A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will: From the idea of gamification to breaking the barriers of passive student behaviours that stem from a fear of making mistakes

This article presents the findings and conclusions from a course gam-ification initiative conducted as part of the Masters of Didactics teach-ing program. The primary objective of the course modification was to employ gamification in selected classes to address and counteract stu-dents’ passive attitudes. The classes involved both Polish and interna-tional first-year Master's students in biology and biotechnology. Gam-ification was applied specifically to laboratory sessions, during which students developed fictitious start-ups aimed at addressing pressing environmental challenges. The initial outcomes revealed that a signif-icant barrier to active participation in the gamified module was the students’ fear of making mistakes. Consequently, it was decided to adopt a more supportive approach towards the students throughout the semester. As a result, students were provided with a learning en-vironment where mistakes were viewed as opportunities for growth. Over time, this shift in approach led to increased openness and active participation among students. Despite several initial challenges, the course modification produced notable results, including 100 % attend-ance and heightened engagement, particularly among international students. These results underscore the potential of gamification, cou-pled with supportive teaching methods, in effectively educating both Generation Z and future Alpha students.