Teachers incorporate different learning strategies to help students to have a better learning experience.
Game based learning has won much appreciation owing to the flexibility in approach and the many benefits that lead to positive learning outcomes.
In a learning through gaming environment, students can have a more active and experiential learning as most of the times they learn by doing.
As they get exposed to challenges in a competitive set up, students would grow up with improved spirits of learning.
Also group gaming activities help them to better the exposure to teamwork and collaboration.
Moreover, classroom games are a solution to engage students and gain their attention while relieving them from the boredom of regular classroom sessions.
However, choosing the right set of games for the appropriate class levels is important and the role of teacher matters.
Here let us have a look at the most important benefits that come across if game based learning is adopted in classrooms:
Improved memory capacity
Most of the games utilize the student’s memory capacity. So including more games that tests or challenges their memory can help to get better their memory power.
Educational memory games such as bingo are widely used in classrooms that are a good means to teach mathematical expressions.
Games such as Jeopardy are also a memory booster which can be used as a tool to revise daily lessons at the end of a class or just before exams.
Motivates and engages students
This is a platform for entertainment amidst many tiring text book exercises and assignments.
The interactive experience in a gaming environment gives them a sense of achievement.
In addition to getting unlimited fun, they get a chance to go by the rules, evaluate measurable goals, understand definitive objectives, and involve in healthy competition.
They get easily motivated through hands-on gaming activities and this method of learn and play is a better way to engage students in classrooms.
Enhanced computer & simulation fluency
In this digital world, students get familiarized with the use of computer technology and internet when playing online games.
They will learn to use the mouse, keyboard and computer techniques while getting the fun and excitement of play time.
This gives them a chance to learn the technology without actually having the feel of studying.
They can easily learn how to navigate between pages, browsing and adding authentication details such as ID and password while enjoying games.
Better hand-eye coordination
The games that are played using mouse, keyboard or gamepads are a great way to improve the hand eye coordination of students.
They get used to managing how their hand works while responding to the actions on the screen which is equally important like other aptitude skills.
The cartoon network games are the best option for students to enhance their overall coordination.
In addition to these physical skills, the multi player games are a good platform for students to improve their motivation, perseverance, self control, and patience.
Opportunities for skill-building
The adventure and mystery games are a great way for students to improve their different skill set.
Most of such games ask them to read different types of maps and stimulates practical thinking.
Group gaming activities and related stuff teaches them to cooperate among a team and improves their general project management.
Moreover, digital and non digital adventure games are a good option to teach new languages.
The skill acquisition games help students to better their social, cognitive and physical skills.
The mindset to explore new things helps them in their real life as well to try new things without any set back.
Stimulate a creative mindset
When they fail in a game once, they will come up with a better idea to pass it the next time and more.
This is a means to stimulate a creative mindset among students as they come up with more interesting options every time.
While finding out solutions to different game puzzles, they turn out to be more creative and imaginative.
Creative games such as blind artist are used widely while teachers find it difficult to introduce new subjects.
Able to give immediate feedback
In a usual test or assignment, students will have to wait for days or weeks to know the results of their aptitude and decision making.
However, games are a source to get immediate feedbacks and they can instantly feel good about themselves or gets a next chance to improve themselves.
Game based learning platforms are nowadays an integral element of constructivist learning theory.
Better cognitive growth
Repeating the same game requires students to think about the game rules, recall the actions performed and memorize the sequence of the play levels.
This helps them to enhance their cognitive growth and they end up having good insights and makes predictions on the game moves and outputs.
Games give them opportunities to get deeper into understanding interrelationship of strategy and tactics.
Stimulates faster strategic thinking & problem-solving:
Including games that demand students to think quickly help them to respond fast to situations.
When completing different levels of games, they get used to solving problems and think strategically which helps them to face real life situations with ease.
They will get the ability to think out of the box and come up with interesting solutions as they pass different stages of their lives.
Evaluate learners through multiple ways:
Game based learning is also a platform for teachers to evaluate the learners through a number of ways.
They can easily test their memory capacity, intelligence, problem solving skills, vocabulary and decision making skills with the way they respond to games.
Vocabulary games like sentence race are winning much appreciation among the teachers who are finding it difficult to improve student vocabulary through regular means.
In addition to these, they can give feedback and tips to improve their ethics, communication skills, and accountability.
Students would be really happy if they get a chance to apply the acquired knowledge and get a relevant feedback which is possible in a game based learning environment most of the times.
In addition to these listed benefits, the decision making skills they gain through gaming help them a lot to go successful in real world contexts.
Also they can have a better understanding that failure is not a setback but a second chance to improve oneself.
With such experience, students would be well prepared to easily handle large projects and execute them well through to completion.
The advanced form of game based learning involves game designing which helps them to express content in a more systematic way which a third person understands well.
Students who are given exposure to such learning scenarios can grow up as independent thinkers and more confident individuals.