Can Education And Gaming Go Hand In Hand For A Student?

The traditional way of thinking assumes that education and playing games are two separate activities that require separate time periods. This might be applicable in the past but the concept is no longer true as more games complementing learning are now available for students. 

Many will agree that the traditional way of education was dull and this made education for many students a chore instead of a fun activity where they gain knowledge. Thankfully, these days, learning is no longer just about memorization but understanding the concept in a way that can be applied in real-life scenarios by the students.

On the other hand, games are considered a fun activity even if it requires strategic, memory, and learning skills by the player. Any skill-based game requires the player to go through the process of trial and error to figure out a way to crack a particular level. Therefore, it can be said that skill-based games involve a learning process.

How Education and Gaming Can Work Together For A Student?

Education and gaming can definitely work together for a student. However, the five factors that need to be considered for the same includes the duration of the play, the context and content of the game, the structure of the game, and finally the gameplay.

Spending too much screen time is not recommended for a student. Therefore, the duration of the game, even for education, needs to be limited. For instance, for improving one's vocabulary a student need not play a game like Scrabble Word Finder for hours, even a ten-minute engagement with Word Unscrambler will do the job of improving the vocabulary of the students. In addition to that, games make learning fun for the students by ensuring that it releases dopamine, as some studies have shown in the past. The dopamine released in the brain of a student improves the attention of the student as new neuron connections are developed at a faster pace. 

Also, to make sure that education and gaming go together, educators should focus on the context and content of the game. For instance, a shooting game might not be a viable option for teaching the students concepts. However, educational apps like Duolingo could be ideal in teaching new languages as it makes the entire process more fun. Also, the structure and the gameplay should provide experiences that can add value to students' education. According to a Scottish study, game-based learning resulted in improving the engagement rate amongst the students.

Benefits of Including Games In The Education Sector 

One of the primary advantages of including games in the education sector is that it makes education fun and engages the student in self-learning while boosting their motivation. Including games in the education sector keeps boredom at bay for the students and makes the entire learning process very interesting. Also, game-based education ensures that the students are completing their learning tasks via playing games without unnecessary pressure. 

Secondly, game-based education provides flexibility to students on what they want to learn and when to learn. When the students can themselves decide what they want to study, they immediately become active players in their own learning. Their interest in the subject reaches new heights and this increases the retaining power in their minds and helps them to understand concepts better. 

Also, while playing education-based games, a healthy competitive spirit is seen amongst the students. Game-based learning provides the students with an insight into where they stand amongst their peers in a healthy manner. Many games have leaderboards where the students can compare their scores. The competitive spirit amongst the students helps them in pushing themselves further for seeing better scores.

Even though games cannot replace all forms of education, they can make the education process a fun activity to a large extent. That said, educators must figure out which lessons can be "gamified" and which cannot be. Gamification of education requires a delicate balance but when it is achieved, it can be extremely helpful for any student.