Cover Gamification in education: The BonDing Card Game by Studio E is a simple game that makes learning chemistry easier (Photo: Ace EdVenture Education Group)
Gamification in education: The BonDing Card Game by Studio E is a simple game that makes learning chemistry easier (Photo: Ace EdVenture Education Group)
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Gamification in education represents a paradigm shift in teaching and learning. By leveraging game-like elements to enhance motivation and engagement, the learning experience is transformed into an interactive and immersive journey
Some of us might remember being told to “be serious” by a parent or teacher when trying to make a game out of learning during our schooling years. Traditionally treated as a solemn affair with equally solemn etiquette, learning is commonly viewed as “serious business” by parents and educators alike. It turns out that fun and games can be a positive and enriching experience for students when properly applied and need not be seen as an opposing force that keeps students from learning.
Loosely referred to as gamification or game-based learning, it involves the use of game design elements in a non-game context or actual games to acquire skills or knowledge. Some examples of game design elements include goals, game mechanics and rules, interaction, challenges, interactive problem-solving, point scoring systems and story creation.
Above Students build collaborative skills through games
Students build collaborative skills through games
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The goal of the gamified teaching approach is to create higher engagement and motivation among students for better learning outcomes, including a deeper understanding of a subject, increased creativity, the development and enhancement of critical thinking abilities and improved information retention, to name a few.
To delve deeper into the subject, we sought out Grace Tham, CEO of Verve L&D and director of training and development for the ACE EdVenture Group of Schools, for more information.
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Above Grace Tham, CEO of Verve L&D and director of training and development for the ACE EdVenture Group of Schools
Grace Tham, CEO of Verve L&D and director of training and development for the ACE EdVenture Group of Schools
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How is the gamified approach to learning beneficial and effective?
“It makes learning more addictive. If you look at video game design books, they are surprisingly way ahead of the education industry. They understand that learning is addictive and use this mechanic to hook game players. When people see themselves progressing, growing and able to do more than they could before, it keeps them going, and that excites people. This concept is similarly applied to gamified learning in the form of a scoring system to level up, which provides students immediate feedback, allowing them to easily track progress and work towards their learning goals while motivating them to achieve more.
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Play as a way of teaching children is commonly applied in the early part of childhood education, but the play component is often removed as children get older. It is a shame, as this takes away the very thing that would actually keep them enthusiastic about gaining new skills. The element of fun keeps students interested, engaged and motivated to continue learning, making learning worth the challenge.
The gamified approach to learning promotes better retention of learned information because of the time and emotional investment students put into their assignments, projects and the games they participate in. It also offers faster and more efficient learning, as students can learn multiple disciplines and skills simultaneously, including life skills such as resourcefulness, leadership, negotiation and problem-solving. They also learn about themselves in the process—what they like or do not like and how they deal with challenges, among other things.”
Above Games encourage camaraderie, improving education outcomes
Games encourage camaraderie, improving education outcomes
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What are the challenges?
“Resistance from parents and teachers with traditional mindsets who believe that learning needs to be conducted in a serious environment. Also, there is a lack of educators trained in this method of teaching. Not all educators are equipped with the skills to implement this emerging methodology. As a result, teaching risks not being conducted as it should, resulting in an entirely different learning experience with undesirable outcomes. It is also a challenge to train educators and implement this teaching method in schools with different education systems and those that subscribe to traditional methods of teaching.”
Above Gamified education also promotes higher engagement
Gamified education also promotes higher engagement
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What makes Ace EdVenture’s schools unique?
“While most schools would prepare their students for their exams, the endgame at our schools is to prepare students for working life. In addition to learning the skills and knowledge required to thrive in their exams, we also equip our students with positive habits, useful skills, and a mindset that will benefit them in their adult working lives.
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We tend to integrate multiple disciplines, which makes learning both fun and efficient. The questions we constantly ask are, ‘What value does it give the students?’ and ‘What skills would they learn?’ By giving context to student assignments, we bring added dimensions to the learning process, making it more fun, which in turn promotes higher student engagement and interest to continue learning.”
Credits
Images: Ace EdVenture Education Group
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