The booming elearning industry is proof enough that game-based learning works.
From elementary school, to high school, to the workplace, serious games are effective learning tools. The simplest reason is that games are fun and everyone likes to have fun. Play is enjoyable! While enjoyment is a big one, there are more reasons than just the fun factor.
The following aspects explain why serious games are effective:
Instills a spirit of competition
Competing against another person motivates a learner to try harder in an effort to be the winner. At the least, most people don’t want to be last.
Continually assess comprehension
The nature of elearning games provides for assessment of skills along the way, usually in the form of levels. Failure to make it past a level is evidence that the particular skill being taught or reinforced has not been mastered.
This is especially important in a corporate eLearning environment. A manager or instructor can easily see who is struggling with which concepts, and can then intervene accordingly.
Provides immediate feedback
Traditional learning is geared toward a presentation of information followed by a quiz or test of some sort. It’s too late to make corrections at this point. One of the great advantages of corporate elearning is the ability to make adjustments along the way. Learners have the capability to immediately see the consequences of their choices and decide right away if they made the correct one.
Expands decision-making and problem-solving skills
Working through issues that arise during the course of the game requires users to think through each step, weigh out their options, and consider the consequences. In many traditional training settings, there isn’t an opportunity to analyze a scenario fully, which is a detriment to the learner.
Reaches different learning styles
Some people are visual learners while others are more auditory. Corporate elearning games provide exposure to diverse activities and therefore have a greater likelihood of covering various ways that people learn.
Encourages cooperative learning
Working through situations with others can help someone look at a problem from a different perspective than they would have on their own. A deeper level of learning can happen when peers can bounce ideas off of each other. Discussing ideas with others increases comprehension and allows for greater understanding of concepts.
Increases retention of information
Involvement in an elearning program increases the amount of information that is able to be recalled. When a concept is thoroughly understood and truly learned, there is a greater likelihood that the information will be retained over long periods of time.
Any new hire at a company expects that they will go through a training period. In the past, that may have looked like a traditional classroom setting, with one person instructing and a one-way flow of information.
Corporations that are invested in elearning training programs will have a system that looks quite different. They have recognized that the benefits of preparing their workforce in this way far outweigh any downside.
