Who Wants To Play A Game?

Article excerpt

3 Ways Video Games Can Help Students Thrive

Imagine a school where each subject, from mathematics to history, has a gaming component. That’s the case at Quest to Learn (Q2L), a sixth- through 12th-grade school in New York City. The school opened in 2009, with an emphasis on integrating games into learning, such as a one-trimester gaming experience in which a scientist travels through the human body, a post on Edudemic reports.

Our take

Let’s Play Games!

Students love to play games; it’s something they’re drawn to naturally. Educators are increasingly leveraging these game-playing tendencies to better engage students in class concepts. Gamification can be a great way to boost student learning in a wide range of course subjects as the school in this example has learned. How could you more strategically apply gamification principles in your classrooms?

Challenging all teachers to appropriately apply gamification concepts in their classrooms can help students excel. It’s important, though, that this gaming is based on sound pedagogy rather than simply play. Whether you start with supporting apps, dive into custom curriculum activities, or work with your school or district to map out an integrated vision, gamification can offer unique engagement and greater learning.