Perception of the use of gamified digital resources in initial teacher training: innovation and participation

Today, the training of future teachers is forced to respond to the challenges posed by an increasingly digital educational environment. Given this scenario, the study aimed to explore how students perceive the use of gamified digital resources as part of their technological and didactic appropriation process. The experience was developed at a public university in the Dominican Republic, within a course focused on the design of educational materials. A qualitative approach was used, using an instrumental case study with the participation of 24 third-year students. Data collection was combined with observations, review of developed products, and a perception survey. The analysis identified five key dimensions: motivation, critical use of technologies, creativity, professional identity building, and the value of teacher support. The results indicate a very positive assessment of the proposal. Gamification not only motivated students but also generated more contextualized and functional learning. When integrated with pedagogical sense and active strategies, this type of resources can strengthen key competencies for current teaching and open new ways of conceiving the educational use of technology