5 reasons to introduce Game-based Learning at school
Gaming is a fundamental learning method for the youngest generations, soit should play a crucial role in teachers’ programs: in the digital era,teachers and professors have many more possibilities than the past to integrate game-based learning in their lessons, in order to facilitate and enhance the educational experience of their students.
What is the difference between Game-Based Learning and Gamification?
Today gamification and game-based learning are buzzwords in education, but confusion still exists when we try to understand what each is and what each is not.
When we talk aboutgamificationat school, we talk about the idea ofapplying some game elements to a non-game situation, using a scoring game mechanic to reward users for certain behaviors, for example, if a student helps a classmate, or if he completes an assigned task within a certain time.
通过像ClassCraft这样的系统，游戏化已经融入到教育中，它在现有的课程结构上添加了冒险游戏层。使用这些游戏化系统，学生们可以创建自己的角色，作为团队的一部分进行游戏，并获得经验值，这些经验值将转化为奖励，这是传统评分系统的另一种选择。
On the other side, we can talk aboutgame-based learning (or GBL), a practice that relates to the use of games to enhance the learning experience. In this case,the game becomes part of the learning process, and it is aimed at teaching a discrete skill or specific learning outcome while giving learners an engaging experience.
Game-based learning is characterized by fantasy elements and it uses competitive exercises in order to motivate students to learn better.GBL draws them into virtual environments that look and feel familiar and safe, environments where it is possible to choose actions, make mistakes and experience the consequences in a risk-free setting.
5 reasons to choose Game-based Learning
GBL is an effective method to make students work toward a goal,allowing them to learn through experimentation, practicing behaviors and thought processes that can be then easily transferred from the simulated environment to real life.
Game-based learning basically has5 main characteristicsthat make it suitable to be used in the classroom:
Competition
We are not talking about the competition of students against other students or the teacher, but against the game itself, as well as against themselves in order to gain the highest score, which means to learn better. In order to win,games require children to think quickly and use their logicto think three steps, solving the problems and completing the levels. This is great because it boosts students’ ability to think fast outside of the box.
Engagement
Games often offerfantasy elements that engage students in a learning activity through a storyline. When a child is playing a game, curiosity and imagination are stimulated to the point of doing it without even noticing the learning elements. Furthermore, in order to solve the game, students have to remember particular aspects and memorize critical sequences, or track narrative elements: this improves memorization.
Immediate rewards
GBL provide immediate rewards to the players,keeping them invested and stimulating them to continue in the learning processbecause of the prompt results they get. Rewards can be simple, as letting the students know they are correct, or they can be points or descriptive feedback expanding their knowledge.In order to create a truly educational game, the instructor needs to make sure that learning the material is essential to scoring and winning.
Hand-Eye Coordination
GBL requires children and young students to use a gamepad – or a keyboard – and the mouse to operate the game. This can helpdevelop their hand-eye coordinationbecause they have to look at the scene on the screen while using their hands to control the action.
Fantasy is the only limit
Game-based learning usingMinecraftshowed us thatthe only limit to what students are able to create when operating in these systems is their imagination. Students not only experience the gameplay but are also able to contribute to it, designing their own worlds where to experiment and practice.