If there is anything that has to be made more fun, with the pandemic crippling social life, it is education. One way of doing that is by introducing Gamification into the pedagogical method of teaching.
Gamification is incentivizing learning activities with aspects of gaming, making education more fun for students.
According to a scientific paper published in the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, Gamification in education refers to the introduction of game design elements and gameful experiences into learning processes.
Keeping the basic tenets of the Pedagogical Method of Teaching – Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate – in mind, Vista School, the best CBSE school in Hyderabad, understands the importance of all-round development of the student within a dynamic environment. We believe Gamification is one of the important ways to create that environment for children.
Where to start?
Games are commonly structured to solve a problem which is an essential skill for today and tomorrow. Many games promote communication, cooperation, and even competition amongst players. Some of the most immersive games have a rich narrative that spawns creativity and imagination in its players.
Any activity that promotes game elements such as storytelling, problem-solving, aesthetics, rules, collaboration, competition, reward systems, and feedback, through trial and error, to build an effective learning experience should be encouraged.
At Vista School, the best CBSE school in Hyderabad, a healthy combination of sports and extra-curricular activities provide a holistic approach towards education that prepares our students for examinations and for life.
Examples of Gamification
1. A point-system based on evidence
Students can be asked to derive conclusions from a given set of texts or evidence. Points can be given depending on how much evidence they collect to arrive at a particular conclusion.
2. Creating playful barriers
One of the primary ways to test knowledge is by creating academic or behavioural, social or private, creative, or logistical barriers and playfully encouraging the students to overcome them.
3. Nuanced reflection of results
Take, for example, students learning mathematics through a video game. The results of the game would offer enormous data regarding the achievements and the ways to reflect and document students’ performance and compare with others.
4. Encouraging to provide more than one answer
Students can be put in real-life scenarios where the conditions vary. These will create challenges with more than one way to be solved and emphasize the different approaches.
Benefits
Contrary to what people think gaming is intellectually challenging work. The coordination it requires and the spontaneous learning it provides is different from what a classroom can provide.
Gamification also gives an opportunity for teachers and administrators to evaluate their current teaching practices in the light of emerging technologies.
The outcome of these learning games builds leadership skills through the direct application of knowledge to bring out tangible outcomes. Incorporating games will bring flexibility to learning that books lack.
Similarly, the pedagogical approach by Vista school, the best CBSE school in Hyderabad, uses an array of teaching strategies that include direct instructions, collaborative, critical and analytical thinking, and inquiry-based learning to ensure that education is coherent across the curriculum.