“Games lubricate the body and the mind.” – Benjamin Franklin
How often do we see kids waiting to rush out of classrooms for the “games” period? Why do they look all charged up for games period? What stimulates a rush of adrenaline and eagerness in the students for games? Games in schools have long been one activity that most kids look forward to. Games are fun, challenging, and provide entertainment to students. Can the motivational power of games be tapped to make learning fun for students?
Games have been an important part of children’s leisure lives for ages and are an important part of our culture. Children dedicate long hours to playing games – outdoor, indoor, video, and of-late computer and online games. Over a period of time, teachers and parents recognized that games provide valuable skill development to children, such as:
• strategic thinking
• planning
• communication
• group decision-making
• data handling
• application of concepts learned in class
With an increasing interest in pleasurable learning, learning by doing, and learning by collaboration – researchers, teachers, and educational institutions are looking for ways to use this powerful medium to support academic learning. To understand how games contribute to learning, the nature of gaming and the nature of gamers need to be clear.
The article has been contributed by Butterfly Fields, a company working in the domain of innovative teaching learning techniques. To know more about the work the company does, visit www.butterflyfields.com or call 040 2771 1020.