Gamification: a fun learning model that works very well in the classroom

Gamification is a learning technique that uses the dynamics of the games to move it to the more educational-professional field.

Many have been the techniques developed and implemented in the learning phase in the classroom, but it is not clear which is more effective, and it is not possible to generalize, since, the greater or lesser success of these techniques depends on many factors, such as the didactic unit, the receptivity of the students and the way of applying each technique in a more or less correct way.

In HiPlans, from our experience, we believe that learning is more effective when introduced through fun and entertainment. And these are precisely the keys to the success of gamification.

Gamification is a learning technique that uses the dynamics of the games to move it to the more educational-professional field, focusing on achieving better results than doing it in a more traditional way. The goal is to teach students in a playful way, maintaining motivation and attention in the exercise itself.

The game model really works because it manages to involve the student in the activity, improve their productivity, reinforce their behavior to solve problems and achieve a specific goal that arises at the beginning of the game.

Like any game, one of the main keys when putting this technique into practice is that students know perfectly the nature of it and two concepts considered key in gamification: mechanics and game dynamics.

The mechanics is what activates the game in some way, that is, the rules that must be met to achieve the ultimate goal: points, levels, challenges, gifts, leaderboards … On the other hand, the dynamics are the internal motivations that have the student to participate in the game. Depending on the dynamics on which we want to base our game, we will use one or the other mechanics.

Reward Dynamics:

Employee if we seek to arouse interest, participation and continued monitoring of the game after obtaining a benefit when a goal is achieved. And, who does not remember the traditional green sticker with which we were so proud to go home so that our parents saw how well we had done in class that day?

Competition dynamics:

Despite not being the best educational instrument, it manages to attract attention for the activity and create a great motivation on the part of the student, who strives to be the best.

It can be implemented individually, in pairs or in groups, through the cooperative collective dynamic.

An example of this could be represented in a table of class leaders in terms of points. The children will fight to be among the top 10.

Dynamic Self-Expression:

Within the game, the student will have to express themselves and create their own identity within the group. This reinforces communication, integration, teamwork and self-confidence.

We could put this dynamic into practice by creating a debate on a topic of general interest and positioning two groups with opposite ideas, also appointing a moderator who is another student in the classroom.

State Dynamics:

Students become virtual characters that as the game progresses get a status based on their score or experience. The achievement of a state is usually accompanied by a reward or hierarchical recognition. Very linked to the sense of progress: We all always seek to pass the game or the game. A progress bar that represents your progress, even to give it more value, we can reflect on it before and after having put the exercise into practice.

Gamification techniques can be taken outside the classroom organizing school trips. These outings provide students with an educational experience outside the regular school environment, in which they can enjoy recreational but also educational and cultural activities. In HiPlans we know the importance of this type of excursions, that’s why we include them in our catalog. For example, our Amazon Adventure in Pelayos or in the meadows of Cercedilla, brings out the best of them: it helps develop self-confidence by working on their own abilities to overcome and cooperate to pass all the tests, basic dynamics in the gamification technique.

They feel like it’s a day off where they don’t have to go to school to sit down, look at the board and attend a teacher, but learning is also outside the classroom.

Despite being a technique that has gained enormous popularity in recent years, there are still teachers who do not know it and have not had the opportunity to apply gamification in their classrooms.

In HiPlans we are convinced that this way of motivating and teaching students in a playful way will give much to talk in educational and digital environments. That is why we are committed to activities outside the classroom where the main objective is for students to learn through fun.