The Benefits of Game-Based Instruction

I thought the article entitled “The Instructional Power of Digital Games, Social Networking, Simulations and How Teachers Can Leverage Them contained some very interesting insights on using games in the classroom. I agree with the idea of using games in instruction because I think it makes the content more engaging for students, allowing them to maintain their attention and retain the information. However, I never thought of the possibility of having an entire school that is centered around teaching students through game based methods. It is definitely an interesting idea and I agree with a lot of the points that the article made.

For example, in reflecting on my own teaching I realize that I try to integrate games as much as possible and even make activities that aren’t really games appear as games because I believe that this will make students more excited about the material. For example, in my reading group the other day I told the students we would be playing “the Buzz Game,” where whenever I would pointed a “buzzing” wand at one of my students, he or he would pick a card. The cards contained the reading questions that I would typically ask during a lesson and if the student got it correct he or she would earn chips.

Even though this may have not been the most exciting game, my students really enjoyed it and they were much more engaged in this activity than they usually are during our typical discussion- based reading group. This makes me think that having a school that uses a game designed instruction would be really effective, as students would feel more excited about the material, making them more apt to participate.

In addition, like the article mentioned there are many other benefits to using games in instruction. While playing games students not only practice the skills connected to the content, but they gain experience using social skills like, negotiation, compromise, collaboration, and perspective taking. I also feel that educational games often allows for children to engage in more authentic –based learning methods, applying their knowledge, rather than just memorizing information. In my opinion, education is all about the experiences which our students engage in, so if it is possible to integrate games and technology into instruction, two things that are very appealing to students, then we should, as it will allow them to become more excited about their learning and practice using real-world social skills.