The “Pros” of Gamified Learning
Gamified learning is a teaching methodology that creates a game-like scenario around the course curriculum and the objectives of the course. The purpose of theses game systems is to promote student engagement and motivate students to participate in the course activities. The concept of gamified education has become extremely popular with a wide range of companies that have created game platforms for many different subjects.
Pros of the Gamified Classroom
- Increases Student Engagement
Studies have shown that students are more likely to spend time playing a learning-based game if you are using a reward system. Badges and points help translate the work the student is completing into a tangible benefit. By increasing engagement you’ll also see a rise in learning retention as students will be able to relate to the content easier through practice than just reading or watching a lecture.
- Creates Enthusiasm
Gamification can be used to foster feelings of enthusiasm towards the subject-matter, especially in subjects that students struggle with, like math. In my classes, I have struggled to try to get students excited about computer programming or concepts of computer science. By creating a gamified system with rewards, I have been able to see a difference in my classes and students are becoming excited and competitive while learning.
- Provides Instant Feedback
Most gamification systems allow for instantaneous feedback such as leaderboards and dashboards, which students can use to see where they stand among their peers. This information can push a student to try the quiz or activity again to get a higher placement and creates motivation for further lesson engagement.
4: Makes Social Connections
In higher education we often find that students have trouble creating social connections with other students in their courses. Gamified classrooms, seated and virtual, help students who have trouble with social interaction and give them a reason to work together. This is especially true if you create team competitions that require students to collaborate on challenges.
If you love the idea of motivating your students through points and badges, gamified learning may be for you.
If you want to read more about gamified learning , read “4 Pros and Cons of Gamified Learning”: BY Tiffany Ford
The above article only covers 4 of the Pros, there are literally hundreds of articles about the Pros and Cons to Gamified Learning
The digital resource and lessons designed by Afed Education use gamification to engage learners of all ages. Gamification put aside, teachers should also try to find Edtech or educational technology that achieves a goal of deeper learning pedagogy within its digital modules and learning areas. Try www.afedsquad.co.nz and see if this resource goes beyond gamification and provides a deeper learning experience.
