Game on! Gamification by means of WebQuest and TikTok in higher education

Abstract

Given the difficult circumstances and unprecedented times we are experiencing, we inferred students might be suffering from side effects (e.g. demotivation, lack of attention) derived from the COVID-19 crisis that might affect their class performance during this academic year. In an attempt to counteract them, gamification and social media (e.g. TikTok) were resorted to in order to better the attractiveness of the practice section in the English Lexicology subject at the University of Alicante. A WebQuest was created via Google Sites with a twofold objective: on the one hand, to enhance the students’ motivation and interest in an intrinsically complicated year while optimizing the exposition time and student participation in class; and, on the other, to contribute to the dissemination of scientific knowledge related to the English language via TikTok. The results and conclusions obtained through a Google Forms questionnaire with 65 respondents point to the success both of the WebQuest in general and of the TikTok activity in particular when it comes to improving motivation, interest and participation in class. More than half of participants show a willingness to share their videos on their personal social networks and more than 90% indicate a desire to encounter gamification in their classes in the near future.