Gamification in Education: Learning Through Play

Flexibility in learning is a new approach to gaining knowledge that many are starting to embrace even more. Today, anyone can get a college degree, BSC, MSC, or PHD more without being physically present on school grounds. The tech field is also lowering the barrier of entry in multiple ways. People are advancing their professions through online learning platforms and remote job opportunities. Rigid rules and barriers in education are gradually becoming a thing of the past, and that is why a concept like gamification is gaining more popularity among students and educators. It is not only popular in the education field. Some of its techniques, like loyalty reward systems, are perks gamblers see in the casino scene as well; take, for example, the Vulkan Bet 50 free spins system. This article details how educators are restructuring existing approaches to teaching through games.

Understanding the Rudiment of Gamification

The word gamification is a portmanteau of two words, "game and education." It is one of those words that can be interpreted based on how they sound. Gamification is an idea popular among educators where gaming is introduced into nongaming contexts. Take, for example, the use of leaderboards in a work setting. It is a concept that is gaining popularity due to the flexibility we are beginning to see in schools, companies, and professional environments. Ideally, games are inherently created to be an enjoyable experience, and the idea of introducing them into teaching is to eliminate stringent learning processes. The objective is to introduce reward systems, role-playing, mastery, competition, progress tracking, and other elements that appeal to people in the gaming niche. Popular tools used here are Litmos, Moodle, Open edX, and Classcraft.

Why Gamification?

Some of the reasons why gamification is relevant have been highlighted above. From collaboration to social learning, building personalized pathways, mastery, and more. Here is an in-depth discussion on how educators have been able to optimize this new goldmine of teaching so far.

Personalized Learning Pathways

One of the major barriers to learning in groups is that most individuals have varying abilities. For this reason, the progress can vary, as can the impact on students. Gamified education allows for a more personalized approach where each individual takes in and interacts with content based on the ideal difficulty levels. This means students can choose their learning pathways and grow at their own pace, without the pressure or sense of inferiority of being at a different intelligence level from their peers.

Real-World Application

By their level of hierarchy, we could have real-world applications listed as the top relevant use case of gamification. Roleplaying, simulations, and interactiveness involved in this learning model are integral offerings that educators can get from gamification. Most students have attested that nothing beats being able to explore the practicality behind the theoretical knowledge that has been taught in school environments. Students get to explore this option with gamification, alongside solving real-life challenges and real-world applications. A huge plus to this is that learners better understand how to approach similar issues in case they occur in real-life settings.

Real-Time Assessment and Progress Monitoring

Educators who have explored gamified education in the past revealed that this teaching model helps them see progress from students and give real-time feedback in the process. The practicality of this is something we cannot deny or refute. Many also shared that it helps them assist students in identifying their mistakes at the earliest stages and making the necessary adjustments. Progress tracking can come with rewards and recognition to boost motivation. It is one of the reasons leading companies and brands reward their employees at the end of a work year or a successful event.

Mastery in Act

Most people believe that games are made to be of different difficulty levels, and players have said that they continually develop a sense of mastery after finishing it. The challenges that come with these games are excellent for task management and assisting pupils in developing a sense of progress. Gamification is beneficial in raising competency levels, particularly in practical courses offered by educational institutions.

Best Case Practices for Gamification

Integrating gaming into nongaming sectors is relevant not only in educational spaces. Organizations have also been able to use this to establish a learning culture amongst their employees, fill the knowledge gap within their workplace, and streamline training processes. Other case practices for gameplay outside education include:

●      Interactive team member onboarding processes;

●      Positive brand perceptions establishment;

●      Successful optimization of boring training events;

●      Effective boost of the product understanding.

Closing Barriers to Gamified Education

Gamified education can take numerous forms, but all of them must be created to increase participation percentage. Point systems, badges, leaderboards, quests, challenges, and augmented reality are some ways to integrate it. There are other ways you can explore so long the strategy you use fits your objectives, the audience you are trying to reach, and the context of the topic at hand.