Gaming and Learning (Gamified eLearning)

Game design has undeniably brought tremendous joy and treasured memories to the lives of countless people around the globe. It seems not too long ago when we spent our time marveling at the world that games would take us to[sg_popup id=94]

Now that’s not to say that you should spend your entire life playing video games. However, the engaging experience that the games created for the audience are simply undeniable.

It’s all about the experience!

In addition to its experience, games also provide a wide array of unexpected benefits. These include increased memory, cognitive function, problems solving skills, and most importantly, it is an incredible source of learning. These subliminal benefits are tailored perfectly to students. Studies even show that many young children retain information without even realizing that they’re being taught.

All through the magic of gaming!

It wasn’t until just recently that game developers and designers alike discovered that the experience that games create can be used to further raise the productivity of their nature. This would pave the pathway for gamification.

So, what even is gamification?

Since first coined in 2008, the word “gamification” has seen a variety of uses apart from the game context. Gamification can be best described as the use of game design elements and models apart from its entertainment purposes.

And no, not those typing “games” we all were forced to do when we were in grade school.

So, then why does it work? For years people were led to believe that video games were harmful to the mental development of the youth. That may be true with violent video games, but we’re not trying to argue that we should combine Grand Theft Auto with educational curriculums.

Although depending on the game, a good game provides its user with a variety of challenges to overcome and keep them engaged, and when it comes to crafting an experience, engagement is key. In order to learn, a student must be engaged in the task given by the curriculum. With engagement, the user can remain focused. This concept applies to nearly all ages, but it is even more so with children. That’s because children are more familiar with digital games. After all, around 97 percent of children some form digital games. With children, gamified eLearning was estimated to boost their learning retention by 12 percent! With familiarity, children are more willing to show interest and keep themselves focused on school wo.. I mean, their games.

Related: The Future of Technology in the Classroom

With more and more schools and companies adopting eLearning, the demand for an intuitive learning platform is growing quickly alongside with it.

Today, it is estimated that around 77% of U.S. companies use some form of online corporate training.

Another reason why so many companies favor eLearning over traditional learning methods is the cost savings. It’s calculated that for a company with a 1,000 employees, they can spend up to $214.62 per employee, that’s $214,620 for the whole training session! With such savings, it’s no wonder many companies favor eLearning over traditional learning methods. A combination of eLearning and gamification calls for an innovative and engaging learning platform.

Related: Advantages of eLearning

This influx in eLearning has created space for many brilliant companies to step in to deliver innovative ways. One of these companies leading the charge in eLearning innovation is a company called the eLearning Brothers. Since their start in 2009, eLearning Brothers has been responsible for the creation of countless eLearning designs and templates to deliver an engaging and inspiring experience to its users, their specialty being gamified eLearning. “The Training Arcade”, offered by the eLearning Brothers, offers its users with an ever-expanding library of games to choose from. The best part about it? It’s learning made fun!

Now we’re not saying we should replace all instructors and teachers with computers. The take away is that incorporating game elements and designs into learning environments have the potential to offer a boost of benefits to its users, as well as schools and companies.

What This Means to inWhatLanguage

Today, around 21% of U.S. residents speak a language other than English at home. In the State of California, it was reported that 43.9% of children speak a language other than English at home. These children are virtually left out of the benefits eLearning has to offer. Although some eLearning Platforms offer their service in other languages, many don’t. We here at inWhatLanguage believe in equal learning opportunities for everyone. We believe that a mere language alone shouldn’t limit children and adults alike to be left out in the pursuit of knowledge. We’ve participated in services with local schools and even gave out $25,000 dollars in grants to English Language Learners. We take tremendous pride in working with educators to deliver educational material in over 200 languages. Language is not a barrier for us here at inWhatLanguage!