Learning new skills and knowledge should be an adventure. When learning is interactive and engaging, students are better able to absorb new concepts. A great way to become fully involved in using, practising, and mastering new skills is through games and gamified learning. That is why Spark Education is following up on our Education & Innovation series with “Learning with Games & Gamification!” Check out how making learning fun helps kids want to learn!
What’s the Difference Between Playing Games and Gamified Learning?
Games and gamified learning are both interactive and engaging ways to learn educational skills, so why are they always mentioned separately? While both share many aspects, there’s a huge difference between educational games and gamified learning. Games are great for using skills and rewarding you for playing, while gamified learning use aspects of games to make learning fun. Let’s go over what makes educational games and gamified learning great ways to interact, practise, and make learning fun.
Games use skills and knowledge to achieve goals
Games have become a part of everyday life for both children and adults. Play is a fun way to take a breath and relax. One of the biggest reasons games are so fun is because they put forward challenges that make people use their skills to succeed. Whether it’s finding the princess in the right castle or bankrupting your family in Monopoly, the joy of winning makes the experience worth it. Educational games use skills like reading and math to achieve goals and succeed.
Educational games are an interactive activity that help practise concepts and knowledge in a rewarding way. They help support the skills people already have by using them in a way that’s rewarding. An Oxford University study finds that games help people feel more confident with what they are learning and connect more to the people they are playing with. Using new skills with others makes those skills part of everyday life. Check out our blog on why peer learning is important.
People like playing games because the playing experience is positive; they get rewarded (or win) based on their skills. But what if they need to first learn the skills needed to win? Can they feel the same motivation when they are learning those skills?
Gamified learning takes the excitement of games and adds them to teaching lessons
The answer to the question is yes. We can make learning new skills fun and rewarding–with gamified learning!
Gamified learning, or gamification of learning, is a way to include aspects of gaming in educational lessons. It can help improve the learning experience and engage students more effectively than traditional methods. For instance, after learning a new concept in school, students usually receive a few example questions or worksheets to practise what they have learnt. Adding gaming mechanics and rewards to the practices can enhance the experience. Students are more engaged, and they are encouraged to use those new skills and also learn new ones.
Gamified learning also provides feedback on students’ answers instantly and motivates them to try again after making mistakes. Being able to experiment and resolve issues themselves makes understanding new skills a challenge that can be worked on, explored, and reviewed more closely.
Feeling rewarded learning with games & gamification
Feeling rewarded is an aspect of gamified learning that encourages students to want to excel. Being able to level up, move on to new worlds, or achieve record scores gives students a sense of pride and accomplishment. Not only can students find it rewarding to hit goals and achievements on their own, but through online play, they learn the importance of working in a team.
When gamified learning is done in a classroom or group setting, students feel more comfortable helping each other. With the support of teachers, parents, and other students, learning is no longer a chore; it’s a journey. Instead of having to solve a series of questions alone, it can become a quest filled with Wizards and Elves working together to defeat an ancient monster. Who knew solving math problems had so much power?
Gamified Learning and Spark Education!
Spark Education’s online classes are about making learning an engaging and interactive experience for every student. Our gamified learning approach is part of every class. Our proprietary, unique gamified learning experience includes amazing characters and high-level animation that are further elevated by the pod-sized classroom setup where children work with other students in small online classes, with live, real-time teachers to support it all.
Whether a student doesn’t feel challenged in school or isn’t learning in a way they connect to, Spark Education makes schoolwork engaging and helps build a passion for learning. At Spark Education, we are there to support your child on their journey towards excellence.
Looking to check out Spark Education for yourself? Spark Math is an education programme perfect for helping children use the skills they learnt all year in effective and engaging ways. Available for students from K2 to P5, Spark Math’s online programme features online classes, gamified lessons, and real-time feedback from experienced teachers. Try it for yourself by signing up to try a free demo class today!
Want to find out what your child should know for their grade level or some STEM activities? Read our Spark Math blog for more great news, math tips and resources. For more fun activities, head over to our Pinterest Page!
