Learning Unlocked

Gamification in education represents a paradigm shift in teaching and learning. By leveraging game-like elements to enhance motivation and engagement, the learning experience is transformed into an interactive and immersive journey

-  Lim Hong Meng

Some of us might remember being told to "be serious" by a parent or teacher when trying to make a game out of learning during our schooling years. Traditionally treated as a solemn affair with equally solemn etiquette, learning is commonly viewed as "serious business" by parents and educators alike. It turns out that fun and games can be a positive and enriching experience for students when properly applied and need not be seen as an opposing force that keeps students from learning.

Loosely referred to as gamification or game-based learning, it involves the use of game design elements in a non-game context or actual games to acquire skills or knowledge. Some examples of game design elements include goals, game mechanics and rules, interaction, challenges, interactive problem-solving, point scoring systems and story creation.

The goal of the gamified teaching approach is to create higher engagement and motivation among students for better learning outcomes, including a deeper understanding of a subject, increased creativity, the development and enhancement of critical thinking abilities and improved information retention, to name a few.

To delve deeper into the subject, we sought out Grace Tham, CEO of Verve L&D and director of training and development for the Ace EdVenture Group of Schools, for more information.

How is the gamified approach to learning beneficial and effective?