Methodi Quantitative: A Ludic Way for Learning Quantitative Methodology in Psychology

Abstract

In 2016, an educational video game for mobile platforms—smartphones—was developed as part of the compulsory subject Quantitative Methods, from the Psychology program of the National University of Colombia. The video game was conceived to support the learning process of the subject’s core topics: understanding the research process and the methods for conducting descriptive research—either applied or experimental. A description is provided of how the subject topics were transferred to the environment of a video game for educational purposes, in its initial version. A discussion is provided of the routes and strategies to develop and elaborate the levels, articulate the narrative, select the general aesthetics, and give continuity to the playful and learning experience. It is shown how the video game is coherent with the parallel progress of the class topics. The game-based learning approach was critically adopted to support the planning and development process. The results outline the strategies adopted by the development team and how they were articulated through the narrative and aesthetics. Conclusions include the advantages of using the gamebased learning approach for the construction of an educational video game and recommendations for projects that intend to develop video games for teaching research methodology in the health and social sciences. It is acknowledged the need for extra efforts to accomplish the development and implementation of the video game in a classroom oriented by active pedagogies.