two practical classroom experiences were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposal. In addition to promoting creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration, the results showed a significant increase in student motivation, academic performance, and engagement. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that gamification is an effective pedagogical method for diversifying teaching tactics in educational contexts. In conclusion, the use of gamified tools in web programming promotes autonomous and active learning, encourages problem-solving, and helps students develop digital and cognitive skills.