Game-Based Learning
Overview
Games and gaming now occupies a place in adolescents lives, but can also be used in classroom settings. Game-based learning provides students with opportunities to be engaged in fun activities, but still being immersed in an educational setting while providing some benefits for students, teachers, and the classroom setting in general.
Games and gaming now occupies a place in adolescents lives, but can also be used in classroom settings. Game-based learning provides students with opportunities to be engaged in fun activities, but still being immersed in an educational setting while providing some benefits for students, teachers, and the classroom setting in general.
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Key Concepts
Engagement in Education
Older styles of teaching have provided classroom settings where the engagement level of the students is fairly minimal, often relying on a lecture tactic. The use of games for learning can provide the students with a platform that allows them to become engaged. A fantastic example of this is this online game Variant which is a role-playing game directly related to mathematics. This game easily provides the “coolness” factor to keep adolescents engaged, while subsequently ensuring that students are learning and applying math concepts over the course of the game. This engagement factor in video games works with the desire to master the game, and this desire will transfer to many different types of games that are able to engage the students.
Immediate Feedback
When students complete tests, assignments, projects, etc., often times the feedbacks turn-around time, may be too long for it to be beneficial to the learners. For example, when a mid-unit test is completed, if the feedback isn’t received until ¾ of the way through the unit, those students who didn’t fare well may be receiving the feedback too late to understand the rest of the content. One of the major benefits of using games is that the feedback can often be instantaneous. Providing this feedback immediately assists the students in their journey to mastering the content, and can help them correct their mistakes to further their understanding. What's more, many of these digital games even have a feedback system that can go directly to the teacher, allowing educators to monitor their students progress and make necessary adjustments.
Safe Space for Mistakes
Learning from your mistakes is, at times, one of the best methods of learning how to do something new or to improve your skill set in a particular area. In video games, the allowance to make a mistake and be able to try again is a beneficial component to help complete the mastering process. This can be used to solidify the idea that failure is not only okay but actually embraced. Video games show students that failure can often be used to improve and that they lead to positive results in the end, such as mastery. Providing this safe space in the classroom, where there are students who may be afraid to make mistakes, will give them an opportunity to be creative and explore — this classroom culture allows them to make mistakes so they are able to learn, without worrying about the opinions of their peers. Not only will this be lead to improved learning for the students, but they will also be able to gain confidence in their decision making as they are able to further master the content — this may ultimately improve their classroom skills outside of the games.
Engagement in Education
Older styles of teaching have provided classroom settings where the engagement level of the students is fairly minimal, often relying on a lecture tactic. The use of games for learning can provide the students with a platform that allows them to become engaged. A fantastic example of this is this online game Variant which is a role-playing game directly related to mathematics. This game easily provides the “coolness” factor to keep adolescents engaged, while subsequently ensuring that students are learning and applying math concepts over the course of the game. This engagement factor in video games works with the desire to master the game, and this desire will transfer to many different types of games that are able to engage the students.
Immediate Feedback
When students complete tests, assignments, projects, etc., often times the feedbacks turn-around time, may be too long for it to be beneficial to the learners. For example, when a mid-unit test is completed, if the feedback isn’t received until ¾ of the way through the unit, those students who didn’t fare well may be receiving the feedback too late to understand the rest of the content. One of the major benefits of using games is that the feedback can often be instantaneous. Providing this feedback immediately assists the students in their journey to mastering the content, and can help them correct their mistakes to further their understanding. What's more, many of these digital games even have a feedback system that can go directly to the teacher, allowing educators to monitor their students progress and make necessary adjustments.
Safe Space for Mistakes
Learning from your mistakes is, at times, one of the best methods of learning how to do something new or to improve your skill set in a particular area. In video games, the allowance to make a mistake and be able to try again is a beneficial component to help complete the mastering process. This can be used to solidify the idea that failure is not only okay but actually embraced. Video games show students that failure can often be used to improve and that they lead to positive results in the end, such as mastery. Providing this safe space in the classroom, where there are students who may be afraid to make mistakes, will give them an opportunity to be creative and explore — this classroom culture allows them to make mistakes so they are able to learn, without worrying about the opinions of their peers. Not only will this be lead to improved learning for the students, but they will also be able to gain confidence in their decision making as they are able to further master the content — this may ultimately improve their classroom skills outside of the games.
Practical Suggestions for Educators
Utilize Multiplayer Based Games
Utilization of multiplayer based games over single player based games adds an additional factor for the students playing: a form of collaboration, whether it’s in the form of working as a team or against each other, while also adding a higher-level order of thinking to solve the problems that are changing depending on who else is participating in the games. Depending on the students as well, some may find the motivation to try harder in order to show their peers they are capable — perhaps these students may even try to beat them in the task or work hard to not let them down in if they are working in teams. However, the use of single-player based games can still follow this — if you use games that have some speed-based requirements, you can have the teams total times add up to see which team performed the fastest total, or on average as well.
