Taking elements from games can be a fantastic way to encourage learning. Kids love playing games, and we often see intense motivation when they do so. Daniel Bennet, an expert in gamification, talks about the benefits of including gamification in education and how it can help learning occur.
Gamification isn't just for kids. As an adult, you can play Canadian online casino real money games, fun modes, or various online games to encourage learning.
What is Gamification?
Gamification is the process of applying elements that you would typically find in a game. These elements can include things like competing with others, keeping scores, or following specific rules. You can solve problems by using certain aspects that you would usually find in a game.
Because the two concepts are similar, people often confuse learning through playing games and gamification.
Gamification in Learning
It's a well-known fact that kids and adults alike learn better when there’s play involved. This is where gamification comes in. Gamification can drive students' engagement in their learning experience, with elements that they are familiar with from the games they play. Studies show that students are more motivated to learn when learning is gamified.
By incorporating elements of video or online games, you can improve learning motivation and allow the skills to be concreted, by using things such as levels, points systems, and bonuses.
Gaming Motivation
While most kids play games, they don't all do it for the same reasons. There are three types of gamers, with some playing for in-game rewards, others play to finish the game, and a third type enjoys the virtual team experience. When gamifying education, you want to cater to all types of players.
Using Technology
Technology is something that keeps changing and improving. It's already been implemented and used successfully in many classrooms. Tablets, touch tables, and interactive displays can help you to use gamification in education.
An example of how gamification helps in learning techniques is when an educator gives a lesson through an interactive display and then follows it up with a quiz to get a score. Providing a follow-up quiz like this allows learner interaction with the teaching and obtaining a score; the learner can be more motivated to learn.
How Can Gamification Benefit Learning?
There are plenty of examples of gamification successfully implemented in educational institutions. This points to various benefits of gamification in education. Some institutions use badges in a tier-based system, allowing them to gain rewards as they engage in learning. Some institutions have also stopped using grades and implemented what they call 'experience points.'
Benefits of gamification in education:
Makes the learning experience interactive and fun
Can create a learning addiction
Allows insight to real-world applications
Provides feedback on learning in real-time
Enhancing the learning experience
Engaging with content more
Motivated through competition
Efficient and fun learning
Cooperation between learners and learning
Gamification allows a creative learning process to take place. With instant feedback and rewards. The most significant benefit, however, is that it increases engagement in the learning content.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that the benefits of gamification in education are endless. Using this method and combining it with existing technology, you can get the most out of the learners you are teaching.
By allowing learners to get immediate feedback, rewards, and having fun and using their imagination and engaging in the content, they can become addicted to learning. Instead of learning only for tests and examinations, learning now becomes solidified, and they’ll remember the skills and content for the rest of their lives.
