Games are entertaining and challenging, but they have a larger impact than most gamers suspect. Do you love gaming and spent hours daily immersing in your favorite games? The good news is that despite what jaded adults would think, gaming can be a highly productive activity, which tests and develops a lot of transferable skills and abilities. With its power to stimulate learning and cognition, gaming can be easily related to educational goals.
In this article, we will discuss the main benefits of gaming in education. There are many reasons to believe that learning, entertainment, and technology can work well together for your betterment rather than competing for your attention. You don’t have to neglect one in favor of another.
Top Benefits of Gaming in Education
Adults who never played a video game think that gaming leads to violent behavior, sedentarism, lack of social skills, or addiction. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. There is an untapped potential in gaming that can transform it into an extraordinary tool for education and learning. Here are the top benefits of gaming in education.
Gaming Improves Digital Literacy and Technical Skills
In a world where technology plays a role in almost any aspect of daily life, digital literacy and technical skills are crucial for adapting efficiently. Video games have the benefit of getting players accustomed to the digital world in an entertaining way, where learning happens intuitively. Game-based learning thus helps players become self-reliant and learn how to use technology for their benefit.
Through its ability to arouse an interest in technology, computers, and the possibilities of the digital world, gaming has practical benefits that expand beyond mere entertainment. Students who enjoy gaming are unfazed by digital obstacles. Whether they need to know how a new software program works, how to edit documents and files, how to use an online dictionary, or how to find help with essay writing online, they are able to find a solution for any academic or educational challenge. All thanks to the abilities developed through gaming.
Gaming Improves Problem-Solving, Critical Thinking Skills, and Creativity
Whether made for education purposes or just for entertainment goals, a video game requires you to make smart decisions quickly. To advance in a game, you must be able to resort to logic, strategic-thinking, and quick problem-solving. The sooner you react with a smart solution, the better you position yourself in the game.
The only gamers that prevail are those who are artful problem-solvers able to tackle any challenge with confidence, employing successfully critical thinking and staying resilient in face of an obstacle. Being creative and seeing unconventional paths is a great asset in gaming. Needless to say, these skills are crucial for one’s education as well.
Gaming Improves Attention and Memory Capacity
Education is directly related to memorization abilities. Most students feel overwhelmed with the amount of information on all sorts of different subjects coming their way. One of the greatest things about gaming is that by putting players in a variety of circumstances, it forces them to remain constantly alert and focused, thus gradually improving their attention span and memorization skills.
If you play educational video games, the impact is tremendous as you exercise these skills while also accumulating knowledge about various subjects. According to various research, game-based learning and educational video games allow players to concentrate easily and focus in a way that is almost impossible in a traditional class environment. Additionally, building your memory skills and focus has benefits not just in education, but in all areas of life.
Gaming Develops Soft Skills
One of the most underrated benefits of gaming in education is the fact that it can generate an improvement in areas related to social and psychological well-being. Despite what non-gamers believe, gaming is a social activity that promotes soft skills such as communication, team collaboration, and leadership. Many educational and non-educational games are centered around team building, thus stimulating students to play together.
To achieve a goal, players must either work together or compete against each other, which leads them to refine their ability to develop relationships. Additionally, success in gaming translates to better self-esteem, motivation, and engagement.
Video games are fun, but stopping at that is a limited perception. The ability to attract and maintain a person’s attention for a long time can be easily put to good use by correlating gaming with educational goals. Due to its versatility and potential for improving various important skills, gaming is an activity that can greatly benefit students, regardless of their age.