Desafíos lúdicos y proyectos colaborativos: Una ruta gamificada hacia el pensamiento crítico en el aula

The study titled "Playful Challenges and Collaborative Projects: A Gamified Pathway to Critical Thinking in the Classroom" explored the integration of gamification and collaborative projects as strategies to foster critical thinking in educational settings. Gamification, understood as the incorporation of game elements into non-game contexts, and collaborative projects, which promote teamwork and joint problem-solving, were conceptualized as active methodologies that enhance student motivation and engagement. The general objective was to analyze how the combination of these strategies influences the development of critical thinking among students across various educational levels. To achieve this, an exhaustive bibliographic review of recent studies implementing these methodologies was conducted, selecting research that demonstrated concrete results in strengthening critical thinking. The findings indicated that the application of playful challenges and collaborative projects significantly improved students' skills in analysis, evaluation, and critical reflection. Additionally, there was an observed increase in active participation and in the capacity for argumentation and decision-making. These results suggest that integrating gamification and collaboration in the classroom is an effective route for developing critical thinking, highlighting the importance of pedagogical design that considers the characteristics and needs of the student body.