Darya D. Egorova

This article explores the identification and systematization of the classification characteristics of educational gamification as a pedagogical technology for teaching modern schoolchildren and students. Gamification, as part of the the educational process digitalization in the 21st century, has become a priority area for the development of Russian education. Determining the place of gamification technology in the educational process at schools and universities within the hierarchy of modern pedagogical technologies defines the problem of this study. The relevance of this work is explained by the insufficient development of the theoretical foundations, by the practical potential, and the new digital capabilities of gamification technology at the current stage of the school and university education development both in Russia and abroad. The aim of this article is to provide a theoretical overview and summarize the results of theoretical and practical research on gamification technology in the educational process at schools and universities. The primary research method was an analysis of the works of Russian and international authors to clarify the definition of "gamification" concept as applied to the educational process, identify its structural components, implementation principles, and pedagogical features of its use in teaching schoolchildren and students. The main result of this article is a theoretical justification for defining educational gamification as a pedagogical technology for teaching schoolchildren and students and a clarification of the essence of this concept. The authors' classification characteristics of gamification as a pedagogical technology significantly complement the theoretical foundations of the gamification process in school and university education today. The theoretical significance of this study lies in identifying the theoretical and philosophical foundations of gamification, its educational functions, the challenges and risks of its application, and relevant areas for development and improvement. The practical significance of this work lies in the fact that the authors' findings can be used to develop practical mechanisms for gamifying the educational process as a pedagogical technology for teaching, nurturing, and developing students in both general schools and higher education institutions.