Game-based learning is a joyful experience, that combines teamwork and using your skills and knowledge to achieve a common goal.
A game engages the participants into learning by increasing motivation. It works as an extrinsic motivator, which can spark an interest in the subject matter. Positive learning experiences strengthen the learner's self-efficacy and faith in his or her own abilities.
A game's best quality in terms of the learning process is that it activates the learners. You can't succeed in a game if you don't do anything; you only win (learn) by actively participating in the game.
A game's objective, story and rules direct the players' actions. Within this framework, they have the freedom to decide where the game takes them. At the same time, they're taking responsibility for their own learning.
Different kinds of tasks challenge to show your know-how. Tasks can require searching new information, creative problem-solving, or using your imagination.
Game based learning helps to empower students. In a game, players carry the responsibility for their actions. They have to make a number of important decisions, for example should they score points by completing quick, easy tasks, or aim for bigger, more challenging tasks that would score them more points? Read further how teaching with games will help you excite your students to learn!
Collaboration is a crucial part of seppo games. When learners solve tasks as a team, they can utilise the knowledge and strengths of individual team members and come up with solutions together. Achieving a common goal fosters team spirit, which continues to live on even after the game has finished.
Games encourage the players to try out new things and to take risks. In a game, it's okay if you don't know how to do something straight away because failing and learning from it are a part of the game. You can use the positive experiences for your advantage, but 'failures' can be explained by pointing out that it was just a game.
These days students are used to interacting via technology in their everyday life. It therefore makes all the sense to harness tablets and smartphones for learning. Seppo makes it easy to accommodate different learning styles. In a learning game students can show their knowledge in a number of ways!
When games are utilised in learning, the aim isn't to outsource the teaching to a game. In seppo games, the teacher is always supporting the learning process. He or she monitors the game, assesses the answers submitted by the teams, and encourages the students to keep going. Real-time feedback motivates the students, and gives them new impetus to the game and learning.
A good game challenges the players just right. Tasks that are too easy are boring, whereas too difficult tasks discourage the players. You can design the game in a way that enables the students who normally are not the brightest stars in class to have a chance to win the game. By using seppo, the teacher can create a game that is suited to his or her own students.