The success of serious games for training has turned games in general and video games in particular, into the best way of learning nowadays. Discover these 8 benefits of serious games that you may not have thought of until now:
1. Stimulates the mind
Playing games offers physiological benefits associated with the stimulation of the brain, and it delays natural aging. In some cases, game-based learning drives decision making, improving the cognitive function and helping people learn valuable skills and lessons applicable to real life.
2. Improves self-esteem
When playing, it is easier to interact with others, to establish dialogue and to overcome cultural, social and generational barriers. Therefore, the use of serious games for training improves the self-esteem of the student, who tries to explore and find alternative approaches to solving different situations in the process of learning.
3. Applicable to the real world
Serious games for training enable students to learn concepts and develop skills through the game. This interactive environment, far from turning away from reality, makes it possible to practice and compete so that retaining information and applying what is learnt in a simulated situation makes the educational process become a success.
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4. Permanent personal development
The application of games to learning encourages students to develop their skills continuously and steadily over time, thanks to the gaming environment. Serious games for training favor skills as important as observation, motivation, overcoming criticism, strategic thinking and, of course, soft skills.
5. Immediate feedback
One of the benefits of gamebased learning platforms is undoubtedly the possibility of obtaining immediate feedback on student performance. Serious games for training incorporate systems that permit constant monitoring. Thus, those responsible for the implementation of training can study the learning process in depth, as well as its effectiveness on the achievement of objectives.
6. Interactive nature
We live with a lot of multimedia devices that make us be familiar with gaming elements (achievements, rankings, rewards, competition, levels, etc.). The interactive nature of serious games enables student engagement, because all these playful elements contribute towards learning in a fun way, appropriate to the lifestyle of new generations, and also favoring communication and coordination for problem solving purposes.
7. Collaborative learning
Among the most important benefits of serious games for training is collaborative learning. People who learn through playing, usually do so in a collaborative environment in which they work together to achieve a goal. By encouraging cooperation through the game, students increase their job satisfaction; they feel part of the team and are involved in achieving common goals.
8. Unique model
The main advantage of gamebased learning over traditional training and other methodologies is undoubtedly the unique model it offers. Acquiring technical knowledge through a game is nothing new. However, there are disciplines related to social skills whose development would be very limited without the existence of serious games.
We are referring to the learning of soft skills (decision making, critical thinking, communication skills, leadership, people management, productivity, etc.) which, without the possibilities of these new methodologies, would be very difficult to achieve.
What other benefits of serious games for training do you know? Share with us.
