Work

Gamification and digital equity: analysis of educational designs in the metaverse for vulnerable populations

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: This research critically examines the challenges and opportunities of educational gamification in the metaverse for vulnerable populations by exploring how structural inequalities—technological, cultural, and pedagogical—shape its implementation. Through a thematic analysis of academic literature, case studies, and public policies (2019–2024), five key dimensions are identified: accessibility, ethical dilemmas in personalization, cultural anchoring of gamified narratives, the teacher's role in technological mediation, and digital equity. Despite the metaverse's democratizing potential, findings reveal its tendency to replicate physical exclusions, particularly in contexts of poverty and ethnic marginalization. The study underscores the urgency of co-creative approaches prioritizing community agency and epistemic justice. It proposes redefining gamification as a space for political contestation where technology fosters expanded educational rights.

Source: Metaverse Basic and Applied Research

DOI: 10.56294/mr2024.105

Authors: Pedro Luis Bracho-Fuenmayor, Yhadira Huicab García, Elisabeth Viviana Lucero Baldevenites, Jennifer Mejía-Ríos, Ángel Saúl Díaz-Téllez

Institutions: Metropolitan University of Technology, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

Language: English

Topic: Educational Games and Gamification

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Quality education

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W4409615634

FWCI: 2.372

Cites: 70

Cited by: 3

Related to: 10