Gamification: Is it just another fad?
Games have been around since there have been bored creatures. Though the types and styles of games have changed over the years it has always been the best way to learn. Children learn all about right, wrong, and socially acceptable behavior through play which translates into their understanding of the world around them. Why not take this tactic and apply it to educational learning? That is exactly what gamification is all about only with using video game- esq. Before this games were still used in the classroom, I personally remember using a jeopardy template for study days before a big test in class. The winning team could receive extra credit points on their test. This made everyone want to participate and thus as a class we would study a little extra to do go on this. Plus a little bit of competition can go a long way, things would get heated sometimes. Even when a jeopardy template was not used, any form of question study game was always more fun than going over a study guide or just notes and the students would in fact study more, if only for the game portion.
Now there are more options than a simple test review competition in class. Gamification can help students better understand that days lesson and encourage students to want to learn more. Though these specific styles are new I do not believe that the idea is and thus this is not just another fad. Making a class and learning interactive will appeal to more students than just another power point lecture. I am excited to utilize some of these fun aspects and techniques in my own classroom.
Until next time,
Nikki :)
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