Gamification in Education: What Parents Should Know
Today’s children are not short on screen time. For many, a significant portion of this digital interaction is spent glued to a video game for hours on end—often to their parents’ frustration or irritation. These games aren’t usually thought of as educational, and in many cases, they aren’t. However, the appeal of gamification in education is gaining traction in the world of education and becoming increasingly common.
So if your children come home and tell you that they played video games at school or that their homework is to play a game on their smartphone, tablet, or laptop, don’t be too surprised. There is a growing body of research to support the effectiveness of games and gamification in education. Here are some key things that parents should know about gamification in learning:
1. Gamification Supports Student-Centered Learning
It’s simple—games are engaging. This should come as no surprise to any parent of a video-game-loving child.
A well-designed learning game immerses a child in the context of a gaming world or story while also helping them understand academic content through frequent interaction and application.
Games also help students feel like they have ownership of their learning by letting them choose different options or paths as they move through the objectives.
Last but not least, a “level” system or goals within a game can intrinsically motivate children, appeal to those who are naturally competitive, and give all students a sense of accomplishment when they reach a new milestone in the game.
2. Gamification Offers a Chance for Practice
The opportunity to use skills, especially new ones, is essential to mastery and deep understanding. Motivating children to actually practice and repeat new skills, though, can sometimes be a challenge.
This is one of the most significant benefits of gamification in education. They appeal to students, taking the monotony out of practice in favor of a competitive environment that often incorporates some kind of reward (points, gems, or buried treasure, to name a few examples) for every correctly answered question.
3. Games Provide Students with Immediate Feedback
Feedback is key to helping students progress through new material and accomplish meaningful practice.
In games, feedback like this is nearly constant through constructs like points, earning lives, or advancing levels. This feedback lets students know where they’re excelling and where they need to continue working—and it engages them in the game (and, therefore, the material) in the process.
4. Games Give Students a Safe Space to Experience Failure
Knowing how to fail and then effectively bounce back and persevere is a learned skill.
If students never experience failure, they will miss out on the chance to develop the necessary ability to overcome it.
That said, experiencing failure in a manner that is constructive, instead of hurtful or intimidating, is also important, and educational games can provide one such avenue. Failing to reach the next level, or having your avatar run out of lives, is obviously a very small-scale experience of failure. But, it is also a very safe one that encourages students to apply creative thinking and try a different approach as they make a new attempt.
5. Games Promote Collaboration and Social Interaction
While video games are often perceived as solitary activities, many educational games incorporate elements that encourage collaboration and teamwork. Gamification in learning can create opportunities for students to work together to solve problems, share strategies, and achieve common goals. This collaborative aspect not only enhances social interaction but also helps students develop critical teamwork skills that are essential for their future academic and professional lives. Parents should know that when used effectively, gamification in education can foster a sense of community among students, making learning a more engaging and socially enriching experience.
6. Gamification Adapts Learning to Individual Needs
One of the most powerful aspects of gamification in learning is its ability to adapt to the individual needs of each student. Many educational games are designed with algorithms that adjust the difficulty level based on the student’s performance, ensuring that the content remains challenging yet achievable. This personalized approach to learning helps keep students engaged and motivated, as they are neither bored by content that is too easy nor overwhelmed by tasks that are too difficult.
Interested in learning more about gamification in education? The Massachusetts Institute of Technology runs its own Education Arcade dedicated to advancing research in the field of gamification and producing effective learning games. MIT recently published this study on designing Better Learning in Games. For more parent tips on supporting your child’s academic success, explore our article on how to develop effective study skills.