Why Game-Based Learning Is Effective
Thursday, September 01, 2011
By Daniel C Brown
If you have ever played cards or board games with family or friends, you know how engaging, entertaining, and memorable such games can be. Games such as Trivial Pursuit or other knowledge-based contests can be educational as well—in fact, even more educational precisely because you’re having fun.
If you apply gaming principles to the working world—say, in health and safety—you have a formula for creating knowledge and power, says Dan Hannan, a certified safety professional who is a safety consultant for Hilmerson Safety Learning Systems, Minneapolis. The potential power of gaming activities for learning purposes was first recognized more than 10 years ago. Since then, many authors have written about the increased retention rates of training material where gaming activities are used.
If we consider custom-developed interactive video games for workplace training, the term “serious games” has been coined. In fact, video game simulation training is being used to teach people everything from flying drone airplanes on a battlefield to retail sales, Hannan says. Simulation allows employees to interact and engage in situations before “going live.” An employee can learn about himself and his ability to make decisions under pressure.
Two critical laws support the use of gaming activities for effective learning, says author Sivasailam Thiagarajan. The law of emotional learning states that events that elicit emotions result in long-lasting learning. Simply stated, you learn best when your emotions—happiness, sadness, or anger—are engaged. And you don’t learn well if you’re bored or apathetic. The playful and competitive elements of gaming create powerful emotions that facilitate learning.
Secondly, the law of practice and feedback states that learners need repeated practice and relevant feedback in order to master concepts and skills. Passive understanding of content does not guarantee recall and application.
Repeatability is a key strength of game-based learning, says Kevin Corti, founder of PIXELearning Ltd. He says learners can play out a certain strategy or adopt a certain approach. If he or she fails or does not realize the desired outcome, the learner can try again with a modified approach. “Learning by doing” and “experiential learning” may be overused terms, but they are pertinent to developing a thorough understanding of scenarios, concepts, processes, environments and systems, Corti says.
Hannan says a successful game should result in something that evokes emotion—preferably fun. The game should repeat its messages, without getting old, to reinforce learning objectives. With video gaming, the game is working if certain physiological changes take place—quickened heart rate or breathing rate, sweatiness, etc. Unlike games on television, where the information seems very trivial, game-based learning offers the ability to bend the rules and create discussion.
Games are nothing more than a vividly recreated environment and/or system in which the learner has to solve a problem or series of problems. Satisfaction comes when the learner solves the problem, whether it is “how to kill 100 aliens as fast as possible without dying yourself,” or “how to resolve a contractual dispute with a fictitious client.” If the game application enables the learner to solve the same problem for real, then doubtless the learner’s employer will also derive satisfaction, says Corti.
For construction and industrial safety situations, Hilmerson Safety Learning Systems (HSLS) has partnered with LearningWare to develop a software platform that allows you to create, edit, and execute your own learning games. HSLS has prepared more than 800 safety questions derived from OSHA standards for construction and general industry. Question content has been organized into “libraries” based on standard subpart categories that include fall protection, fire safety, driver safety, excavation, trenching and shoring safety, and many, many more. The complete list can be found at www.hilmersonservices.com.
Single or multiple libraries can be imported into the game software and easily sorted by topic. You click and drag to build a game. All questions are supported by the referenced OSHA standard and best practices contained in the “info” tab for each question.
Gameshow Pro, which is owned by Learningware, Minneapolis, is a supplier of software that has six different templates that allow you to build games along several lines:
- Categories, a fast-paced game that is good for reviewing facts
- Company Feud, in which contestants guess multiple answers to individual questions
- Tic-tac-toe, an easy-to-understand game that encourages player collaboration
- Final Answer, in which teams take turns answering a series of questions that progressively increase in difficulty and point value
- Wheel of Knowledge, in which contestants guess a hidden phrase by first answering a question
- Question Bowl, a fast-paced game that enables trainers to cover topics in depth
You choose a game and input your questions and answers by typing in open-ended or multiple-choice questions and answers. You can add pictures, videos, and audio clips. You can modify teams, timers, and rules. The Gameshow Pro software displays questions and answers, handles scores and timers, and generally creates an energetic classroom atmosphere.
Purchasers of HSLS software and games report positive experiences. “The game went very well,” says Roy Cutler, of Rushforth Construction. “I got a lot of comments from the attendees at our annual meeting about how much they enjoyed playing the game. All in all we had fun and it was easy to use. Everyone felt like they learned something about safety.”
Other purchasers of HSLS products include Shell Oil, Koch Industries, Waste Management, and Cabot Microelectronics Corp. “The game was very well received,” says Michele Kuck, a safety specialist at Shell Oil Co. “Our guys all had fun with it. They all gave it a big thumbs-up. This will be nice to use throughout the year for safety meetings and additional training.”
“We know that game-based learning is effective across all industry lines,” says Debra Hilmerson, owner of HSLS. “Anytime you can liven up the training and communication process with games that are fun and competitive, you have people’s attention and they will learn. Plus, experience tells us that employees retain what they learn with game-based learning.”
Author's Bio: Daniel C. Brown writes on safety and technology in the construction industry. |
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