How Gamification is Reshaping the Landscape of Learning

Given a choice between a textbook and a video game, what would most children prefer? Much to the dismay of parents, the latter is an obvious choice for most. But is there a way to integrate games with academic learning? Academicians and educators across the world are realizing the power of games when it comes to accelerating learning. Gamification is a learning approach that introduces game elements to educational or traditionally non-game environments.

One of the primary reasons why children prefer games is because they are more interactive in nature. Games help establish a conversation between the student and the interface rather than just being a drab monologue. Game-based learning can be transformational for any student and for the education system as a whole. It hence makes sense to understand some of the key benefits of this approach.

Providing a Better Learning Experience

Academic learning, when clubbed with games, can provide an enriching and fun experience for students. It turns ‘I have to study’ to ‘I want to study’. The aim here is to build a more positive attitude towards learning. An enthusiastic learner has the capability to achieve much more than a forced learner. And that’s where gamification helps enormously in changing the perception of the students towards various subjects and topics.

Catching and Holding the Attention

Today’s generation cannot be expected to learn the same way people learnt a generation ago. Kids today are native to technology. They are surrounded and bombarded with all kinds of distraction and it’s not always easy to hold their attention – in fact holding the attention of students is one of the biggest challenges for any educator. Gamification has proven to be one of the most effective ways of increasing attentiveness when it comes to learning.

Channelizing Disruptive Energy

They say, “Energy flows where the attention goes”. Children are brimming balls of energy and one cannot put a leash on them while teaching something. When a game-based interface starts engaging the child, the chances of the learner displaying disruptive behaviour lessens to a large extent. Heightened attention helps to channelize the time and energy of students towards fruitful activities and they are less likely to engage in any disruptive behaviour or distraction. When combined with scientific psychological principles, gamification can drive strong behavioural changes.

Improving Retention

Gamifying learning is more than just fun. Visual aids and graphic linkages help in making concepts much more memorable for students. In order to achieve a new level in the game, a student might need to repeat certain facts or modules. This introduces repetition and practice in a more favourable way to a learner which in turn improves memory and creates better connections in the learner’s brain.

Extramarks as a Gamification Partner

Extramarks puts the student at the centre of all action. This means, we create not just the learning modules, but instead, build personalized experiences for students. Extramarks provides a refreshing interface which is interactive and a testing mechanism which encourages a feeling of achievement the same way people experience while playing games. By stitching gaming technology into academic learning, our experts have carefully designed various tools keeping in mind the needs of the evolving generation. We create an immersive experience which increases a child’s desire to learn better and achieve new goals.

Gamification is one of the best ways to encourage one’s natural desire to be curious, to discover, to be rewarded and to eventually progress. And we, at Extramarks, understand that.

5 replies
  1. Hitanshu
    Hitanshu says:

    A skilled workforce is indeed the need of the hour. I completely agree with your points on using e-learning for building a skilled workforce.

    Reply
  2. Ranjith G
    Ranjith G says:

    What a great perspective Sir. E-learnign is very benficial for not just students and educator as well in creating jobs.

    Reply
  3. Swagata Dhara
    Swagata Dhara says:

    Students are often bored with the studies they do because it just seems irrelevant and non-relatable. With gamification, it just becomes so much more interesting that retention goes way higher.

    Reply
  4. Raees
    Raees says:

    Gamified learning isn’t just efficient but its also fun and it provides relatability of the concepts with real life situations which is the end goal of education.

    Reply

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