From Simon Says to role play, games in the classroom have long been used as an effective teaching tool.
However, computer games are also becoming an increasingly popular method for teaching students. Sites such as the Blaster Learning System and BBC Bitesize, provide teachers with an extra resource for educating their pupils- one that doesn’t involve the teacher doing masses of preparation beforehand.
That is one benefit of using gaming in the classroom. This article will examine some more ways in which education can be enhanced by the introduction of games in the classroom.
Games Make Learning Fun!
When you think of games, the word ‘fun’ immediately pops into your head. That’s because games are designed to be entertaining, by definition. And teachers can use this to their advantage to make the often-complained-about subjects come to life for their pupils.
Dr Keith Devlin, Stanford Mathematician found that video games are the perfect way to teach maths to middle school children in America. Mathematic principles are rather like performing a series of actions (e.g. learning to ride a bike or learning to swim). He believes that by teaching maths through the medium of computer gaming, pupils can more easily see the mental ‘actions’ required to solve the problem- at a time when they naturally want to succeed and have fun, whilst playing a computer game.
So, if you are introducing a new topic to your class, finding a suitable computer game to play either in lessons or as homework could really get your class grasping the subject with both hands and getting their levels of understanding right up to speed- before you’ve even had the chance to give them their first test on the subject.
Games Provide Useful Feedback
Game-based learning has one obvious advantage over normal, study-based learning. That being, the pupil is able to gain instant feedback about where they went wrong and how they can rectify their mistakes.
Often in study-based learning, pupils will gain knowledge through revision and then take a test, which is then given a grade. The problem with grading is that sometimes pupils won’t get all that much feedback, or be given the opportunity to put that feedback into practice. The test is done, the class has moved on and now the pupil has to prepare for the next assignment.
However, the instant feedback gained from educational games can really help pupils to understand their mistakes, as they will get a chance to effectively rectify them instantly in order to progress to the next stage. This can be seen to help the lesson stick in the pupil’s minds very effectively.
Games help us Learn through Experience
“Knowledge is power? No. Knowledge on its own is nothing, but the application of useful knowledge, now that is powerful.” – Rob Liano
Learning by experience, or application of knowledge, is widely considered much more effective than learning by simply studying and taking in dry facts.
By using games, pupils are able to engage with the learning activity and apply their knowledge to answer quiz questions, or to apply the lessons to tricky situations in gameplay. This will help them apply what they have learned in an interactive format, which will help them really understand and internalise the lesson for their day-to-day lives.
Summerhill School’s policy, for example, creates a learning environment which is about ‘experiential learning’ and making education relevant to everyday life. This isn’t say that studying isn’t useful, but it is important to bear in mind that there are different methods for measuring comprehension and understanding, and the positive results of this ‘experiential approach’ speak for themselves.
Games Reach a New Generation of Learners
Nowadays, children as young as four and five have become accustomed to using various types of technology, such as computers, games consoles, tablets and the like.
Using games as a form of learning helps teachers reach this new generation of learners through a medium of which they are very well acquainted and have used frequently throughout their childhood thus far.
The advantage of utilising this seemingly innate understanding young children have with technology, is that it is possible, that through computer gaming, teachers can inspire the children to push their intellectual potential to its very limits and yield results that are highly advanced, or get through topics on the syllabus at a lightening pace, simply because these young minds have adapted to the increased speed of which information can be received and shared.
Games involve the Whole Person
Whilst traditional learning involves only the use of a person’s intellect, there is a popular trend in teaching that involves more of the pupil’s senses.
With game based and experiential learning, the pupil is not only using his or her intellect but they are also engaging their other senses and their opinions and personalities. This can help to aid the pupil’s learning, as they become fully involved and absorbed in the task at hand and therefore internalise the lesson more readily.
For some more great learning resources for primary teachers, take a look at our 'back to school resources for primary teachers’.
If you’ve had great experiences with game-based learning, please let us know in the comments below.
