Potentials of Using Gamification in an Open and Massive Online Course

In the contemporary educational scenario, gamification has emerged as a promising pedagogical strategy, although it still needs to be explored in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC). This study investigated the impact of game elements on the teaching practice of MOOC courses, focusing on student evasion and engagement. A course on Maker Culture was offered on the Open Courses platform of the Federal Institute of Espírito Santo (Ifes) as a setting for this applied, qualitative-quantitative, and exploratory research. The results revealed that 1969 participants signed up, with a completion rate of 48%. Notably, gamified activities attracted significant participation, culminating in a positive evaluation of 97.13% from course participants. This study not only highlights the effectiveness of using gamification in MOOC courses but also highlights it as an innovative methodology and a catalyst for student engagement and retention in distance education.