Academic Tracking Strategy and Motivation in a Virtual Learning Environment Using a Visual Representation of Learning Outcomes

The use of technological tools in education has allowed teachers to establish strategies for planning, execution, monitoring and academic feedback with learning styles that have an impact on the performance of a course. The objective of this work is to contribute with a strategy for monitoring and motivating tasks using a gamified leaderboard, under a combined scheme of Kolb’s model and self-regulated learning for the activities developed in the classroom, as a motivational mechanism of student competence. This research work uses a quantitative empirical-analytical methodology with a quasi-experimental approach. The survey technique was used with a random group of students from the Universidad Politécnica Salesiana in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, from April to September 2022. Out of a total population of 113 university students, 80% of them participate in the research on a voluntary basis. Ninety-two percent of approved students have benefited from this follow-up model. The set of at-risk students is determined for adequate motivation. 43% of the participants define that a gamified leaderboard allows to be an innovative resource for the empowerment of following actions that improve the learning process during their academic journey in the course. Finally, presenting course information, not only individually but also as a group through a gamified leaderboard, generates a positive motivation to change and improves study commitment by increasing performance from one activity to another.