As the term implies, gamification integrates various exciting game elements into the learning process. What is gamification in education? Gamification of educational content is the presentation of this content in the form of a game that creates an interesting learning environment. Many young people prefer this style of learning because they can more easily focus on the learning process, and focus on learning the most interesting topics for them in the form of an exciting game. You can learn more about gamification and its key features by visiting https://techvision.global/e-learning-app-development-services/. In this article, we will consider the question of how exactly gamification is used in the learning process in 2024, and what is the role of gamification in the study of various educational disciplines.
What Is Gamification in Education?
How to gamify learning? Gamification is a relatively new trend in education, which is becoming increasingly popular among young people and applies the principles of a gaming environment to the learning process. Gamification is another application of specific games, a key approach to encouraging students to use the gaming environment to solve various educational tasks and learn scientific material presented in the form of a game or competition. The goal of gamification is participation. Gamification has several key advantages over traditional learning. Gamification greatly personalizes learning and preserves the privacy of computer work. This training system actively develops concentration, endurance, and skills. Tournament games force players to fight for victory. Although you will have to learn most of the material on your own, this is an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and experiences. The goal is not to create a game but to make the normal learning process interesting and exciting. According to data from Techvision, the educational games market is expected to reach more than $30 billion by 2025. Explore the educational potential of games and make your lessons fun and interesting for students.
Gamification in Education Examples
There are various examples of gamification in education, in particular, this is the Duolingo resource, which provides an opportunity to learn a language playfully. Gamification can help improve the learning process in many ways, in academia, business, and other fields. Here are some great examples of gamification in education to help you develop your gamified education strategy:
Awarding points for achieving goals can be a great way to motivate students. It also helps you track progress and increase engagement. By using levels and checkpoints, students feel like they are progressing through the game. It makes them aware of what happens after they focus on learning;
Badges are also good at motivating and encouraging students. Badges are a great way to introduce a competitive element to the lesson. They also help create a sense of teamwork and increase engagement in the learning process, which is great for mastering complex topics;
Using different learning platforms or apps is a great way to engage students in learning. Educators use these solutions to achieve student engagement by giving students access to learning resources anytime, anywhere.
Gamification of Learning
Gamification makes learning a fun and interesting process. As mentioned above, educational games are a more engaging way of learning. Students can communicate with other students online and understand complex topics quickly and easily. You can also collaborate online and learn in groups. Learning ideas is fun and improves students’ memory. Gamification increases students’ motivation for the learning process. Gamification improves students’ understanding of complex topics and encourages them to develop effective study habits. Simplifying the presentation of complex information makes the learning process much more interesting for students and allows them to learn more in less time.
Gamification study provides instant feedback. As students engage in gamified learning, they progress through multiple stages of learning ideas and earn bonus points, badges, and additional prizes. In most cases, students complete tests, quizzes, surveys, or exercises that test their knowledge and allow them to earn game points. Students get instant feedback and can repeat a level if they are not satisfied with their results. This provides a more complete study of complex topics, which are studied in a comfortable gaming atmosphere.
Benefits of Gamification in Education
Gamification and learning are becoming increasingly popular in online learning because they offer many key benefits to students and make the overall online learning experience not only engaging but also a more effective process for learning complex learning material. Regardless of the audience or topic, gamification of learning can help you create engaging, educational, and fun courses. It is worth considering in more detail the key advantages of using gamification in education.
Improved retention
Gamification and games are harmoniously combined, which ensures a better emphasis on learning complex educational material. Also, it allows to increase the online motivation of students and improves the online learning process. Gamification combines game mechanics with traditional online learning activities and modules. Learning leaderboards, achievements, levels, and badges provide additional incentives for active participation in online learning and serve as reference points for quickly learning different topics. It is very important to choose the right game mechanics. You need to do your research to find out what motivates your audience. For some students, leaderboards satisfy a need for friendly competition. Some choose to earn badges, points, and other eLearning rewards.
Higher levels of engagement
In addition to following the structure of a typical game, gamification also ensures a higher level of student involvement in the learning process. For example, students must overcome various obstacles in the game to develop basic skills. The games themselves are fun, exciting, and interactive. They aim to focus students on achieving specific learning goals. Gamification incorporates traditional e-learning structures, is great for positive reinforcement of learning material, and ensures high levels of engagement. Games should not be standalone learning activities, but rather great additions to full eLearning courses.
Connects learning to the real world
The key feature of gamification is the systematic application in the educational process of an exciting game, various game forms, methods, and teaching methods that provide opportunities to connect the learning process with the real world, to be confident and creative, to express one’s own opinion, gamification provides opportunities for students to analyze, think, to think critically, to be able to work productively in a team, to acquire abilities that will be needed for successful development of the future profession. Gamification, a modern way of learning complex educational material, will help you acquire all of the skills listed above.
Provides instant feedback and reinforcement
Gamification of the educational process provides instant feedback and reinforcement of the learned educational material. Gamification has changed the emphasis from traditional learning to learning with various exciting games and has become an integral part of the modern education system. One of the deciding factors in favor of using gamification is that each student receives feedback on their performance with suggestions for improvement.
Gets students hooked on learning
When we do exercise that stimulates our body and mind, our body releases hormones called endorphins. The same effect can be achieved by playing online learning games that challenge students and allow them to win valuable prizes. Even if the reward is as simple as progressing to the next level, in any case, it increases the level of engagement in learning. Thus, students not only enjoy online learning but also receive and learn more educational information, because gamification actively involves them in the learning process, making this process interesting and exciting.
Gamification in 2024
Gamification in 2024 consists of the use of various game elements (games) in non-game (educational) processes. One of these processes is education. In schools and universities, there are elements of gamification, in particular mid-term and final assessment. But, as practice shows, this is not enough for motivation. There are various elements of gamification in 2024 in the learning process. What elements of gamification exist and how can they be integrated into the curriculum? First, let’s think about what makes the game interesting for students.
Secretiveness. Every game should have some secret. The desire to learn the secret increases the tension level, lifting players from one level to another.
Danger. What is risk-free gambling? Adrenaline makes you better. It forces players to reveal their abilities.
Action. The principles of gamification are based on action. Every player knows what they need to do to be better than their opponent and ultimately win their favorite game.
Uncertainty. If the students knew everything about the script of the game, no one would want to play it. Only constant challenges and new tasks allow you to develop and enjoy the gamification process.
Complexity. No one plays a game that is too easy or too hard. In the first case, it becomes boring, in the second case, the game quickly becomes tiresome to the point of impossibility. The ideal choice is a game that provides players with some challenges, but they can be overcome with some effort.
Emotional element. Games should evoke emotions in participants. Joy, anger, fear, and experience make the educational game process interesting, fun, and unforgettable.
Ability to check the current level of progress. It is important that players not only enjoy the learning and playing process but also see their progress compared to other players.
Clear rules. You can’t play anything without knowing all the rules. Clearly defined rules help to understand the meaning of the game and win.
Prizes and bonus points. The greatest glory of any game is victory. What does victory give the player, apart from moral satisfaction? The size of the reward increases the player’s chances of achieving the goal.
Thanks to the use of at least one element of reward, and preferably several, the lesson becomes lively, and the interest of students in the educational process and the given topic increases.
Conclusion
Gamification is a modern and effective way to help people learn and motivate them in the learning process much better than traditional methods of learning educational topics. Educators can integrate play into various activities and goals that require motivation to achieve maximum results.