The Value of Games in Education: Why They're More Important Than You Might Think
While some people believe that games have no place in the classroom, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, they can be an incredibly valuable tool when it comes to education and student achievement. Some of the reasons why games are so important in the classroom include: hands-on learning, social interactions, collaboration, competition, and student engagement.
WHAT ARE GAMES?
It’s easy to look at games and assume they’re just a fun way to pass time. But games are actually a powerful educational tool that we may be overlooking. From improving your reaction times to improving your memory, playing games can help you learn faster and retain information longer.
WHAT IS GAME-BASED LEARNING?
Game-based learning is a new educational movement that focuses on finding ways to apply video games, interactive simulations, and similar interactive software to teaching and learning. The basic idea behind game-based learning is that as children play these games, they’re not just memorizing information or practicing skills—they’re also having fun and developing valuable life skills at the same time.
HOW CAN GAMES BE USED IN EDUCATION?
Although they are often lumped together, games and gamification can be vastly different things. Many educational games follow traditional play patterns and do not require engagement to learn specific skills or knowledge; instead, they take a more passive approach to education by presenting learners with information or problems to solve. Gamification, on the other hand, requires players to engage actively through frequent interactions.
WHAT VALUES DOES THIS TYPE OF EDUCATION HAVE?
At first glance, it may seem like games are just a fun and entertaining way to pass time. But when you start looking at their benefits, they can be seen as much more than that. And while many games do have positive psychological effects on players—reducing stress, reducing risks associated with depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses—the true value that education-focused games offer lies in how they can affect students' cognitive abilities.
WAYS TO PLAY WITH IT - STARTING POINTS FOR EDUCATORS
We don’t want to discourage you from taking it a step further, which we know you are capable of. There are literally hundreds of ways to use games in education, and these four should get you started on developing some more ideas for your classroom. Start by considering what problem you want students to learn how to solve, what learning outcome you want them to achieve, and then look at games that have been designed with those goals in mind.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Games present players with challenges they must overcome. Whether it’s platforming through a dungeon or solving math problems, games give people a chance to hone their problem-solving skills by learning from and adapting to failure. Successfully tackling puzzles is often deeply satisfying. And once you learn how to solve one problem, you can apply that knowledge to solve other types of challenges in your life, making games an excellent outlet for practicing good problem-solving strategies.
SELF-ESTEEM BOOSTING
Video games can offer a self-esteem boost for kids. Many games reward users for skill-building, risk-taking, and problem solving; to get good at most video games, you need a fair bit of practice. In short, it’s hard to be bad at them. If your child plays a few hours per week, she’ll likely feel more confident about her abilities—even if her grades aren’t very high.
INCREASED CLASS COOPERATION
According to research from National Geographic, students who play games on a regular basis are more likely to cooperate with each other. This makes sense—while a lot of teachers want their students to work together, especially in groups, very few really know how to get them there. By using cooperative games in class that require each student to perform well as part of a team, it’s easy for all students to feel a part of an activity and gain both confidence and teamwork skills.
CONCLUSION
But gaming isn’t just a fun way to spend an hour or two with friends on a Friday night; it’s also a valuable tool for learning and education. The rise of tablets, smartphones, and social media sites—like Facebook and Twitter—has made gaming more accessible than ever before. But technology can’t be relied upon to guide our children through life. Only by tapping into what makes games so effective at teaching us, we can make sure that generations to come are prepared for anything.
