Gamification. The use of game mechanics in the classroom
Gamification is a pedagogical tool that consists of using playful activities to learn and organize the classroom through the rules of a game with the aim of involving students and Offer them a new and different way of learning. In the use of this system, students with points are rewarded for carryin
Gamification is a pedagogical tool that consists of using playful activities to learn and organize the classroom through the rules of a game with the aim of involving students and Offer them a new and different way of learning. In the use of this system, students with points are rewarded for carrying out these tasks and rankings are made. This encourages effort and collaboration.
The advantages of gamification for children
The advantages of learning through gamification in a practical and cooperative way are very diverse from the educational, social and personal point of view since the educational game is ....
- Encourages motivation and activates interest in learning.
- Cooperation and respect between colleagues increases. That is, it improves emotional intelligence and resilience. Se - You learn to make decisions and solve problems creatively.
- Through the game different real roles or situations can be proposed so that children can live life situations from different points of view.
- The use of games helps to consolidate knowledge.
Tips to gamify the class
To put into practice this methodology of gamification it is important to know how to apply the learning based on games in the classroom. It is important to know how to do it from the first moment to obtain good results. For this to happen we give you some tips:
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The first thing will be to define a clear objective . That is, define what is the objective before starting to design the game and establish what knowledge students want to acquire or practice through the game. Plas - Embody the traditional learning process in a playful and fun way.-
Focus on a specific challenge that is motivating.Students should know that there is a specific objective and what they have to do to achieve it. They should keep this in mind before, during and after the development of the game.
- Create some clear rules that serve to reinforce the objective of the game . It should be noted that these rules are met by all participants.
- The difficulty of the game must go adapting to the domain that students are acquiring. That is, the difficulty will increase in order to maintain the motivation and the desire to overcome the participants.
- It is essential that the competition is healthy. Opting for cooperative games in which participants have to collaborate to achieve the final reward.
- Creating a reward system is a fundamental part of the game.These serve to assess the ability to work as a team, the acquisition of content, participation, etc.
Some gamification games for the classroom You can gamify the classroom in very different ways. From video games, websites or apps to traditional and table games. All are games that contribute to the development of the whole child and serve as a powerful tool in the development of their skills. There are countless games that can be used to work different concepts and subjects such as mathematics, physics, foreign languages, etc. We propose some like: -
Minecraft
: Education Edition. Its launch has opened the door to innumerable possibilities to apply it in the educational field. This is an example of how video games can have their space in the classes to teach all kinds of topics, depending on the resources we want to use.
- Knowre. It is a video game that aims to teach mathematics. It includes challenges about algebra and geometry. It seeks to be an accessory for the most formative and traditional class. First the explanation of the teacher and then to play to strengthen the knowledge. It is an online platform available through the web and for iPad devices.
- Edmodo. It is similar to a social network for educational purposes. Create challenges and exercises and assign pins to multiple students, not only the best but also the most creative solution, the one that has worked the most, the best cooperation, etc.
- Story cubes. A well-known game that serves to acquire vocabulary, build stories collectively and creatively and to learn different languages.
