What Is Game Based Learning?
Game based learning (GBL) is a methodology that allows the creation and use of games for didactic purposes.
Obviously, even with the mission to facilitate learning, games do not lose their playful and challenging character, arousing curiosity and interest on the part of students.
Among the main reasons for using games is the fact that they stimulate the concentration necessary to outline a strategy and win, in addition to the creativity to formulate plans and an environment of healthy competition .
Similar to the modalities proposed for entertainment, educational games propose one or more problems that need to be solved by the participants.
In general, they work from steps that, as they are completed, yield rewards to players .
Digital, question and answer (quizzes), card and board games are examples of GBL used to enrich the curriculum, teach or reinforce content.
Common Features Of Educational Games
Although the activities proposed in these games are different, the GBL have at least six characteristics in common.
Know what they are:
1-Freedom
Educational games oppose the idea of obligation present in the traditional teaching-learning model, leaving the student free to participate , or not.
2-Delimitation
Games are premised on the delimitation of space and, in the case of those aimed at education, of time for the activity.
3-Uncertainty
When starting a game, none of the participants knows what their results will be or what will happen along the way.
4-Unproductivity
When taking a test or classroom exercise , the student knows he needs to produce a result, putting the correct answers, into his vision.
Games, on the other hand, do not presuppose any new product or elements, and players start and end them in the same context.
5-Regulation
Educational games require participants to follow a series of strict rules that guide everyone’s steps and achievements.
6-Fictional Character
Games can be set in totally unreal scenarios or with some proximity to reality , however, with elements that are far from what is considered normal.
How Important Are Educational Games For Learning?
Schools, universities and teaching centers around the world have faced a great challenge during the teaching process.
In contrast to what happened in the past, children, teenagers and adults of the younger generations are digital natives , having grown up in a world of rapid change, surrounded by technological tools.
Devices such as smartphones and tablets provoke several stimuli simultaneously, generating individuals accustomed to speed, with low concentration capacity.
They are also used to learning proactively , as it only takes a few clicks or voice commands to do a search on engines like Google and answer a question.
In this context, it is easy to observe that the traditional teaching method, based on long lectures and the transmission of knowledge, does not meet the needs of new students .
In addition to the difficulty to concentrate, many of them do not find any use or correlation between the contents covered in class and their reality, which further complicates learning.
The use of educational games meets this demand for a connection with the universe of students , who are used to playing games.
When thought within the universe known by the student and based on clear objectives, game based learning:
- It simplifies learning, which is seen as something useful and related to the routine of children, adolescents or adults
- Increases motivation
- Creates a lighter, more open and dynamic environment
- Increases student body autonomy
- Allows learning through error
- Promotes creativity and innovation
- Stimulates healthy ambition and competition
- Brings students and teachers together, increasing their learning
- Evidence of hidden talents and abilities.
Gamification And Game Based Learning: What’s The Difference?
Since both use games to educate , is it right to say that they are synonymous?
The answer is no.
In fact, gamification (or its English form, gamification ) and game based learning are related, bringing a playful atmosphere to the learning process.
But there are differences between these two concepts.
Apparently, the first recognition was given to gamification, which, even in the 2000s, began to be used in the daily work of large corporations and innovative companies.
The idea of gamification is to insert elements from games in real scenarios, such as award programs, courses and corporate training .
Aspects such as entertainment, collaboration and rankings are adapted to make a job or training more attractive, renewing employee motivation.
This is similar to educational games, which also motivate students to seek new knowledge .
However, game based learning is not applied in real situations, but within the game itself, which serves as a learning tool.
So, as summarized in the article “ Board with Story: A game-based learning approach with tangential learning ”:
“Gamification uses game elements, such as reward systems, badges and scores, applied to non-playful contexts in order to strengthen user engagement in unattractive tasks, or promote specific behaviors. GBL, in turn, uses play to deepen, promote or facilitate learning by using games themselves, having a ‘lever’ in them.”
Many educational games are built with a focus on content that is part of a curricular base, with the goal of reviewing or testing the absorption of such content.
Others serve as a stimulus for the student to deepen their knowledge , presenting a hitherto unknown universe, such as the Middle Ages or a new language.
After getting in touch with these topics, it is natural that part of the class becomes interested and complements the learning, looking for new sources to learn more.
Does Game Based Learning Work?
As a tool that originated in the entertainment world , game based learning is still viewed with suspicion by many educators and educational institutions .
Some argue that fun trumps learning; others, that educational games facilitate the dispersion of students rather than attracting their attention.
After all, theoretically, students could confuse class time with their leisure time , in which they are free to play as they wish.
This vision may have emerged from relaxed moments in schools, such as during recess, when children and adolescents can have fun with games – in part, made available by the teaching center itself.
Also part of this experience is the creation of games with educational purposes without theoretical basis and evaluation formats about their efficiency.
This is what this survey of research reveals that cite cases of application of game-based learning in schools, published in 2015.
The study found that 40.74% of the cases in which educational games were used, there was no concern with the use of learning theories .
This is a negative factor and it helps to spread the idea that the GBL is restricted to an entertainment format.
