What’s more fun than playing games? Nothing, you might reply… But did you know that learning could also be extra fun? This is all thanks to “gamification”!
The concept of gamification refers to the implementation of game-like elements, such as game mechanics, into pedagogical sequences in order to enhance the learning experience by increasing the students’ participation and motivation. Indeed, gamified practices aim to encourage intrinsic motivation, which is the kind of motivation that arises when students take an interest in what they are doing – contrary to extrinsic motivation, which relies on external rewards like getting good grades.
A large variety of game features can help make a pedagogical sequence more engaging: from basic elements like rules, goals and levels to more original approaches. Among those original approaches, we are currently witnessing the increasing popularity of card games, treasure hunts, and escape games.
Escape games (also known as Escape rooms) are an interactive format in which a small group of players must complete a mission in a limited amount of time. They can be physical or virtual.
The mission usually consists of finding the exit, hence the name “escape game”, but it can also be saving the world, investigating a crime, or finding a missing person, for example.
To achieve their goal, the players have to solve a certain number of challenges (or puzzles) that require them to cooperate. For every challenge they overcome, the players receive a reward: a clue that will help them progress further in the game. Until they reach the final clue… And solve the final challenge!
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In terms of educational value, escape games present various positive attributes:
- They provide an immersive experience, which helps create engagement;
- They train problem-solving skills and critical thinking;
- They encourage collaboration;
- They can be adapted to any topic.
The Save and Game project sees in these attributes an innovative way to raise awareness among young people about environmental issues. Therefore, we applied the mechanisms of gamification to training challenges in the area of sustainability. We aim to immerse our players in a game reality in which they are able to reflect on existing environmental problems and find a solution.
Picture by Julia M Cameron on Pexels
Our escape games insist on the importance of cooperation, which is a necessary element on the global level to help fix the climate crisis. They also encourage critical thinking about unsustainable ways of living, such as overconsumption. All in all, they create a more engaging learning experience to teach about sustainable development and how to achieve it.
Stay tuned if you want to discover our escape games! They will soon be available on the website of the Save and Game project!
References
FutureLearn. (2021, October 8). What is gamification in education? – FutureLearn. FutureLearn. https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/general/gamification-in-education
Gamified education | Centre of Expertise for Higher Education | University of Antwerp. (n.d.). https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/centres/centre-expertise-higher-education/didactic-information/teaching-tips/activating-students/gamified-education/
McCarthy, J. (2021). Using gamification to ignite student learning. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-gamification-ignite-student-learning/
Ouariachi Peralta, T., & Elving, W. (2020). Escape rooms as tools for climate change education: an exploration of initiatives. Environmental Education Research, 26(8), 1193 -1206. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2020.1753659