Incentives
While providing reinforcement is suggested, often times, it doesn’t work as well as people may think. Providing incentives sometimes during games may result in students putting in their best effort to complete a game to the best of their ability. In reference to the previous suggestion of using single-player games with speed-based requirements, using these results where the teams can have the option to do something dependent on where they finish can have the students try harder during the game. For example, educators may provide an incentive such as not needing to help clean the room at the end of the day if they finish with the fastest group time. Utilizing the proper times to include incentives can lead to students continually putting their best effort in learning and mastering the game itself.
Focus on Deep Learning
The use of games promotes deep learning, which involves more critical thinking to solve a task, as opposed to being given a straightforward set of instructions to complete the same task. Highly engaging video games can often induce a flow state within adolescents — this can lead to higher levels of motivation and focus. By providing students with an educational game, this flow state can make them more apt to learning and understanding what is happening in the game which in turn, promotes more learning. The ability to use serious games in a classroom setting can help students who are actively engaged in the game to achieve that higher level of thinking with problem-solving and become more focused on understanding the content.
Utilize Multiplayer Based Games
Utilization of multiplayer based games over single player based games adds an additional factor for the students playing: a form of collaboration, whether it’s in the form of working as a team or against each other, while also adding a higher-level order of thinking to solve the problems that are changing depending on who else is participating in the games. Depending on the students as well, some may find the motivation to try harder in order to show their peers they are capable — perhaps these students may even try to beat them in the task or work hard to not let them down in if they are working in teams. However, the use of single-player based games can still follow this — if you use games that have some speed-based requirements, you can have the teams total times add up to see which team performed the fastest total, or on average as well.
Incentives
While providing reinforcement is suggested, often times, it doesn’t work as well as people may think. Providing incentives sometimes during games may result in students putting in their best effort to complete a game to the best of their ability. In reference to the previous suggestion of using single-player games with speed-based requirements, using these results where the teams can have the option to do something dependent on where they finish can have the students try harder during the game. For example, educators may provide an incentive such as not needing to help clean the room at the end of the day if they finish with the fastest group time. Utilizing the proper times to include incentives can lead to students continually putting their best effort in learning and mastering the game itself.
Focus on Deep Learning
The use of games promotes deep learning, which involves more critical thinking to solve a task, as opposed to being given a straightforward set of instructions to complete the same task. Highly engaging video games can often induce a flow state within adolescents — this can lead to higher levels of motivation and focus. By providing students with an educational game, this flow state can make them more apt to learning and understanding what is happening in the game which in turn, promotes more learning. The ability to use serious games in a classroom setting can help students who are actively engaged in the game to achieve that higher level of thinking with problem-solving and become more focused on understanding the content.
Resources
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: 7 research-based principles for smart teaching. Boyle, E. A., Hainey, T., Connolly, T., Gray, G., Earp, J., Ott, M., Ninaus, M., Ribeiro, C., & Pereira, J. (2016). An update to the systematic literature review of empirical evidence of the impacts and outcomes of computer games and serious game. Computers & Education, 94(2), 178-192. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.11.003
Davis, V. (n.d.). A Guide to Game-Based Learning. Retrieved November 11, 2018.Davis, V. (n.d.). 5 Ways to Design Effective Rewards for Game-Based Learning. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
L, D. (2016, January 26). Gamification in Education. Retrieved November 10, 2018
McGonigal, J. (2018). Gaming can make a better world. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
Rousseau, P. (n.d). Digital Pedagogy - A Guide for Librarians, Faculty, and Students: Game Based Learning - Why Do it: Benefits, Challenges. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2018.
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: 7 research-based principles for smart teaching. Boyle, E. A., Hainey, T., Connolly, T., Gray, G., Earp, J., Ott, M., Ninaus, M., Ribeiro, C., & Pereira, J. (2016). An update to the systematic literature review of empirical evidence of the impacts and outcomes of computer games and serious game. Computers & Education, 94(2), 178-192. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.11.003
Davis, V. (n.d.). A Guide to Game-Based Learning. Retrieved November 11, 2018.Davis, V. (n.d.). 5 Ways to Design Effective Rewards for Game-Based Learning. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
L, D. (2016, January 26). Gamification in Education. Retrieved November 10, 2018
McGonigal, J. (2018). Gaming can make a better world. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
Rousseau, P. (n.d). Digital Pedagogy - A Guide for Librarians, Faculty, and Students: Game Based Learning - Why Do it: Benefits, Challenges. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2018.