Design and Preliminary Evaluation of a Neuroeducational Game Applied in Higher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26423/t80tq189Keywords:
active learning, creativity, gamification, instructional materials, critical thinkingAbstract
Higher education requires active teaching resources that combine motivation, collaboration, and cognitive challenge. Given the limited use of neuroeducation-based materials in the second year of the Graphic Design program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, NeuroLab Play was designed—an educational game with a physical version for implementation and a digital representation as a visual aid. The objective was to design, validate, and implement the resource and to conduct a preliminary assessment of its usability, user satisfaction, and observed evidence of creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. A sequential mixed-methods approach was applied, first with a cohort of 10 students for exploration and subsequently with a cohort of 23 students across the Manta and Portoviejo campuses for the game's implementation. Rubrics, a semi-structured questionnaire, non-participant observation, and a checklist were used. The results showed that the prototype received positive ratings for usability (3.96-4.57) and satisfaction (3.26-4.57); its implementation provided preliminary evidence to guide improvements. However, due to the study's pilot nature, non-random sampling, and reliance on self-reports, the findings should be interpreted with caution and cannot be generalised. Despite these limitations, the instructional material shows potential for adaptation and transfer to other educational contexts
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