Game-Based Learning: How To Transform Education Through Play

At Mrs Wordsmith, we're committed to exploring innovative ways to improve children's literacy and overall learning. In recent years, researchers have increasingly highlighted the significant potential of game-based learning. In our report titled “Game-Based Learning”, we bring you the key findings from our in-depth research into game-based learning and its positive impact on education.

Understanding Game-Based Learning

Game-based learning is more than simple gamification. When you gamify learning, you add some gaming elements in what is otherwise traditional learning material. Game-based learning, on the other hand, is when you make a proper game and then integrate the learning within it. With game-based learning, the objective is to transform essential skills into games that children are intrinsically motivated to play. Why? Because they’re fun! But in order for a game to have real educational value, engagement is key. According to a report by The Lego Foundation and MIT Media Lab, "playfulness" helps create a state of "flow" where learners become deeply absorbed, enhancing their focus and learning outcomes. Well-designed games align learning objectives with game mechanics, ensuring that engagement translates into effective learning.

How Games Benefit Learning

Games are effective learning tools for several reasons:

• Dopamine and Rewards: Enjoyable activities trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, which motivates learners. Games often incorporate reward systems, such as unlocking levels or earning virtual prizes, which help to stimulate dopamine release and engagement.
• Empowerment: Games track player progress, providing both easy wins to boost confidence and increased challenges to sustain motivation. This adaptive feedback empowers learners and keeps them engaged.
• Agency and Control: In a game, children have greater control over their actions and can see the immediate impact of their choices. This autonomy enhances their sense of agency and personal investment in the process of their own learning.

The Benefits of Taking Risks and Learning From Mistakes

Games provide a safe environment for children to experiment and learn from errors. The stakes within the game are low, which encourages risk-taking, creative problem-solving, and resilience in the face of challenges.

Key Cognitive Advantages

The benefits of game-based learning extend to cognitive development:

• Improved Attention: Gameplay requires focused attention, which strengthens the type of attention skills a child will need to perform well in a range of academic tasks.
• Enhanced Memory: Active involvement in games promotes deeper engagement and improved retention of information.
• Vocabulary Acquisition: Games offer an engaging and learning in context approach to learning new words, enhancing reading comprehension.
• Potential Support for Dyslexia: Improved attention spans resulting from gaming may benefit children with dyslexia.

Shaped For Kids, Shaped by Analytics

Unlike board games, digital games can adapt to each player's skill level, providing challenges and support that are just right for their capabilities. This adaptability ensures that what children are learning is not so easy that they'd be bored, but equally not so difficult that they'd be frustrated. Games can also collect performance data, offering insights into student progress and areas that need extra attention and improvement. This information can be used to inform teaching strategies and reinforce learning in real-world settings.

Want to learn more?

In our ‘Game-Based Learning’ report, you’ll also learn more about the following aspects of game-based learning:

• Spaced Repetition: Presenting content in a way that is strategically spaced out helps to enhance memory retention.
• Engaging Visuals: Motion and visual aids can help to simplify complex concepts.
• Social Interaction: Games facilitate social interaction, collaboration and relationship-building.

That’s a taster of what awaits in our “Game-Based Learning” report. If you’ve read this far, why stop now? Discover the potential of game-based learning and how your child can play their way to a brighter future.