The Importance of Games in Learning

| Updated on March 27, 2024

Individuals are increasingly perceived as being frivolous these days, and the game is frequently connected with excessive self-indulgence as a result. It is possible to trace the origins of the game concept back to prehistoric times if one looks into it in depth. People, as well as all other living beings on the planet, share the iconic and primal traits of the game. It attracts researchers from all around the world at all times. “You may learn more about a person in an hour of playing than you can in a year of talking,” Plato once observed about the conversation. Aristotle, on the other hand, considered the game as a source of serenity and harmony for both the mind and the body, and he advocated for its participation.

The educational technologies are only starting their next stage of development and modernization. Quite obvious is the fact that at the moment it is easier to order term paper than to spend the whole semester thoroughly preparing for writing it yourself. This may be because the learning approach we have now appears dull to modern students. However, if the methods become more interesting, the motivation to explore them and, thus, the information, grows, too. 

This article takes a look back in time at the growth of gaming through the glasses of philosophers and scientists. When assessing the game’s main mechanics, it is important to consider the game’s instructional value as well. Throughout the game, the psychological and intellectual capacities of the students were discovered.

The Historical Aspects of Gamification

Although there have been periods in the development of society that have made it impossible to conduct further research into this activity and have resulted in a strongly negative attitude towards play, a genuine interest in play activities has emerged since the last third of the nineteenth century and the first theories of play, conditioned by scientific principles, have followed. Throughout history, games have been recognized as crucial in the development of personal and psychophysical skills, as the primary means of introducing people to society, and as one of the most effective means of developing the ability to learn and instilling a sense of responsibility for one’s actions and those of one’s group.

The Psychology Behind It

The act of playing is a unique type of expressive activity in which the objective and the method of expression are both fundamental to the action itself, from a psychological standpoint Individuals re-create social connections between themselves when they are not in the environments in which they are intended to function. This leads us to believe that play has a social component to it as a result of this. Based on the large number of people who have reported having seen it, it looks to be aimed at adults in particular. 

When psychologists talk about play, they refer to it as “arithmetic in social interactions.” This is because psychologists believe that play is one of the most essential ways for children to develop their mental skills and their awareness of the world around them. 

Consider the fact that the game has been investigated by researchers from a range of fields such as psychology, cultural studies, educational studies, neuroscience, and biology. Though initially focused on the question of what play means to each person, more recent ideas have turned their attention to the social and cultural elements of play’s relevance for the evolution (https://evolution.berkeley.edu) of the human species as a whole.

The Definition of the Game

It was a Dutch philosopher and culturologist, Johan Huizinga, who wrote Homo Ludens in the 1930s, which is considered to be the first book on games ever written in human history. In the course of his lengthy research into play, he came to the conclusion that play is the fundamental force of human history, giving life to and directing the development of the numerous forms and orientations of our civilization, which in actuality are all variations of the same game. Another way of putting it is that play, according to Huizinga, is a cultural-historical universal that has given rise to a diverse range of aspects of our contemporary reality. According to Huizinga, play enriches and beautifies our lives regardless of gender or age, and as a result, it is necessary for all people to participate.

Thus, the game performs several functions: 

  1. an activity;  
  2. a recreational activity;
  3. Self-motivation and the absence of compulsion 
  4. Individualized action with a strong sense of self 
  5. team-based training and education, as well as education delivered by a team In addition to the development of mental processes and talents, 
  6. Learning with a passion. 

“A universal tool that aids the instructor in turning a somewhat difficult learning process into an interesting and favorite activity for students,” according to the authors, who describe the game as a potent stimulation for teaching a foreign language and an excellent approach in his or her arsenal.

Why Games are Important?

The essence of the game is in solving cognitive tasks that are presented to students in an engaging manner, which is unquestionably associated with intellectual tension, problem-solving, and difficulty-overcoming, and as a result, with teaching the child to work with the greatest possible use of mental resources and resources that are readily available to him or her In the process of learning, the development of logical thinking is a vital component. Specific program content is taught to the student during the course of the game. This program content assists him or her in developing the ability to notice, compare, and classify items based on their characteristics. It also helps him or her improve memory and concentration on the subject matter. When there is a competitive spirit present, frustration and inefficiencies are decreased. With the help of the game, schoolchildren learn how to overcome psychological difficulties and gain confidence in their abilities (since everyone in the game is equal), as well as how to listen to the thoughts of their comrades and understand another’s point of view. Pupils must ignore their impulses for self-affirmation to be able to continue with the action while participating in games. 

By combining the aspects of the lesson into the lesson plan and putting them into action, the instructor creates an atmosphere of equality, passion, and joy in the classroom. As a consequence, the language material is absorbed into the brain in an unnoticeable manner.





Akansha Singhal

EdTech Writer


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