Playing is Inherent to Learning
We as gamers or those who are outsiders to the world of video games often do not realize the phenomenon that all kinds of games help in learning. This world often takes it for granted that educational video games or any other form of play is always a natural way to learn, be it a child in the contemporary 21st century or a lion cub in the Serengeti playing with its brothers to learn to fight and catch prey better in the wild, we all play to learn.
Game play is the opposite of trying to feed Broccoli to a child. Gaming is a voluntary activity and no one needs to force upon this act on others. So, why not use this natural technique of learning to build a society that looks at learning and testing of skills in a fun, voluntary and engaging manner?! We all choose to play games at some point or the other in our lives and nobody needs to force games on us hoping for us to gain something from it. To put it simply, playing is nature’s way of teaching! All forms of life on earth are almost in a way programmed or hard-wired to want to play, especially in young ages. So, when a modern child pokes at a tablet or computer screen, it is trying to learn our world and technology at its disposal.
While this may be an innate and a very basic instinct of an act that has been inherent in our systems to aid in learning, but the human brain also thinks that gaming is something we choose to do. And hence, it offers us with a sense of control that we all enjoy profoundly, and also put more effort into this act because enjoy it and feel empowered by it. But sadly this concept has not been understood by the authorities of educational systems in our country along most others. There is still a silent war ongoing between academicians and gamers, between those who choose to play and those who choose to learn. As developers of free educational games for children team Aklavya aims to work towards a paradigm shift in this mentality and make peace amongst this battle of gamers and academics. Also while many academics have realized the importance of interactive gaming in education, they still think in the confined lines of implementing such teaching methods for special children, but games are chosen and desired by all kids and hence, must be used as a standard technique of teaching inclusive of all children with varying intellectual and learning capabilities.
While it has been seen several` times before that educational game play will help children to be active participants, engaged in the learning process and they would naturally pour in more effort to the act of learning when done through games. But the idea of simply creating educational games for children and incorporating them in class for them to go to school and start playing will not be much different than their usual curricular activity, where they are made to practice the same act learning over and over again.
Our vision is to foster a desire amongst kids and also to bring parents and academics on board with this idea to engage in educational game play. The magic of play cannot be compromised by prescribing it like medication or scheduling it and forcing kids to practice over and over again as it would not help us to have learners in the same team as the educators. As game developers and educators we must facilitate an environment and the right supply of games that aid in learning to utilize this natural instinct of playing.
This article is supported by Aklavya.org – a free educational game for children. Visit their official website to try this math and verbal IQ game, Aklavya is a work in progress with advanced levels coming up soon.