Gaming in Education
August 10, 2021
This post was written by Sonya Harvey-Justiniano. Sonya is a blog editor with the Alhambra US Chamber.
The goal of higher education institutions is to prepare students for the professional world. With the advancement of technology and online learning, innovating teaching methods are being deployed to achieve this goal. One such innovation is the inclusion of games and simulations in our learning curriculum.
It is often believed that video games are counterproductive to learning. However, as we learn more about gaming and its effects on the brain, we see its potential as a learning tool. Some studies have shown that games and simulations have had a positive impact on students' learning skills.
In a broad sense, our educational institutions already include elements similar to those of a video game. You do assignments and homework to receive points - which would be your grade - and if you collect enough points you “level up” and unlock achievements - which is like moving up a grade level or graduating. Therefore, looking at education through a gaming perspective is not as radical as it seems at first.
Over the years, gaming has been increasingly incorporated in higher education curriculum, including through learning games or a process known as a “gamification.” Learning games are designed to captivate the learners attention and facilitate their learning process. They are designed to teach specific complex skills taught at universities or during professional training programs. Gamification is the use of techniques or approaches from games and adopting or including them into non-gaming activities to make them more engaging or enjoyable.
Some of us may recognize gamification being used in the classroom already as study tools in the form of trivia games such as Jeopardy or Kahoot!. Gamification is also not just limited to educational institutions and has been used by commercial organizations to incentivize customer behavior. Examples include frequent flyer programs and other reward systems where purchases contribute to a customer's accumulated points that would then unlock free rewards in the future. No matter the context, gamification could be a powerful motivator if designed with both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in mind.
Research has also shown that video games can provide valuable skills that are transferable in a learning context. This includes:
Hand-eye Coordination
Problem-solving and Critical Thinking Skills
Memory Enhancement
Improved focus
Multi-tasking
Social skills and team communication
Learning to overcome failure and building a sense of resilience, rather than fearing failure the way our current educational system encourages students to do
Video games and board games could be a fun way to cover a variety of subjects in contexts that you might not be able to cover in class. Oregon Trail introduces students to the dangers and limited resources of American settlers traveling to the west for the first time. Pandemic is a board game that teaches cooperation and how diseases spread. Minecraft has an educational version, created by Microsoft, for use in schools in order to teach major STEM skills, such as coding, and has been used in Architecture classes. Flight Simulators have been used to teach pilots how to fly without the risk of endangerment to their lives. Games could also be incorporated into other subjects such as Astronomy, where students could visualize and explore a simulation of space, and Anatomy as an alternative to digitally explore bodies where live resources may be limited or too expensive.
Video games have a number of characteristics that can be utilized to create an effective learning environment. The complexity of video games allows the opportunity for students to make decisions and solve problems in increasingly difficult circumstances. Experimentation would allow students to assess risks and explore alternative courses to experience different outcomes.
There are numerous opportunities to incorporate the concept of gaming into education, as well as various types of games that can be used in the learning process. Studies have shown the positive impacts gaming has on a student’s ability to learn, therefore, it should be a part of classroom activity and discussion. It has been shown to improve dialogue between students and teachers, as well as students’ overall learning experience. Not only does it provide a form of “edutainment”, it also leaves a positive emotional effect on students. With all these benefits in mind, educators should try their best to implement gaming in their curriculum.
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