The aims of the present study are to outline framework for identification of gamification features in open source e-learning environments and discuss a case study for gamification implementation in assessment activities, peer assessment and self-assessment in Moodle e- learning environment.

Often students in undergraduate courses in programming have some problems with the transition from concrete to abstract thinking and the understanding of basic concepts of algorithms and programming. In this paper we present our experience in the development and use of interactive simulation-based learning objects (LOs) in an introductory course of programming. The pilot study showed that LOs helped the student to understand easier learning content and increased the students’ motivation regarding the course “Introduction to Programming”

Design Thinking (DT) is a design process originally used in the conception and validation of innovative and technologically efficient human-centered solutions for ill-formed problems. Being an iterative and collaborative process with a human point of view, DT allows adopters to improve several intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, like collaboration, creative thinking, leadership, presentation, project management, ethics, storytelling, negotiation, empathy, willingness to learn, etc. As such, DT has been adopted in several other areas and has also become highly relevant in educational contexts to develop the aforementioned skills in students. It has also been shown to contribute to minimizing the school dropout problem by keeping students motivated and integrated in the school context. Nevertheless, to be successfully implemented, DT requires that the overall educational context is adapted and that teachers are trained to be able to guide, support, and give feedback to students. With that objective in mind and following an analysis of the current situation in secondary education schools in four European countries, a teacher training model was designed to organize and systematize the process of developing teachers’ abilities to manage an educational DT approach. This article presents the analysis of the current situation from the point of view of teachers and students and gives some hints on the resulting teacher training model for integrating Design Thinking skills within secondary education.

In this study we perform the results from a survey conducted among teachers of Mathematics, Computer science (Informatics) and Information technology (ICT) in Bulgarian schools concerning methods and technological tools for competencies assessment. The obtained results confirm the necessity of developing suitable ICT-based tools for competency assessment – such as simulation-based objects, game-based objects, popularisation of existing technological decisions as well improving teachers’ competencies and skills in implementing contemporary and various tools for assessment of competencies