e-Learning Ecologies MOOC’s Updates

Learning Games

https://youtu.be/Uj_8C2L9bXI

Games offer a unique structure to complement traditional teaching strategies and infuse teaching with energy, spark innovative thinking and provide diversity in teaching methods. Games make learning concepts more palatable for students and supply learners with a platform for their creative thoughts to bounce around. Games encourage creative behaviour and divergent thought (Fuszard, 2001) and are excellent ice breakers. Games will often act as learning triggers inducing lively discussion on learning concepts amongst students following game play.

Games as Pedagogical Devices

As pedagogical devices, games are extremely useful ‐ they can enliven teaching topics and are especially effective for dealing with problem solving and key concepts. Research shows that “games have a special role in building students’ self‐ confidence” and “they can reduce the gap between quicker and slower learners” ( Fuscard, 2001).

The highly adaptable, flexible nature of games means that they can be moulded to suit a variety of learning settings and environments, even VLE’s such as Blackboard, this can add another layer of interactivity and facilitate distance learning students. The number of game frames or models available is extensive, so no matter what discipline you teach in, there is a game model you can use. Apart from inviting students to learn curriculum content in a fun and relaxed manner, games also expose students to other skill development during game play via sequential, verbal, visual and kinetic and other game based activities.

In conclusion games help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful. Even though games are often associated with fun, we should not lose sight of their pedagogical value, particularly in foreign language teaching and learning. Games are effective as they create motivation, lower students’ stress, and give language learners the opportunity for real communication.

 http://interconf.fl.kpi.ua/node/1271

https://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/UCDTLT0044.pdf.pdf

  • Feter Kewer
  • José María Del Pozo Calderón