The Benefits of Games in Education in Schools
Technology has changed the classroom considerably over the last few decades. Interactive whiteboards, touch-screen tablets, powerful school computers etc. are tools at a teacher’s disposal that would not have been available twenty years ago. Many schools have found that these tools improve and reinforce traditional methods of teaching, but could they be used for something else as well? Could they be used with teaching methods that bring something new to the classroom, methods that may succeed in instances where traditional methods have not?
We say, yes, they can. And that novel teaching method revolves around video games.
Video games, if used appropriately can be a powerful educational tool which reinforces direct learning in the classroom and indirect learning afterwards.
Tangential learning
Indirect learning, in this case, referred to as tangential learning, leverages video games’ ability to inspire and combines it with a pupil’s thirst for knowledge. It is common knowledge that the most effective way of getting someone to learn something is to get them to want to learn it for themselves. And video games can do this by drawing pupils into their virtual worlds, immersing them to the point they want to find out more about it. If that game is set in the real world, perhaps in a real historical setting such as ancient Greece, then your pupils may start learning about it in their own time. Setting homework assignments based on the game’s real-world inspiration may then be seen as something they actually want to do, and not a chore to be rushed through as quickly as possible. Video games can also be used for direct learning in the classroom, but it is important to choose the right games.
Edutainment
Obvious choices are the so called ‘edutainment’ games. These are games designed from the get-go to be used for educational purposes. Most of these edutainment games are aimed at young children and pre-schoolers. Edutainment games were big in the 1990s and early 2000’s, where they usually came on CDs for personal computers. Modern edutainment games tend to be on iOS and android devices, where their intuitive touch screens make them easy to use, and their portability allows for education on-the-go.
Benefits of games in education.
Video games, even the non-edutainment varieties, can prove a powerful tool for the classroom. One key advantage games have over more traditional methods of education is their interactivity. In games, pupils are learning while doing. This likely aids memory recall, since many pupils tend to remember what they see in games more than what they see in a textbook or on a white board.
Videogames tend to teach in small chunks, with each skill being learnt then being used to solve the next problem. Again, this may aid in memory recall, since we all know that if we do not use a skill soon after learning it, we tend to forget it.
Video games offer progressive challenge which allows for easy and instant assessment of a pupil’s development. For example, the Portal series of first-person puzzle games teach spatial reasoning, logic, physics and timing as integral parts of the gameplay. The puzzles become progressively more complex the further into the game the player gets. Subsequent puzzles build upon the principals learnt in the previous puzzle, requiring players to think logically and in a joined-up fashion. This gradual increase in difficulty may result in a gradual increase in a player’s problem-solving skills.
Video games offer progressive challenge which allows for easy and instant assessment of a pupil’s development. For example, the Portal series of first-person puzzle games teach spatial reasoning, logic, physics and timing as integral parts of the gameplay. The puzzles become progressively more complex the further into the game the player gets. Subsequent puzzles build upon the principals learnt in the previous puzzle, requiring players to think logically and in a joined-up fashion. This gradual increase in difficulty may result in a gradual increase in a player’s problem-solving skills.
Working through problems such as these and solving them helps children (and adults) to fully understand the concepts in question, whilst generating a sense of achievement and building self-esteem.
More complex games, such as the Civilisation series of simulations, can teach players a great deal about their historical setting. What’s more, the complexity of their trading systems and in-game politics can help players understand the nuances of real world economic and politics.
Their highly interrelated systems may also help players to develop a systemic way of thinking, as they will grow to understand the complexities of the interacting variables and how they affect the system (in this case a civilisation) as a whole.
Video games are particularly valuable for the education of pupils who struggle with conventional methods of teaching. Less academically inclined pupils, those suffering from conditions such as ADD or ADHD and some SEN pupils, in particular, may benefit greatly from video game-based learning.
They may be able to learn concepts through game-based education that they struggle to grasp using conventional methods. Game based learning is also valuable for pupils who struggle to concentrate for long periods, either due to learning difficulties or simple disinterest in the subject.
These pupils may find that games are sufficiently stimulating to hold their attention and focus, thus enabling learning through play. The instant feedback that games provide arouses curiosity which can increase the chance of further learning away from the game and the classroom.
Videogames can also teach cooperation and team work. The popular ‘Fireboy and Watergirl’ two-player in-browser puzzle games require both players to cooperate to solve its puzzles.
The games also teach simple causality and sequencing, since solving each puzzle room requires a number of smaller puzzles be completed in the correct order. If you have ever seen how fast paced some games can be it will come as no surprise that video games can improve visual and motor coordination and reduce reaction times.
Another key benefit of games is that they allow a pupil to fail without the repercussions that may come with failure out in the real world. This can benefit a pupil in a number of ways. First, they will learn that through perseverance and trial and error they can overcome challenges, which may increase their confidence in tackling new challenges in life and in the classroom.
They may also learn that they cannot win all the time and that things may not always go their way. This is an important life lesson and it is better that they learn it as a child in the safe repercussion free environment of the classroom than learn it as an adult with all the repercussions this may bring.
The use of logic in games and their instant feedback can also Improve a pupil’s metacognition – i.e. their ability to think about thinking – which may in turn improve their academic skills, and help them to learn about their own strengths and weaknesses. So, consider introducing games as part of your school’s teaching tools.