Learning Games Basics
When people are interested in learning, they learn. Creatively gaining and maintaining learners’ interest in learning content is the primary opportunity opened up by eLearning.
Gamification, or the presentation of material through learning games, is one of the most exciting technologies in eLearning. Learning games are a feature of eLearning that engage learners through creative themes such as mystery, exploration, points, scorecards, and leaderboards. Games can range from simple word puzzles or a knowledge check to fully developed video games.
A growing body of academic and organizational research supports the value and effectiveness of learning games in engaging learners, animating the learning process with interactivity and play. Learning games are rooted in constructivism, one of the leading fields in educational theory, which views learners as the creators of their own unique knowledge.
More About Learning Games
Game-based learning fosters a deep learning experience by infusing knowledge acquisition with emotion and subjective experience. This type of learning provides a safe environment for students to fail and experiment, which enhances comprehension, and learners are motivated by rewards systems and competitive elements. Learning games are shown to improve the speed of cognitive development and skills acquisition, especially when incorporated into complex process-based learning.
Learning games have become increasingly popular, especially in the corporate context, and the gamification market is expected to grow by over $17 billion USD in the next 3 years (Technavio).
