The concept of gamification in education and learning
The concept of “gamification in education,” which refers to the use of game design features in contexts other than games, is one approach that has gained popularity in recent years. For instance, educators may give out badges or achievements to pupils who complete assignments, just like gamers do when they complete missions on consoles.
Teaching has gone beyond the traditional old model of delivering content via classroom whiteboard. Instead, it moves to discussion and collaborative student-led teamwork to stimulate new ideas and promote critical thinking.
In today’s rapidly developing world, it is impossible not to mention the widely known concept of gamification. Each new lecture presentation will often be an exercise to practice skills. Instead of just asking questions, educators can create a mini-game (like crossword, lucky door) to get students’ attention. That is gamification. It is putting elements of games into work to make people more interested, more enthusiastic about research.
With the increasing popularity of video games, especially among the young population, current educators have adopted the potential of games as a powerful, engaging tool in teaching and learning. This can enhance student engagement in class, as games typically do—improving specific skills and optimizing their learning progress. This method demonstrates that games are a simple means of creating an inclusive and welcoming learning environment that helps students learn in a way they enjoy.
Applications of gamification in education
Before even the mathematical and written formulas in school, it is easy to see that games are one of the first “curricula” of children in the journey of mental and physical perfection.
For instance, by playing voice imitation games with their kids, parents can teach them how to pronounce words. When children grow up a little, children are physically trained through games with friends, such as hide-and-seek or soccer. Children can even be introduced to mind games such as chess, helping to prepare their intelligence before school.
Not only folk games, but even modern game products (video games/digital games) also positively affect learning if used with the right audience and playing time. For example, applications that combine multiple-choice answers with playing games.
Game models – in different forms – have positive effects on human development, especially young children. This is the premise for many educational, training, and capacity development products in the world to apply the form of “gamification” and achieve certain success.
Some benefits of gamification in education
What are the positives that we can measure from gaming in education?
1. It increases enjoyment
When we play games, dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates the pleasure center of the brain, is released. This not only stimulates interest but also helps to build a positive attitude toward the subject being applied. Similar to when applied to education, turning the classroom into a game will stimulate students’ participation in the lesson if they find the game engaging.
2. It's familiar
School-age kids, even those just about to finish high school, have grown up in the era of next-generation consoles and smartphones or tablets. Playing these types of games is second nature to many students, which means that the transition to gamification education is relatively smooth.
3. It can be applied outside the classroom
Gameplay is not restricted to students’ regular school hours. Parents can adopt the approach of letting their children “play” with homework and learning. This method leads to increased student engagement and allows them to be more involved in their child’s education. Thereby, study progress comes naturally and can further strengthen the relationship of family members.
4. It eases the pressures of studying
This method makes students feel that they have autonomy over their learning process. They don’t have to depend on anyone, and it gives them a sense of achievement, which boosts their confidence. Students learn in a more relaxed atmosphere. Students are often less stressed in a gamified environment and are fearless in making mistakes—because they’re not called out in the middle of the class to return assignments like in traditional education. Instead, gamification allows them to discover an intrinsic motivation and desire to learn. This also makes learning more measurable through various progress indicators. Learning will become more engaging.
In general, the application of games in the education industry is making progress. It will take time and effort, but we should see the good sides of the scenario. This digital era forces people to innovate every day. So why don’t we try to step out of our comfort zone and gradually apply gamification to our lives?
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