A typical classroom, three students can be seen dressed in red, yellow and green. Few can be seen holding placards with traffic signs, the teacher has taken up the role of the traffic police and the rest of the students are either pedestrians or drivers. It is a traffic and road safety class for grade 3. Education has evolved over the years. Hands on learning, gamification and likewise have become a part of teaching-learning process.
It is said, learning by playing is the ideal approach to comprehend an intricate idea. When a mind-boggling idea is taught using games, the concepts are effectively communicated. Using games to teach a concept not only makes learning interesting but also makes it easy for students to understand the concept. Gamification in education is becoming very common these days, as it has very advantages. Gamification in learning includes utilizing game-based components, for example, point-scoring, peer contests, collaboration, and score tables. It can apply to class-based subjects, but at the same time, it is utilized broadly in self-educating applications and courses. Technology has played a very pivotal role in innovating the education sector, especially during these COVID times. Technology, if used in the right manner, can be really beneficial for all of us.
Advantages of Gamification in Education
There are many merits of Gamification in Education, and some of them are mentioned below:
- Makes learning interesting
Despite your subject topic, the gamification of learning can assist you with making energizing and engaging content. It's not intended to transform work into a game, yet it drives human commitment just the same way.
- Addiction to learning
As gamification makes the learning process enjoyable, students become addicted to learning new things. This is one of the surprising benefits of gamification. The gamification of learning permits students to see the present reality applications and advantages of the subject.
- Cognitive development
As per a recent report by Blumberg and Fisch, gamification allows basic reasoning and critical thinking. A recent report from the American Psychological Association tracked down that these abilities developed through gamification are enduring and adaptable to achievements in different areas, for example, STEM subjects.
- Enhance learning experience
Gamification enhances the quality of imparting knowledge. It uses various innovative methods of teaching, which enhance the learning experience and makes students enjoy boring classes. Gamification boosts engagement.
Methods of Incorporating Gamification in Classrooms
You can find various innovative methods of teaching through which you can incorporate gamification in the classroom. However, these methods should be used as per the teaching environment. Some of the most effective ways are given below:
- Providing students points for meeting academic objectives
Try to give your students points for completing academic tasks as per their performance. For example, give 2 points for the best answer and 1 point for answers that require improvement. Importantly, this will be fun as well.
- Providing them points for meeting non-academic objectives
On similar grounds, you can give points to your students for participating in any non-academic activities too. This will not only motivate them to participate in extracurricular activities but also help them to stay fit and energetic.
- Making playful obstacles
One of the essential fundamentals of gamification is the utilization of consolation mechanics through introducing fun-loving obstruction challenges, for instance. Fun-loving obstructions can be scholastic, social, inventive, or strategic. It is also one of the innovative methods of teaching.
- Organizing online competitions
Competition with classmates, with different classes, or even with the educator is a surefire game-based component that works. For instance, students should adhere to a standard that the instructor sets, and whenever a student keeps the standard, the class gets a point. Whenever a student fails to maintain the standard, the class loses a point. If the class wins, the instructor can utilize a maintainable prize, for example, a 1-minute dance party, extended break time, or fewer assignments!
- Providing learning badges instead of marks
You can provide various types of performance badges instead of grades or marks. This will be fun, and these learning badges will motivate them to perform well to get the highest badge. Badges should be given to them for their overall performance (academic and non-academic performance), doing assignments on time, and submitting homework sincerely.
Is gamification helpful?
Gamification has been demonstrated to be massively successful, both in traditional classroom and e-learning settings. Gamification works since it triggers genuine human emotions like joy, interest, energy, and achievement. Almost every organization, foundation, and school are utilizing gamification, and are getting excellent outcomes. Students feel like they have the responsibility to learn. More fun in the classroom and learning becomes noticeable through progress markers.
Conclusion
We can conclude that Gamification in Education is a system for strengthening commitment to learning by combining game components with an instructive climate. The objective is to create levels of involvement equivalent to what in particular games can generally deliver. The principal objectives of gamification are to improve certain capacities, present objectives that give learning a purpose, connect with students, optimize learning, and support change. Gamification is not a new concept; many western countries have been using this technology to attract students’ attention. All the best!
