Tech4Seniors: A Gamified Challenge-Based Learning Experience Integrating Design Thinking and IoT

Tech4Seniors is a four-hour, mission-based learning experience designed to integrate game-based learning, Design Thinking, and Internet of Things (IoT) prototyping. The study examines how 52 engineering students in Mexico, organized into 12 teams, designed IoT prototypes addressing challenges faced by senior citizens, with each design grounded in user interviews. The work responds to gaps in the literature concerning short, face-to-face game-based interventions and their combination with Design Thinking methods, positioning the activity as a structured alternative to longer curricular programs.

The authors' central finding is that the experience was received very positively. Students rated every dimension of the activity above 4.0 on a five-point scale, with overall learning satisfaction highest (M = 4.62). Expert panel scores for the prototypes were similar across teams formed randomly and teams formed by student leaders (averages of 86 and 90 out of 100, respectively), suggesting that the instructional design produced comparable outcomes regardless of how teams were assembled.

The authors conclude that a short, well-structured format can effectively support both technical and user-centred competencies. They are careful, however, to acknowledge several limitations: the sample is small and drawn from a single institution, the data rely substantially on self-reported measures, and no long-term outcomes were assessed. Accordingly, they call for larger and more diverse samples and longitudinal research to determine whether the observed gains endure. The study was conducted through voluntary participation in an open survey without collection of identifiable personal data, and therefore required no formal ethical clearance.