Do you remember playing Hide and Seek as a kid with your friends?
What did you learn from the game?
Good direction skills, channelling your senses – especially your sense of hearing.
Game-based learning has been a part of our lives since our childhood, and it still plays an important role in our lives.
But does it play an important and lasting role in Education?
With the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been new trends being adopted in every industry. Similarly, in education, game-based learning was at the forefront of interactive education. In a world that is rapidly heading towards virtual reality, this trend in education has been a positive influence on children and their learning process.
Will it last? Can it?
Let’s find out.
Game-Based Learning vs Text-Book Learning
Textbook learning has been functioning with a fundamental disadvantage since the very beginning. Textbooks, when they are released, science or arts, contain all the information from the time of its printing.
But, what about the new findings and research that is happening every day?
Textbooks are written and compiled, to be read for years. The information that is being found daily isn’t updated in real-time. Hence, textbooks are at an obvious disadvantage.
On the other hand, there is game-based learning. An adaptive and interactive method that not only excites students but also enables them in retaining information.
But the best part of this is not that it is interactive, but that it is adaptive. Constant changes are occurring in the world of education. The producers of games constantly update the game to inculcate those changes into the game. Those changes include INFORMATION.
With the constant changes occurring in different fields of study, it can often get difficult for students. To choose what subject or subjects they wish to pursue as a career, this method can be effective.
Game-Based Learning and Gamification
What is Gamification and how similar or different is it from game-based learning?
Gamification is the integration of various game elements such as leaderboards, point systems, badges, etc. These elements are related to the ‘conventional’ learning activity-based games and are used to increase motivation and engagement.
For example, a quiz based on a chapter in history has a leaderboard-based system where students get 10 points for every right answer.
Whereas, game-based learning inculcates design learning activities so that the principles and characteristics of the game exist within the learning-based activities itself.
For example, students are involved in a ‘Mock United Nations’ session where they represent different countries of the world.
To summarise, game-based learning designs learning game-like activities, intrinsically. However, gamification adds the framework and elements of the game into learning activities that are already existing.
Game-Based Learning and Career Guidance
Career guidance is an integral part of a student’s life when it comes to understanding what they wish to do.
But can game-based learning bridge the gap between education and career guidance?
Career guidance and game-based learning work hand-in-hand. There are different types of students in the world and each of them has its style of learning. While some are readers, some are visual learners as well.
With the help of career guidance, you can determine what your unique learning style is through a personalised learning style test.
When it comes to career guidance, a game-based guidance platform could be the future, who knows?
Different Gamification Strategies
There have been various gamification strategies between online, in-class and out-of-class or external environments.
Online Gamification Strategies
Discussion Boards
In many cases, students are asked to discuss readings of a particular topic either before the class or after. To make it interesting, students are incentivized in a way, either by allotting points or by offering them additional advantages during class hours.
For example, for an answer in the discussion group, you get 10 points and if you’re a leader, you can get an extension on the next assignment.
Quizzes
Quizzes are another great way to use online gamification as an interactive learning tool for students. By setting up a good quiz that can include interactive and narrative elements, students can find newfound interest in the subjects, and it could have been the ‘right’ subject for them all along!
In-Class Gamification Strategies
Quiz
Creating a quiz game like ‘Jeopardy’ can be an interactive and adaptive learning experience in class. Students can prepare for the quiz and learn a chapter in a subject in a fun way, maintaining healthy competition and focus on the right subjects for them.
External Gamification Strategies
External or out-of-class gamification strategies include game-based learning environments and game-enhanced learning environments.
Game-Based Learning Systems
Various desktop-based and mobile application-based gaming platforms have been developed in the past few years as game-based learning systems. This includes quiz-based multiplayer applications such as ‘Quiz Up’ or ‘Trivia’.
Game-Enhanced Learning Environment
These games are designed to engage the learner or player on a strategic level. Narrative in nature, games in this category provide entertainment and learning in a gameplay format. This also offers learners to engage with like-minded people to solve the situations presented in the games.
Why is Game-Based Learning a Lasting Trend?
In 2018, the number of Indian online gamers were 269 million and that has increased to 365 million in 2020.
This was majorly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With schools going online and education going the virtual way, students are facing additional challenges in terms of ‘which subject to choose’ or ‘what is the right subject’ for them.
Learning from games can provide an adaptive and efficient platform for a new type of learning that can not only help students know what they want but also learn what they want, efficiently.
If you are in the dilemma of ‘what is the right subject’ or ‘which subject to choose’, Book A Session with us today!
Aditya
Aditya is a Marketing Manager at Univariety. He loves writing about anything and everything. With a passion for writing and his vision to help students with their education, he wishes to see a better future for them. Aditya loves sports, reading, and photography.
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Adityahttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/aditya/
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Adityahttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/aditya/
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Adityahttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/aditya/
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Adityahttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/aditya/
