Player profiles for game‐based applications in engineering education

The use of digital learning environments in higher education has led to design methodological strategies, like gamification, adapted to computer‐based learning. The effectiveness of gamification depends on the adaptation of the methodology to the player's profile. Four types of player profiles (Explorer, Killer, Socialized, and Achiever) are established according to the Bartle classification. In this article, quantitative research is carried out on the player profile and the one considered best for learning engineering professors. Sociological and academic aspects that influence player profile choices are also identified. A descriptive and inferential analysis of the answers given by a population of 532 engineering professors —who attended a training course on gamification in digital environments—to a survey designed by the authors was carried out. The results reveal that most engineering professors are Explorers and this is also the player profile considered best for learning, although there is a gap between the own player profile and the choice of the most effective one. The player profile shown here to be the most frequent among engineering professors differs from that attributed to students in the literature, which is Achiever. Gaps by gender, age, teaching experience, and university tenure are also identified. Universities are recommended to strengthen professor training to design personalized game‐based computing environments and to cater to differences due to several sociological and academic aspects.