People often just look at video games as fun, but they can also be played to aid learning. Listed below are examples of when gaming and learning are combined to give learners an optimal, innovative experience. What are some cool and unique ways eLearning has accomplished this?
Training to be a Bus Driver
This is a computer game where the player interacts with several objects at the bus driver’s disposal such as the window, door, and fan. The main point is to drive past railroad tracks safely, with kids in the back of the bus. The player is graded based on how many actions they take to make the optimal experience for the passengers.
Learning About Video Game Design
I’ve seen several games that incorporate this idea. One of them features a little girl in a wondrous land, trying to reach a certain place. She picks up coins throughout and with each, a voice-over tells the viewer how the game was created.
Healthcare Training
The focus on VR in healthcare training began in the 1960s with the Sensorama. It was used to prevent trainees from undergoing hazardous training with expensive equipment. Its uses included working on new protocols, equipment, and techniques.
Business Education
There’s a gamified app for the business field of education. It incorporates games with feedback and a review of the correct answers. When a learner answers a question incorrectly, they can save it into a separate “study” folder. A leaderboard is also integrated to show how the learner ranks against others who have completed the exercise.
KFC Training
New employees working for KFC are trained with virtual reality technology. It teaches learners how to prepare chicken, hosted by Colonel Sanders in a creepy environment. The game introduces learners to the process by having them “make the chicken,” rather than simply answering questions about it.
Knowre
Knowre features math-based learning where each question is personalized to the learner. It’s comparable to a teacher being there with that learner, explaining how to do the problems. Each problem is placed in a category and indicates the learner’s weaknesses and strengths.
Duolingo
Duolingo is language-learning software that only tests you on material that is on your level. For example, it will first test you on the simplest sentences and phrases and then work from there. Hints to tough translations and the ability to rate others’ translations are included.
Autodesk
For their release of Autodesk 3DS Max, Autodesk gamified their free trials to increase the likelihood that it would generate more sales of their full product. The company gamified one of their features, Undiscovered Territory. It was a mission-based adventure game wherein the learner had to complete 3DS Max design tasks to move onto the next mission. There were eight missions in total. When users completed the game, they were entered to win an Entertainment Creation Suite license.
Games can be integrated into a plethora of professions and interests. More than that, they can be experienced a number of different ways according to the learner’s preferences. A learner can engage in eLearning via computer, mobile device, virtual reality, or even augmented reality. I am intrigued to see what else games can be applied to in the world of eLearning.
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