Games: The New Learning Mechanism

The world of education is constantly changing. It is no more bound to just the age-old four-walled formal system. The past few decades have seen the introduction of many new resources in the field of education, making it more than just a formal way of life.

The past year especially has been quite revolutionary when it comes to getting equipped with the changes in propagating education. The rise of the pandemic saw an increase in the use of the Internet and even its importance in the eyes of the elders who otherwise dismissed the Internet as just another way of wasting time. Online classes were the only option left to the students in 2020 to access education. Seminars and certified courses too were shifted online, allowing us to access knowledge from the comfort of our homes. This was surely a revolutionary change in the Indian education system.

Also Read: Busting Learning Myths

Just as the elders seemed to think of the Internet as a useless waste of time, most of us think that way about games. Although we allow kids an allotted time to play, we usually do so keeping in mind the physical importance of games. But what if I tell you that games can help in acquiring education as well? Yes, that’s right! There are many educational games that, if paired with learning, can do wonders for your child.

How do games help with learning?

Thanks to the proverb- “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”- we realize the importance of play and games. Even for kids, games are important as they help in the physical and mental development of a child.

Games are an important part of a kid’s everyday life. Games keep kids updated with a lot of things. So, it’s no surprise that game-based learning is actually a thing. Many learning games in the market help kids to develop an interest in studies. Even video games can be used for the same. Various video games in the educational sector can help children to focus on specific subjects of study. Many learning games, school teaching games, and article games are now introduced to facilitate play-based learning in children.

Here are a few ways in which games help in the learning process:

• Increases Engagement: Games are what keep children going on the most boring days. Most of the games require a lot of focus and constant attention to complete and eventually win. This engagement that kids put into solving the challenges in a game can actually be put into use in the learning process by implementing game-based learning.
• Improves Performance and Knowledge: Just like students get better at different games after repetition, it is the same with a play-based learning system. Children get better at it with practice. Even a study by the Federation of American Scientists claims that games are the best when it comes to improving performance.
• Means of Motivation: Through learning games, students become more motivated to learn, even if it is mostly because of the fun in it. Game-based learning also helps to build an air of positivity, motivating the students to learn and, in the process, also creates a positive attitude in children towards learning.
• Enhances Memory: While playing a game, children need to remember important details regarding it, while also using their brain to think of new moves on the spot. They need to remain alert and act accordingly in different situations. This is one of the greatest benefits of play-based learning.
• Learning while having Fun: Learning, especially for children, should have some appeal that draws them voluntarily towards education. Many games are being introduced in the market that aims at making education fun for children. These games help to develop an interest in children towards their studies without being forced or rebuked.

Borad EduGames is eminent among the companies that have been working towards making learning fun for children. This brilliant start-up was actually drafted as a college project that later went on to become Borad EduGames after receiving rave reviews and gaining podium positions in several start-up competitions.

Headed by Ayush Anand and Rahul Utamchandani, the folks at Borad EduGames aim to enhance the education system in a manner that increases enthusiasm among students about various subjects. Towards this endeavor, the company has created four different board games to help students develop in four different subjects- English, Geography, History, and Mathematics. These games are-

• Olro Traveller: Olro Traveller focuses on conquering the world using real historic events. Players have to move around the board and take over countries as per their list, and the first player to conquer all the countries wins the game. However, the game is filled with turns and twists that a player has to go through before emerging as the winner.

• Learn Numbers with Borad Bear: This simple board game requires some quick math skills. Players are given a minute to use signs and symbols to reach a predetermined number by using one, two, or three-digit number cards. There are a total of 56 cards that the children can use to reiterate for a lot of other activities.

• Make Words with Borad Bear: Make Words with Borad Bear requires children to score points by making words with various vowels and consonants. This fun educational board game is designed to improve children’s vocabulary by making them learn new words by using different letters of the English alphabet.

• Zoozone Adventurer: Zoozone Adventurer is a fun geography-based educational board game. The players move around a world map, exploring different climatic zones and learning about the different plants and animal species that are found in those climatic regions. This helps children learn geography while maintaining interest.

Borad EduGames has many more games, devoted to different subjects coming soon.