Gamification in education: how to use this strategy?

The recognition of the attractive power of games made them stop being used only for fun and now they are important tools in business, in the health area and even in the .

This process is called gamification, that is, the use of game methodology in different contexts to facilitate people’s engagement and make activities more attractive.

As the dynamics of games attract audiences of all ages and social classes, this strategy has been widely spread.

The use of gamification in education, for example, is a trend that promises to gain more and more space. Therefore, if you are a teacher or share your knowledge in any way, you need to understand more about that topic.

Do you already have knowledge on the matter and do you know how to apply this strategy?

If your answer is no, this text will help you with all your questions on the subject and show you how games can rate your courses.

But even if your answer was yes, you will be able to understand what are the 7 advantages that allow gamification in education to be a success for both students and teachers.

What is gamification in education?

Traditional education has been the target of many criticisms, mainly due to the disinterest and difficulty of adherence of the students.

Let’s think together:

If technology is present in everything we do, why not use it to transform teaching and facilitate learning?

Gamification in education is one of the alternatives found by institutions and teachers to draw the attention of students and diversify the pedagogical process.

The resource can be used through games that already exist and are known in the market, or with, group or task.

What are the advantages of gamification in education?

Many people feel mistrust when they think of using gamification for educational purposes, believing that games are only for entertainment and leisure.

You can’t ignore how much fun it can be to play a game, but we guarantee that the main focus of this resource in the educational context goes far beyond fun.

Discover some of the advantages that the methodology offers both for students and teachers.

1. Increase student interest

Paying attention in a class or focusing on a test can be difficult tasks for students, especially when they spend all day exposed to thousands of stimuli on cell phones, tablets and computers.

Gamification in education serves, then, to increase interest in the content taught and the activities that have to be carried out.

In the end, the mechanism of the games generates a lighter and more interactive learning, making people learn new things or develop skills without realizing it.

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2. More engagement in classes

The teachers they work with are always looking for new strategies to make their classes more interesting.

As classes take place in a rapidly changing world, the way knowledge is transmitted also needs to change and adapt to trends.

The use of gamification in the educational area facilitates the commitment of students, since it uses a language that is familiar and attractive to most of them, especially if your audience is young.

In addition, teachers can use resources such as scores, rankings, prizes and differentiated scenarios so that students really get involved in what is being proposed.

But in addition to online classes, the methodology can also be applied in the traditional classroom environment.

In several institutions, the use of games is already a common practice, only that, normally, the instruments used are pedagogical board games or group dynamics.

The proposal of gamification in education is to use technological resources to get closer to students, that is, to use something that is part of their routines to enhance learning.

To do this in face-to-face classes, it is enough to have access to the Internet and the necessary mobile devices.

3. Arouse the curiosity of the students

Keeping students curious is one of the biggest concerns of those who work teaching, after all, nobody seeks new knowledge or experiences if they do not feel stimulated.

You must have already noticed that everything that is new attracts attention, right?

In the educational environment, although things are already changing, there are still many rules and standards that must be followed.

For that reason, the students end up unmotivated, since they know exactly everything that is going to happen during the classes.

When the teacher brings an innovative and creative proposal, it arouses the curiosity of the students, mainly when the resource used is related to something they like and identify with.

4. Break objections

Many students associate the learning process with something boring, which should be done only out of obligation.

With gamification, the teacher breaks that barrier and shows that learning can be something fun and tasty.

In the end, in the traditional class format, the student does most of the activities solely to learn new content. If that issue isn’t personally relevant, it can be difficult to find motivation to pay attention.

With the use of gamification in education, the student learns while receiving various other stimuli, which helps absorb knowledge and demystifies the prejudice that many have about teaching methods.

Those who do not believe in the educational potential of games can also be quite surprised by the use of this methodology.

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When the activities are carried out after much study and planning, even the most skeptical surrender to gamification, as they realize the ability to develop skills and team spirit that a game can have.

5. Stimulates healthy competition

Encouraging competition among students does not mean confronting them to see who is the best, because it does not contribute to the learning process and the development of self-esteem.

What gamification stimulates is healthy competition, which serves as an incentive to constantly improve and exceed your own limits.

This happens because the games allow the student to observe their performance in real time, identifying their strengths and visualizing in practice what they need to improve.

The use of prizes, punctuation rankings and different levels work as allies to motivate the students to study more and really dedicate themselves during the activities.

If the teacher knows how to manage the situation well, this climate of competition can even instigate interaction between classmates and increase the exchange of knowledge.

If you work with , you know how important it is to use tools that promote this contact, since the teaching and learning process in the virtual environment occurs, most of the time, individually.

6. Can be used with all ages

One of the greatest advantages of gamification is the possibility of using it with different audiences.

Regardless of age, all people have already had some experience with games, even if it has been outside the virtual environment.

If you know how to adapt the language and use the right resources, it is possible to use games to teach students of all ages.

Typically, younger people interact with technology more frequently and are in the habit of playing other games during leisure time.

With these students, the teacher can explore more complex activities that require more skill with technological tools.

If your audience is older or has less experience with technology, the ideal is to resort to simpler games.

Remember that the goal of gamification in education is to make teaching more dynamic. If you propose very complicated activities for the students, you can cause the opposite effect, creating objections and loss of interest.

7. Helps increase the attention level of students

You must have heard by now that students are becoming more and more inattentive.

This complaint does not refer only to people who are in regular education, but also to those who do or specialization.

The evolution of technology has brought many benefits, but it has also created environments full of constant distractions and stimulation. This makes it hard for people to stay focused on a single activity for a long time.

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Therefore, those who work in education need to find ways not only to get the attention of students, but also to keep it. And gamification is one of the strategies that can be used to achieve that goal.

By including the games in your , you can divide them into stages or levels. Thus, students need to have more attention and prolong participation in a single activity.

How to use gamification in education?

There are several ways to apply gamification in education and diversify your classes.

You can use the games to do simulations and prepare students for real situations in professional or personal life.

For example:

If you give for a Business Administration course, you can create a game in which the student has to create a business plan or manage a fictitious company.

You can also use games within your classes to make them more dynamic.

One of the options is to divide the modules of your course into phases, with specific goals that the student must achieve to move to the next level.

With this type of strategy, it is interesting to use an exclusive design, with a creative and immersive context for users, something that really creates a gaming environment.

Have the student assume a character within your classes, which should tell a story and have objectives, rules and a bit of fun, just like in a real game.

Thus, the student is involved in solving problems in a playful way, while learning to apply what he learned theoretically.

Ready to make your course more attractive?

You have seen how gamification in education is an excellent strategy for teachers who want to increase student engagement in their classes.

The use of games in your courses can help you stand out in the market and attract more students, as people have increasingly sought innovation, technology and practicality when it comes to learning new knowledge.

The use of games is just one of the educational technologies that you can use to make your classes more interesting. There are several other strategies you can apply.

Do you want to know a little more about these resources?

In our post we teach you and you will also discover how this technique can help you diversify your online course.

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