The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has been devastating in all senses, particularly psychologically. Physical activity (PA) is known to aid psychological well-being, and it is worth investigating whether PA has been a coping strategy during this pandemic. The objective of this literature review is to analyze the extent to which engaging in PA during the COVID-19 pandemic impacts psychological health in the adult population. The literature was searched in all databases from the EBSCOhost Research Database—MEDLINE, APA PsycArticles, between others—published between 1 January 2019 and 15 July 2020. From 180 articles found, 15 were eligible. The reviewed articles showed an association between mental health distress—e.g., stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, social isolation, psychological distress—and PA. This research concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures caused psychological distress. Those studies that analyzed PA showed that, during quarantine, adults increased their sedentary time and reduced their PA levels, showing controversial psychological outcomes. This review discusses whether PA is an effective strategy to face the COVID-19 pandemic psychological effects contributing to a further putative increase in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders.

A systematic review of the scientific literature in a specific area is important for identifying research questions, as well as for justifying future research in said area. This process is complex for beginners in scientific research, especially if you have not developed skills for searching and filtering information, and do not know which high-level databases are relevant in their field of study. The method proposed leads the researcher from "My" to "The" current state of the problem; we propose an adaptation of the method by Kitchenham and Bacca, which divides the process into three sub-parts: planning, conducting and reporting results. From the approach of the research problem in the preliminary phase research questions (recommended between 3 to 5) and "mentefacto conceptual" is drawn; this last one gives originality to the method and facilitates the development of the thesaurus for searches and inclusion and exclusion criteria. Early research requires doing a basic systematic study to identify work done to review the literature in the area and, if any is found, to verify if those results yield an answer to our research questions. As part of planning the search process, general and specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined, along with some complementary inclusion and exclusion parameters. The method followed with rigor, returns to the researcher a list of impact journals in the study area, and a detail of articles that are related to each category of the research questions. A study case has been considered as a guide to expose each of the phases of the methodology in a practical way, with results that support the proposal.

This paper presents a review of the literature on gamification design frameworks. Gamification, understood as the use of game design elements in other contexts for the purpose of engagement, has become a hot topic in the recent years. However, there's also a cautionary tale to be extracted from Gartner's reports on the topic: many gamification-based solutions fail because, mostly, they have been created on a whim, or mixing bits and pieces from game components, without a clear and formal design process. The application of a definite design framework aims to be a path to success. Therefore, before starting the gamification of a process, it is very important to know which frameworks or methods exist and their main characteristics. The present review synthesizes the process of gamification design for a successful engagement experience. This review categorizes existing approaches and provides an assessment of their main features, which may prove invaluable to developers of gamified solutions at different levels and scopes.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated its potential to transform numerous fields and education is no exception. In today’s digital age, AI has emerged as a powerful tool that is revolutionizing teaching and learning. In this article, we will explore the impact of artificial intelligence in education and how it is transforming the educational landscape at all levels. From personalizing learning to improving feedback and developing interactive resources, we will examine how AI is changing how we acquire knowledge and skills.