As the authors describe:
“Considering that a Learning Theory can point out how to approach a subject, its theoretical reference in the construction of an educational game, especially the digital one, makes the game a more consistent tool in pedagogical practice . The teacher, who, when mediating its use in teaching and learning school relations, will do so from an educational perspective and not merely illustrative or entertainment.”
However, the survey also indicates that almost 60% of the cases sought a theoretical reference to support the work with the student body, providing a basis for games.
Most of them (22.22%) resorted to the constructivist theory of Jean Piaget , a Swiss epistemologist for whom teaching should be supported in situations compatible with the level of intellectual development of children, such as games.
That is, as long as it has the support of educators and is designed according to the reality and capabilities of the student, game based learning contributes to learning at different stages of life.
How To Use Educational Games
Since it is worth using game based learning, it remains to be seen how to do it.
However, before betting on educational games in face-to-face or distance courses , it is important to observe some factors to ensure that they will be effective.
You can get started by following these steps:
Attention To Planning
Whether you are a teacher or student, the ideal is that classes or studies follow a plan, with well-defined objectives and stages .
Keep in mind that game based learning tools must be aligned with this organization, improving the process.
In other words, it does not make much sense to choose educational games at random, but rather to invest in those that awaken or reinforce the topics of interest.
Use The Available Structure
Some educational institutions have a whole technological apparatus , allowing the choice of extremely modern digital games.
However, there are schools that barely have computers for management and teachers, much less for all students.
The key, then, is to think of an educational game that is compatible with the structure available for your class or in the students’ homes, if the activity is inserted in the context of Distance Education (EaD).
Simple resources such as playing cards, dice and even paper may be enough to successfully utilize the GBL.
Learning Comes Before Fun
One of the advantages of using educational games is that the meetings are lighter and more fun, but don’t lose your focus.
These tools serve, in the first place, to facilitate the teaching-learning process.
Therefore, keep an eye on the class, avoid dispersions and ensure that all participants comply with the rules and the duration of the game.
Include Important Lessons
If your game based learning strategy is being used to teach Physics, for example, one or more laws must appear among the activities.
If it is Portuguese, participants must conjugate verbs while playing.
There is no point in separating the most laborious or tedious parts of the games, because it is in these moments that there is an opportunity to make them attractive .
Measure The Results
Every educational game must have its goals and objectives, allowing a measurement of the results.
It doesn’t have to be a detailed scheme, however, it is essential to have this control to know if the tool is providing the learning it proposes.
A tip is to formulate questionnaires to hear the students’ opinion, asking them to evaluate the activities carried out.
5 Examples Of Game Based Learning
Have you identified an example of an educational game?
On the internet, there are several games and even platforms full of options for you to analyze and use, or just get inspired to build your own GBL tool.
We have gathered, below, some traditional and innovative proposals.
1. Lessons For Dealing With Emergencies
The RJ Fire Department Support Foundation has developed an educational game to guide citizens on how to act in case of emergency situations.
Called “ The State Civil Defense Agent ”, the online activity places the participant as an agent of the agency , being responsible for rescuing people trapped because of floods, triggering emergency sirens and temporarily evicting a community in a place of risk, among other actions.
The objective is to perform conscious actions , avoiding accidents to reach the last square on the board.
2. Scope Game
Described in this article , the GBL tool only needs a deck of 40 cards , with the numbers 8, 9 and 10 being removed from all suits – these numbers will be represented by Queen, Jack and King.
The Ace card is worth 1.
Then it is enough for the participants to buy and discard their cards, in order to form:
- Leaks (when the sum of a card in the hole and one or more on the board results in 15 points)
- Scopes (when a discarded card, along with the table cards, adds up to 15 points).
3. Moving Forward With The Rest
In this math competition , students learn inexact division, the one where there is a “remainder” – hence the name of the activity.
It asks for a board, two pegs and dice, as it is always played in pairs.
At each turn, the students divide their house number on the board by the number rolled on the dice.
The rest from the operation will be the amount of houses they can advance.
4. Educational Ludo
If you want access to various educational digital games, it is worth accessing this portal .
It brings together History, Mathematics, Physics, Portuguese Language games and all other traditional subjects, with versions for computer and for download on mobile devices.
One of the most popular games is LabIncrível , which teaches about reflection and colors through puzzles.
5. School Games
Another platform full of educational game options has simple and more complex versions to choose from according to the student’s age and developmental level .
In the game “ Robot catches Letters ”, for example, the child plays with a character who walks around a factory in search of the letters to form the requested word.
How To Develop Educational Games?
For a more complex game-based learning strategy, with personalized virtual games, it is useful to hire a specialized company .
But nothing prevents educators and students from creating their own games, using material from traditional activities or websites that help in the construction of games, even without programming knowledge.
Simple educational games, such as word searches and memory games , can be assembled offline without great difficulty.
You can also build games on platforms like FazGame , which provides a free access starter plan and paid versions with more features.
Whatever your choice, it is worth following the tips below:
- Build an engaging narrative , using resources such as fantasy and well-defined scenarios
- Think of a game that is related to the student’s daily life
- Bet on stimulating materials and images
- Establish an end goal and small goals that, when completed, generate rewards
- The rules must be clear and objective.
