For a long time, students have been taught through lectures and reading books. The problem with these learning methods is that they are boring and tedious. Research shows that a child’s attention span is at most three times their age, which explains why most kids can barely remember what they learned in school that day.
Knowing this, game-based learning is an excellent learning alternative because it’s neither boring nor tedious. According to one study, over 90% of kids between 12-17 years play digital games at least 7 hours a week. This is because games are designed not only to be fun and captivating but also motivate you to strive to do better, no matter the challenges you encounter.
Teachers in some of the Indian schools in Dubai know they will not be perfect when they are starting, but they also know they will learn the skills to push through the barriers and move from one level to another. Gaming teaches children persistence, perseverance, and, most importantly, problem-solving through critical thinking and creativity. It also helps that there is nothing like a failure in digital gaming. You can replay and try again and again until you pass that stage.
These are the exact skills children need to conquer education and life in general. They are the cornerstone of the growth mindset, especially in subjects that students find challenging.
Now you know game-based learning has all the ingredients to develop a growth mindset and a better attitude. But how does it achieve this?
- Game-based learning gives immediate feedback
A key aspect of game-based learning is that students receive immediate feedback on their performance and suggestions on how they can improve. The game is divided into steps, so you have to master each step before moving to the next level. Every time you fail a step/level, you are given feedback immediately, including areas to improve and how you will do it.
This is a significant advantage over traditional classroom learning where feedback comes days or weeks after you do a test, and most of the time, there are no suggestions on what you can do to perform better next time.
This process of tackling one step at a time fosters the belief that you can work your way up and conquer challenges and mistakes along the way. It also teaches kids that they can find another approach whenever they make a mistake, and it’s not the end of the world.
- Brings all students to the same level
Understandably, student’s ability levels differ in every class and every subject. Some comprehend at lightning speed while others need a bit more patience. Schools have responded to this achievement gap by grouping students according to their ability level- intervention, advanced, and average.
This approach impacts a student’s belief in themselves, probably for the rest of their lives. The kids in the intervention class start believing they are stupid and make peace with being failures. The advanced students also get into the trap of being high achievers and fearing any failure.
Game-based learning solves this problem by bringing all these students to the same level. Since the game is divided into steps some are for learning and some are for entertainment like best gaming chair, each student will work towards moving to the next level. Some students may reach the top before others, but ultimately, everyone gets there at their pace without the expectations and judgments of others hanging over them. Instead of giving in to their fate, all students learn that all you have to do is keep trying.
- Game-based learning embraces mistakes
According to Alina Tugend, author of Better by Mistake, ‘we are raising a generation that is terrified of blundering, failing, or even sitting in the discomfort of not knowing something.’
Kids who give the wrong answers in class are laughed at by their peers and sometimes punished for not knowing stuff. In contrast. Game-based learning offers kids a safe environment to take risks and make mistakes because no one is judging them. They learn through those mistakes, figure out different ways to handle a problem, and eventually come out the other side confident in their problem-solving ability.
- Encourage mastery of mini-goals
Again, game-based learning is divided into mini-goals or steps that you need to master before moving to the next goal. This helps the student to gain basic comprehension before moving on to complex knowledge. It’s also a great technique to make a big problem seem manageable by tackling one thing at a time. More importantly, mastering each of those goals forms the foundation of understanding something bigger from bottom to top.As part of the 9-Gem learning program, GIIS Dubai is an Indian School uses game-based learning to develop skills that books and lectures cannot teach. It works exceptionally well because students are actively engaged in the learning process (learning by doing), so they are less likely to forget the lessons. Most of the tasks within the game are also repetitive, making it easier to stick in the brain and deepen their understanding of the subject matter.
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