Digital gamified solutions can transform learning into a more effective and enjoyable experience. However, more research is needed on how teachers use technology-enhanced learning tools and incorporate successful gamification strategies in their practice. Simultaneously, the use of digital platforms in formal education contexts has become highly hierarchical, giving teachers no room for creativity. Within the scope of design-based research, this study focuses on assessing the relevance of developing a gamified digital platform model aimed at assisting K-12 schools with the implementation of extracurricular projects, specifically regarding the promotion of participation, the recognition of skills and its users' sense of belonging to the corresponding educational community. A survey by questionnaire was publicly shared in June 2022 with the support of different Teachers' Associations to evaluate Portuguese K-12 schoolteachers' receptiveness to integrating such a digital platform model in their practice. A voluntary response sample including 215 valid responses was obtained, and data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and content analysis. According to the study findings, the relevance of developing such platform model was confirmed due to the innovativeness of its features and the lack of similar tools combining gamification strategies with the formal recognition of learners' attitudes and skills in K-12 education.

Digital media can facilitate collaborative processes among local agents, value endogenous resources, and promote assets associated with territory. This article presents the results of a study concerning the development and validation of a mobile app for promoting the relationship among agents of the Portuguese Centro region’s communities/entities. This paper focuses on the results of a heuristic evaluation of the mobile app carried out with two groups of experts in Digital Technologies, Tourism, Health, and Well-Being, besides providing an overview of the mobile app that was developed and a theoretical background regarding community-led innovation, usability, and heuristics. For the CeNTER app prototype evaluation itself, the use of Nielsen's heuristics, a MATCH-MED scale, together with a Think-Aloud Protocol allowed us to improve its usability. This article contributes to a reflection about the evaluation of mobile apps in the scope of territorial-based innovation initiatives, engaging its stakeholders in the process.

This paper, reporting on research at an early stage, aims to analyse the impact of badges when used in conjunction with an introductory tutorial that aims to help users getting to know its most important areas and functionalities. With that in mind, a test session was designed, asking learners new to SAPO Campus platform (an institutionally supported social Web platform), to complete a tutorial, discovering the existence of badges and how they could be earned and associated with their profile page, visible to the community. Learners were also asked about the impact of badges on their desire to complete the tutorial, and their general attitude towards being rewarded for completing several actions inside and outside the platform. Preliminary data reveals that learners considered that badges had a significant positive contribute to make them feel more engaged and motivated to complete the tutorial.