{"id":4258,"date":"2024-08-28T16:00:28","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T14:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/game-based-learning\/"},"modified":"2024-08-28T16:34:49","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T14:34:49","slug":"game-based-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/game-based-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Game-Based Learning: Boosting Learning Motivation Through Gaming"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Innovation Salzburg\/Benedikt Schemmer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s increasingly clear that digital games on our screens\u2014big and small\u2014are here to stay. What\u2019s particularly exciting is that they can bring significant value to experiential learning\u2014especially when players tackle challenges autonomously and with enthusiasm. However, the scientific measurability of this impact is questioned. But is it really necessary? We examined this in detail with two experts.<\/p>\n

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Game-Based Learning for the Classroom<\/h3>\n
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Natalie Denk, Foto: Constantin Kraus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cGame-Based Learning\u201d refers to the use of digital or analog games for educational purposes in the classroom or learning programs. There is considerable potential in games that weren\u2019t explicitly designed for learning but still captivate students. This is particularly interesting for school education: \u201cGame-based learning can be applied through various approaches in any subject and age group. One approach is to create experiential learning through project- and process-oriented methods<\/strong>,\u201d says Natalie Denk, Director of the Center for Applied Game Research at the University of Krems.<\/p>\n

Ideally, students independently work through the material and contribute their skills. Educators then take on entirely new roles, such as mentors. \u201cI also recommend having students develop their own game concepts with game mechanics around a specific topic. The only rule is that it can\u2019t be a quiz, as they might otherwise think too one-dimensionally<\/strong>.\u201d The goal is not necessarily a perfect result\u2014but rather the learning process itself.<\/p>\n

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Practical Use in Professional Development<\/h3>\n

In general, playful learning enhances the motivation to learn. Companies also take advantage of this. For example, with Mediasquad\u2019s (MSQ) applications\u2014a studio from Austria specializing in training apps based on Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality\u2014the focus is on learning content enhanced with gamification elements to boost motivation. \u201cWe often use a reward system<\/strong> that encourages users to explore the app\u2019s content more thoroughly. Or we use a timer to spark competitive spirit<\/strong>,\u201d says Ingrid Frank, 3D Artist at MSQ.<\/p>\n

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Ingrid Frank, Photo: MSQ<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This approach even led to one of the developed apps, designed for onboarding employees<\/strong>, being used by staff at a local company during breaks to beat their colleagues’ best times. \u201cWith gamification elements, we can guide users through the learning content while also drawing them out of their shell.\u201d While games can boost learning motivation, they may not always be suitable for pure knowledge transfer.<\/p>\n

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Not Yet Scientifically Proven as a Learning Method<\/h3>\n

Here lies the drawback: scientific measurability. The challenge is that the profound, often long-term learning processes stimulated by game-based learning are difficult to capture with conventional measurement tools. To scientifically validate it as an effective learning method, new evaluation approaches<\/strong> are needed that account for the complexity and individual differences of this approach. Natalie adds: \u201cGenerally, I think it\u2019s more about the long-term success of motivating learning than about short-term measurability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingrid agrees. For her, game-based learning is primarily an enhancement and diversification of traditional teaching or training programs. \u201cShort, playful segments that ideally show realistic applications of the curriculum help significantly in understanding learning content better and increase attention. The main focus of gamification is the enjoyment of learning<\/strong>.\u201d With these strong voices from practice and science, it\u2019s clear that the benefits of using game-based learning outweigh the challenges. Especially when this interactive and motivating learning environment stimulates active participation, creative thinking, and sustained learning motivation. Although traditional measurement methods struggle to capture the full scope of learning success, the question remains whether our current understanding of learning success might be too one-sided to fully grasp students’ true progress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s increasingly clear that digital games on our screens\u2014big and small\u2014are here to stay. What\u2019s particularly exciting is that they can bring significant value to experiential learning\u2014especially when players tackle challenges autonomously and with enthusiasm. However, the scientific measurability of this impact is questioned. But is it really necessary? We examined this in detail with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,29,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-school","category-vocational-education-and-training","category-lebenslanges-lernen-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4258"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4258\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4261,"href":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4258\/revisions\/4261"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.edtechaustria.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}