Moodle virtual classroom for social science learning

Abstract

This study evaluated the pedagogical impact of a virtual classroom developed in Moodle for learning Unit 3 of the Social Sciences course, applied to 6th-grade students at the Ibarra Educational Unit. The research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach and a quasi-experimental design. A diagnostic survey on digital competencies was administered to a sample of 167 students, organized into dimensions of technological familiarity, motivation, and learning modality preferences. Additionally, a pretest on subject knowledge was administered, followed by a blended learning intervention and a posttest with the respective results. The pretest findings revealed low levels of mastery of the learning objectives, which would not meet the required standards. Following the implementation of the virtual classroom, with gamified activities integrating quizzes, multimedia resources, forums, and contextualized learning missions aligned with the curriculum, the post-test results demonstrated a considerable increase in learning domains, exceeding 80% accuracy in understanding the topics covered in the unit. The research concludes that the technological intervention implemented through Moodle strengthened attention, motivation, and active participation, increasing children's conceptual understanding and, consequently, their academic performance. Another important conclusion is that gamification integrated into blended learning environments as a teaching strategy enhances meaningful learning in Social Sciences, contextualizing it within a dynamic environment that reflects the student's digital reality.