The Unexpected Benefits of Game-Based Learning
Games appeal to almost everyone. Game consoles, computers, and mobile devices allow people to immerse themselves in situations that challenge them to accomplish tasks and move to the next level. The attractiveness of games makes them a valuable tool that can support educational opportunities. Some games offer physiological benefits by stimulating the brain. In some cases, games can reverse the loss of cognitive function that comes with natural aging. As people play games, they must make decisions that drive their progress. From simple to complex, the decisions people make in game environments can help them learn valuable skills and lessons applicable in real-life situations.
What is Game-Based Learning?
Designed by teachers, game-based learning allows students to explore ideas, learn concepts, and develop skills. By infusing real-world subject matter, educators leverage the appeal of games to make learning interactive, competitive and fun. As students engage in learning-based games, they develop their ability to retain information and apply what they learn to real-world situations.
Game-based learning platforms add depth and perspective to the educational process and allow students to collaborate with their instructors in pursuit of their learning objectives. Like games, game-based lessons have rules, clear goals and competitive elements. Also, students and their teachers receive immediate performance feedback and rewards.
The success of game-based learning has made it prevalent in traditional education settings, the military, medicine, business, and other sectors. When people need a fun, effective way to learn, game-based learning can help them achieve their goals.
How Does It Work?
Game-based learning uses the same principles that motivate game players to inspire learning. The interactive nature of the game puts students in control as they add to their score, make achievements, compete with their peers, and try to get to the next level. Students can also learn the consequences of bad decisions, just as they would when they play games for entertainment.
By allowing students to experiment with different choices and approaches to challenges, educational game environments encourage learners to practice the skills they must have for the real world. Students participating in game-based learning stay engaged until they achieve mastery when they can leave the simulated environment to apply their new skills to practical situations.
What are the Benefits of Game-Based Learning?
As one of the newest and most efficient developments in education technology, game-based learning has revolutionized the way people learn. The technology motivates learners to improve their performance and achieve great things. Still, game-based learning offers other important reasons why the technology can equip people for a better life.
• By participating in the interactive, game-like environment, students develop communication and collaboration skills, improve their hand-eye coordination, and develop problem-solving skills.
• The gaming experience engages the mind and helps people remember what they learned, and how they accomplished particular tasks. Gains in memory performance might have a substantial effect on older students.
• Game-based learning introduces students to new technologies that help them understand the concepts behind networks, computers, software, and the Internet. The exposure of pupils to the information technology that supports their learning can help them navigate the evolving technologies found in the business and academic worlds.
• Self-directed learning lets students decide how much, how fast, and how well they learn. The development of self-esteem and a positive self-image during the learning process can have life-long implications for careers and relationships for the student.
• It facilitates collaborative learning. When people work together to achieve goals, they create a synergy that helps them learn and accomplish more than they could by themselves. Such collaboration skills can help learners add value to the workplace and their career.
• The game environment encourages the development of valuable personal skills including observation skills that lead to the formation and testing of new hypotheses.
• The metacognitive reflection facilitated by the game-based learning environment gives students an awareness of their thought processes and a chance to improve them.
• Engaging learning opportunities provide participants a positive learning experience that can motivate them for lifelong learning and personal development.
• Game-based learning makes learning easy.
• By reinforcing and consolidating knowledge in a friendly environment, people can confidently apply the concepts they learn, even when confronted by critics.
• The virtual learning environment helps people associate consequences with making the rash, wrong, or unwise judgments. Such an association supports strategic thinking, collaboration, and social skills.
Although game-based learning offers instructors and students many benefits, no one should discount the value of traditional education. In fact, the combination of regular instruction with game-based learning might provide valuable synergies than either learning style could independently achieve. Through the game-based learning experience, students can embrace learning as a desirable, fun experience rather than as a burden, setting the stage for a prosperous future.
