Everyone likes to play, it is an integral part of human nature as well as a fun, engaging and creative activity. Playing contributes to physical and mental stimulation, which is why game based learning, more often than not, helps acquire disciplinary and socio-emotional skills.
Gaming can be used both in schools and in companies and should not be confused with gamification. They are two distinct concepts. Let us try to understand them better, step by step.
Table of contents
Game based learning: what it is
Game based learning refers to learning realised through (analogue) games or video games. The latter, which are the result of digital transformation, are regarded as a medium of choice to achieve learning objectives.
Technologies such as virtual reality (VR) allow players to be immersed in scenarios recreated in computer graphics. Learners put themselves in someone else’s shoes, become the absolute protagonists of the story and relate to the themes dealt with by the game.
In other words, game based learning takes the form of an educational tool that, by exploiting an immersive logic, disseminates culture.
Escape rooms
Examples of game based learning are escape rooms (virtual or real makes no difference, since the goal is the same: to stimulate lateral thinking and problem solving skills). They, with an infinite number of settings, give the player the opportunity to develop skills of various kinds that do not imply consequences in the real world. It is a game, indeed!
Serious games aim at educating through entertainment. They often use cartoon techniques and combine play and educational elements. Their aim is sharing an educational, effective and enjoyable experience that puts the user and their choices at the centre of everything.
Examples
VITECO, a company engaged in edutainment (the cradle of education and entertainment), has developed a multitude of serious games. Here are some of them (click or tap on the links to play them):
- The Algebraic Garden – The Algebraic Garden is a jump-and-run style game. The player can jump over objects and run left or right.
- Building a City – Have you always wanted to plan villages, towns, etc.? Here is a series of tests prepared for you by the planning committee before they hired you!
- Deli Shop – It is available for both PC and smartphone (iOS and Android). Thanks to the game you learn maths while having fun! So do the maths well if you don't want to get fired!
- The Math Princess' Tower – Your goal is to free a princess who is in the 15th room on the third floor of a tower. Good luck!
- Moneybox – Here the player's task is to count how much money is in the piggy bank after each round. Euro coins come in and out continuously, over 10 rounds (1 level).
- Trip Europe – It is a video game available for both PCs and smartphones. Through this game you can travel around Europe and discover new scenarios.
Projects
Among VITECO’s most recent projects we can find Food Gaming For Active Ageing (FG4AG) and CO-M-E. The former aims to promote good eating habits among the elderly through serious games; the latter aims to develop a toolkit for educators and carers of the elderly.
The toolkit will consist of:
- a package of board games (CO-M-E and sit-to-play!);
- online games (CO-M-E ON and play!).
Both projects use innovative tools to safeguard mental and emotional health.
Gamification: what it is
According to the Treccani Italian encyclopaedia, gamification is: «the use of mechanisms typical of games and, in particular, video games (points, levels, rewards, virtual goods, rankings), to make users or potential customers participate in the activities of a site and interest them in the services offered».
Dividing a process into levels helps to define individual goals, increases motivation and fuels healthy competition between players through the mechanism of scoring and ranking.
The principle behind gamification is simple: if you have fun, you get better results.
Gamification in the company
Gamification in the company improves production processes. A “gamified” company has multiple advantages, such as:
- a more stimulating working environment;
- a higher degree of engagement;
- improved mnemonic skills of employees;
- greater attractiveness for Generation Z.
Differences between game based learning and gamification
Game based learning is more costly than gamification, since it requires the creation of game platforms where multimedia content can be enjoyed. Let’s talk about SCORM and e-learning: the former is a reference model in the world of education, the latter, also known as distance learning (DL), is the set of hardware and software technologies aimed at enriching traditional learning processes with innovative formulas.
Another difference is the clarity of purpose. Whereas the ultimate goal of game based learning is to develop problem solving skills, perhaps through a well organised escape room, that of gamification is to increase employee performance through the inclusion of playful elements within the work environment.
Game based learning is more for learning, as the term itself suggests; gamification is also more useful for increasing engagement.
Of course, there is nothing to prevent game based learning and gamification being used simultaneously. The choice depends on the target audience. How old are the users? What objective do they pursue? These are some of the questions a good manager should ask himself before choosing the most suitable medium.
Conclusions
Game based learning and gamification, although different concepts, are both effective strategies for increasing productivity. Beware though! These are not two “playful activities”, those belong to the world of education and are implemented through web tools such as LearningApps, Wordwall, etc.
Based learning offers a more “experiential” reward (learning while having fun), gamification more “tangible” (awarding prizes, scores, giving badges and gadgets). The common denominator remains the game.
If you need a platform for game based learning or want to apply gamification in your company, contact us. We will be happy to reply and offer you more information.