When you were a kid, if you got the opportunity to choose between games and schools, what would you choose? Games, right? Because when we were kids the one thing that most of us used to look up to was to get back home and play. What if I say that today, you get to do both? Yes, you heard it right. Today, with the advancement of technology, many platforms and organizations are specially trained to include games in the learning process. Just don’t restrict this to the traditional offline setups, because they are going digital too. This, in short, can be quoted as digital game based learning.
Game-based learning is a learning method that can not only be implemented in the digital space but also traditional classrooms. The only difference would be in how we handle things and how we bring it all together and work it out. This requires training. The growing popularity of game-based learning has brought in a lot of institutes and platforms to provide training to facilitators.
In this article, we will understand in detail about game-based learning and its pros and cons.
1. What is game-based learning?
Imagine you are learning French, but with the use of colours while playing BINGO. Well, that is in short, what is known as game-based learning. In game-based learning, students explore games via learning developed by trained individuals. This is not an addition to the traditional learning methods, but more like an interactive method that ensures proper engagement in learning through games. So, in short, this is an active learning method using games. And who wouldn’t love it?
2. What are the pros and cons of game-based learning?
The number one pro of game-based learning is that it increases motivation and engagement among students. This happens as students become more and more active in class, which ensures a deeper processing of the content that they learn. Another major benefit of game-based learning is the collaborative environment it creates. Not all games can be played alone. Mostly, they require others to play along with them. This is like collaborating with a team while doing a project. The only difference here is the use of games which is not likely to happen in a professional setting.
If we were to look at one major con of digital game-based learning, then it would be the possibility of distraction it creates among students. Especially kids are very vulnerable and if not handled properly, a little mistake can be heavy.
Conclusion
Games are everyone’s favourite. And so is technology. Every time we talk about technology, one thing that we stress the most is its use. That is, technology can create wonders if used correctly. Online game based learning is just that. With game-based learning gaining more and more popularity these days, it is becoming a crucial toolkit for educators. This proves that learning can be fun too
