How gamification of education is simplifying the learning process
How gamification of education is simplifying the learning process
By Arpika Bhosale
April 9, 2023
Summary
The gamification of education has become an integral part of the teaching process, especially since students and avid learners were cooped up in their homes over the past few years, with no access to the traditional classroom setup.
As a result of the isolation, gamified learning has become an important go-to tool, as observed by Dr Pravat Kumar Jena, Assistant Regional Director, IGNOU Regional Centre, Bhubaneswar, Jena mentioned it in her research article published a few months into the lockdown, titled, Impact Of Pandemic COVID-19 On Education In India, that, 32 crore learners stopped in India could not access education.
What is gamification of educational content? The use of design elements from the gaming world to teach concepts difficult to visualize, for example, What is the circumference of a circle, or how does an isosceles triangle look like?
Many educators like Anil Somani, the chairman of FOSTIIMA Business School, feels that these gaming elements help students grasp difficult concepts as the brain categorises learning to gaming and gives a hit of dopamine every time a student learns or solves a problem and earns badges.
"Within the EdTech realm," he says, "There have been studies which show that the brain works in harmony with gamification and that it triggers the release of dopamine, which gives players an increased feeling of motivation and enjoyment. With the rise of gamification, many educational technology companies have started to incorporate game-like features into their platforms to enhance the learning experience. This includes features such as point systems, leader boards, badges, and rewards that motivate and engage students to keep learning. They help facilitate encoding and retrieval of information more effectively, making the process much more efficient and engaging."
One of the few people who has been welcoming the use of gaming concepts into the EdTech space is avid gamer and CEO of All India Gaming Federation, Roland Landers.
"A gamer is usually good at picking up concepts faster than those who do not play games," he says, "Say someone who plays Call of Duty will understand a visual concept even outside of gaming almost immediately. Usually, those who have been gaming since they were kids are fast-learners." He welcomes the gamification of learning because "Earlier no one took the form of gaming seriously, but now parents themselves are encouraging children to use these apps to learn math and science, because it's faster to absorb information when presented this way."
Reference
Bhosale, A. (2023, April 9). How gamification of education is simplifying the learning process. Mid. Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://www.mid-day.com/sunday-mid-day/article/do-play-games-23279985