Why Gamification in the High School Classroom Works

It’s no secret that recess was the favorite subject of every student when they were in elementary school, but what happened to all that fun and free time in secondary ed? Studies show that bringing fun and games into high school classrooms brings increased learning, engagement, and so much more. Find out why gamification is the latest wave in learning.

Games Offer Relief from Reality

The first truth to accept is that both students and teachers are stressed, and the best way to get some relief from that stress, whether academic or personal, is to play. As we know, when we can take a student out of survival mode, we have a much better chance of getting them to learn. Even if it’s a learning game, it still offers a break for the day-to-day, which is good for both their socio-emotional and academic development. Additionally, when students play games, they automatically feel they have permission to have fun and be a little silly, which they might not be as comfortable with in the regular routine.

Games Incorporate Multiple Learning Styles

In high school, most core subjects are taught favoring visual and auditory input.  When we incorporate games though, suddenly, we add things like manipulatives, strategy, application, connection, competition, and more. This makes the content more dynamic and asks the learners to approach it from new angles and with new tools. This increases the amount of connections their brain makes to the learning, which in turn, helps them get it into long-term memory.

Games Help Create Community

Many teachers use icebreakers to help build community at the beginning of the year, but this effort often dies out once the curriculum sets in.  You shouldn’t feel the need to play icebreakers all year - your students will soon tire of this - but you can use games that split students into teams, get them learning about each other, and allow them to express themselves. It’s obvious to see how these can create bonding moments that cultivate your classroom community.

Games Allow for Risks and Rewards

We all have those students who are terrified to raise their hands and speak in class.  Their fear of getting it wrong or embarrassing themselves vastly overpowers their fear of failing to participate. In a game though, everybody knows its OK to lose a turn or even the whole game, so taking a little risk here and there seems a little more doable. Also, most games offer frequent rewards like points or level achievements, which also rewards student’s brains with those happy hormones. After awhile, students learn that it’s OK to take risks in your class because the rewards are worth it.

Admittedly, games in the classroom have been around for a long time. However, when it comes to learning in high school, it just hasn’t been a dominant method. As technology allows more teachers to share resources and ideas though, this is something that is changing fast.

In my next blog, I’ll explore the top 10 ways to gamify your ELA class and share some links to exciting games that make reading, writing, and speaking fun.