The role of digital gamification and visual interface design in raising awareness of primary school students about cultural heritage

Cultural heritage is a value that has been carried from the past to the present and needs to be transmitted to future generations. Today, this heritage faces various challenges, making its sustainability crucial. Instilling awareness of cultural heritage through education from early ages is key to ensuring its continuity. The primary school and middle school Social Studies and Visual Arts curricula were examined, focusing particularly on the objectives and goals of the 4th grade. A qualitative research method and an explanatory case study design were employed. The study involved classroom teachers, expert art educators, participant observer, and 27 fourth-grade students. To support cultural heritage goals in a digital learning environment, a visual interface called "Kültür Avı" was designed. This interface includes games aimed at teaching Turkey's cultural heritage elements. Observations and interviews indicated that the developed visual interface design and lesson unit plan suggestions increased fourth-grade students' interest in cultural heritage, raised awareness, and effectively educated them in an enjoyable manner. A mini matching test in Social Studies class and visual interface designs by 9 groups in Visual Arts class were evaluated by experts through graded scoring rubric. This evaluation demonstrated that the project contributed to fourth-grade students learning about cultural heritage and gaining awareness to a certain extent.