WHY GAME-BASED LEARNING IS SO IMPORTANT IN EDUCATION TODAY

In the world that we live in today, the learning approach is far more global and gaining pace faster than it ever has before. At the forefront of this development is the game-based learning approach; both digital and regular games.

Playing games is a fun leisure activity that is open for everyone to enjoy. But games are being increasingly used for learning and educational purposes. Some games are great for improving cognitive functions such as reasoning and memory, while alternative games have the ability to reverse some age-associated brain function problems, like short term memory loss.

Games mirror the way that the human brain was designed to learn. Game-based learning (GBL) is an area of education that has been getting a lot of buzz lately. While it’s a great way to learn just about anything, including math and science, game-based learning is particularly effective for learning a new language. If you’re thinking about or currently learning Spanish, you can take a look at the Comligo’s courses. They incorporate both digital and regular games into the learning process.

Game-based learning is an excellent way to improve both learning and teaching. It’s simply about including games as part of the learning approach. It’s interactive and offers teachers a great way to teach large groups of students, all of who have different personalities, capabilities, and learning preferences. Below we will explore game-based learning in more detail.

Learning while having fun

There’s a common misconception that learning should be serious and formal in nature. As a result of the rapid growth in technology, game-based learning is typically thought of in a negative light because of its common connection to video games. But, games don’t necessarily mean video games, and they offer an alternative approach to learning while providing a pleasurable way to do so.

If the learning process is dull, students usually aren’t able to gain any information and skills that will help them in the real world. The knowledge and skills that are acquired through game-based learning are retained for longer because students are fully involved in the process.

Three approaches for incorporating games into the learning process

1. Learners create and design their own games according to their specific requirements

2. Teachers, trainers, and developers design educational games according to the learners’ knowledge level

3. Commercial prefabricated games are integrated into the classroom activities to ensure effective learning.

Collective potential and collaboration

People are said to function better in a network. However, traditional learning approaches rarely help students to understand the benefits of collective learning and intelligence. Games are a great way to make students communicate, collaborate, interact and work in teams, thereby promoting collective intelligence and developing social skills.

Immediate feedback

Students benefit a great deal from the instant feedback that they receive when playing games. Rather than having an indefinite waiting period for a test or assignment grade, games give instant results about their performance. Games also give teachers rapid feedback based on how learners engage and interact with the game.

In addition, games are a great way for students to learn without the fear of making mistakes. Playing games offers a safe environment to learn as they go.

Games are an effective tool for learning because they offer learners a hypothetical way to explore different possibilities without the risk of failing. Thought and action are integrated into steadfast behavior to achieve a goal. Playing games teaches learners to be strategic, by making them consider alternative solutions, and to be open-minded in the way that they think.

Strategic games improve the functioning of the brain

Games enhance repetition, reinforcement, retention and transference. Since each game focuses on a specific learning objective, each learner will deal with the same notion or skill in a unique way. Therefore, what students don’t learn on their own, they may pick up from how someone else’s responds. Furthermore, the responsibility for learning and practicing is the job of the learner and it’s something that they are perfectly happy to do.

Good games are based on a learning objective

A good learning-based game will offer a focus point for the format, skills involved and information to be covered. Through the game, the learner’s use previously learned knowledge and skills to acquire new knowledge and enhance their abilities. For instance, games that require recollection improve the players’ memory since they test the process a student uses for memorization. Knowledge is reinforced with success and mistakes are rectified due to negative repercussions.

Learning through games really motivates students to learn. If students love playing the game in their spare time, that element of enjoyable competitiveness can work as a tool to get them learning more frequently. Hopefully, the latest trend of game-based learning will contribute to the improved knowledge and skills of language-learning students.