A GAMIFIED WEB PLATFORM FOR AEROSPACE EDUCATION IN PERU: A PILOT STUDY FOR SECONDARY AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Quintana Quispe F.R.; Huaman Simeon V.R. · Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC (2025) · DOI: 10.52202/083097-0079

Resumen

In recent years, the Peruvian aerospace industry has experienced a significant surge, as evidenced by the creation of the country’s first Aerospace Engineering degree at the Universidad Nacional de Ingenier´ıa (UNI) and the construction of a new spaceport in Talara, Piura. Additionally, the recent agreement signed by the Comisión Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Aeroespacial (CONIDA) and NASA to launch sounding rockets starting in 2028 confirms the growing international interest in Peru’s capabilities in the aerospace field. These governmental and private initiatives point to an increasing demand for specialized professionals, highlighting the need to promote aerospace careers and to spark early interest in STEM fields. Against this backdrop, we present the design and implementation of a gamified web platform aimed at introducing the fundamentals of the aerospace industry to secondary and undergraduate students. The project covers content ranging from orbital mechanics and remote sensing to concrete examples in the Peruvian context, illustrating how satellite technology and aerospace developments can aid in resource management and disaster prevention in Peru. The teaching approach is based on constructivist learning theories and challenge-based learning (gamification), combining missions, virtual rewards, and progress metrics to motivate participants. The project’s impact will be evaluated through a pilot test measuring changes in students’ interest and knowledge against a control group, using pre- and post-intervention questionnaires as well as an analysis of their interaction with the platform. The results seek to achieve a measurable increase in interest in STEM majors related to the aerospace industry, as well as a deeper understanding of this technology’s relevance to the country’s socio economic development. This platform represents an innovative teaching model that, leveraging Peru’s current aerospace expansion, aims to cultivate new talent and strengthen academic ties with national and international aerospace initiatives. Copyright

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Tecnológica de Lima Sur