9 benefits of gamification in education
Gamification is a methodology that adapts concepts and ideas from the world of games to the real world to encourage the completion of tasks or challenges. Among the elements and skills that are carried out during it are competition, cooperation, the application of phases, or the awarding of prizes.
This method ‘eases the pain’ of learning certain content and motivates and awakens the learner to experience new learning models. In this way, we leave behind a system where the teacher is the sole possessor of knowledge, and the student is a passive agent in the classroom. Instead, we move on to another model, where the teacher is a facilitator, and the student is an active agent in the learning process.
What’s in it for the students? 9 benefits of gamification
1. It eases the pain of teaching.
It is common for students to associate learning with something boring or an obligation that has to be done. With gamification, lessons become more engaging and contextualized. It brings sense to the minds of students, letting them actually enjoy the whole process of learning.
2. The learner is no longer a ‘prisoner’ of the content.
With gamification, information has a purpose, whether it is to earn points or to pass a stage. Therefore, the content of lessons starts to make sense and becomes playful, as learners need to use creativity to solve problem situations.
3. It develops new models of learning.
This technique allows students to explore the game environment by discovering new information, with which they can earn bonuses, points, or badges. They must also complete a task or a series of activities in a limited time.
4. It helps to accept errors.
The game encourages the learner to stay on track, but there is still tolerance for mistakes. If, for example, the learner does not ‘hit’ on a given mission, they start to lose points. However, they get a second and third chance to try and improve. It is better than the standard case of education where the errors cost more points and reputation, making the students google ‘write my paper for me free‘ in fear of doing it all wrong by themselves.
5. It gives the learner a voice.
With gamification, the learning process is constructed collectively. Therefore, the learner has the opportunity to contribute their ideas and knowledge, helping to improve the process and leaving lessons learned to newcomers.
6. It stimulates persistence.
When a student plays, they feel challenged. Losing or winning, they are moved in such a way that the will is to continue. If he is winning, he is encouraged to advance as the difficulty level increases with each stage. If you are losing, you have the opportunity to try one more time and prove that you can do it. This is because human beings learn from mistakes, and this is not just a clichéd everyday phrase. The brain develops through observation, trial, and error. Therefore, in a game, you have the chance to try again and learn what didn’t work.
7. It improves focus.
One difficulty students face while studying is the challenge of dealing with multitasking. And those who think that only adults have several activities to think and do simultaneously are wrong. Children and adolescents are increasingly bombarded with information, and this ‘mental overload’ directly interferes with their ability to concentrate. Gamification helps to prioritize and focus on different tasks according to their priority, which can be beneficial in the future.
8. It helps to measure performance.
Traditional methods used in education to measure student performance are often time-consuming. It is necessary to wait for the evaluation at the end of two months or the analysis of completed work. When gamification is applied in education, this outcome changes. Both teachers and students can monitor their performance through a clear system and technological solutions that keep them constantly updated.
9. It improves the assimilation between theory and practice.
When you start playing, you are applying the explained theory to practice. At each stage, the theory, from the beginning, makes more sense. You have to use it faster and master it if you want to stay in the game. In education, combining theory and practice remains a challenge. Many students do not understand how that knowledge, at first theoretical, will make sense in reality. Therefore, the application of gamification in education helps to facilitate this task.
What happens when gamification is applied in education?
- There is more interactivity. Using this technique, nothing is handed to the students on a plate. There is more interaction in the classroom. Everyone participates and thinks together about how they will overcome the challenges presented. The need to make decisions in the circumstances presented (scenario, problem situation, etc.) allows learning to take place.
- Objectives achieved. In games, the solution is always the final objective. Therefore, solving the problems to achieve the results is the main focus.
- Teamwork prospers. Everyone’s contribution is significant in the gamification process. For this reason, gamification in education encourages collaboration due to the search for solutions to learning challenges.
- It also develops problem-solving. Engagement, teamwork, creativity, and focus – with all this together, students can find solutions based on the information and resources available.
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