Which framework to use when gamifying a class? A systematic review draws the map
Weiller Fernandes Pereira defended at FCTE/UnB an undergraduate thesis carrying out a systematic literature review on the use of frameworks in building education-oriented gamification projects.
Brasília, November 11, 2021
Over the past two decades, gamification has become a frequent recipe for the classroom — and the literature has kept pace. The problem, as Weiller Fernandes Pereira’s thesis puts on the table, is that gamifying is not simply sprinkling points and rewards: without a framework, projects turn brittle. The defense took place in November 2021 at FCTE/UnB, advised by Prof. Sergio Antônio Andrade de Freitas .
The research is a systematic literature review focused on a practical question: which frameworks have actually been used to structure gamified projects in education? The answer reveals a heterogeneous landscape — solutions that combine game design elements, motivational theories, and adaptations to specific teaching modalities and levels.
The thesis’s contribution is not to propose a new framework: it is to help newcomers choose among those that already exist. By consolidating criteria and application cases, the author gives educators a compass for what is usually decided by blog-post echo. It is typical Gamification research work: putting order in an expanding field without suffocating its methodological diversity.
The full text — written in Portuguese — is available at the UnB Undergraduate Theses Digital Library.
About CEDIS: The Center for Studies, Development, and Innovation in Software (CEDIS), linked to the University of Brasília, researches and develops innovative software solutions with strong presence in Gamification .