Staying attentive in the class is quite essential while learning anything. However, with an attention span decreasing, retention level being low, it has become necessary for educationists to come with newer solutions. That’s where gamified learning has come in as a saviour.
Animation Xpress got in touch with BYJU’S chief creative director Dhilip Kumar to know more about their experience with gamified learning, challenges faced while working on it, its future and more.
Kumar shared, “Game-based learning is the amalgamation of study and play that brings better learning outcomes. An emerging tool in education, game-based learning enables students to explore concepts through digital games designed for educational outcomes. Using technology as a medium, the classrooms of tomorrow will also have students play and learn through digital games extensively. Tech elements like augmented reality, virtual reality, animation etc make for an immersive and engaging learning experience. The games foster student-led learning and collaboration by incorporating goals, milestones and achievements that make learning more effective. Students use their visual, auditory and kinesthetic senses to get a grasp of concepts or test their understanding.”
Here is the excerpt of the interview:
How will BYJU’S gamified learning process bridge the gap between age and learning through gamification technology?
At BYJU’S, game-based learning has been integrated from the lower grade learning products itself. In the Disney BYJU’S Early Learning App, learners have access to games at the end of every lesson. By learning via games through Disney characters increases familiarity for early learners. For higher classes, BYJU’S The Learning App, Math and Science App (For Classes 4 and 5), our learning games are designed to reinforce understanding of concepts. Over 100 games have been designed for the bouquet of apps that the company offers.
Games are among the distinguishing factors that set us apart from competitors. Game-based learning is one of BYJU’S key focus areas while developing content and an immersive learning experience that is engaging, easy-to-understand and fosters active and effective learning.
What kind of learning games do kids enjoy? While designing learning games what are the key factors you keep in mind?
It’s a very humbling experience building products for children. This is a transformative age group that is very different from us. At BYJU’S, we realised very early on that no matter how confident we are about understanding the needs of a child, there are many factors that differentiate the children of today from us.
Children today are digital natives; learning from a screen is almost a primary habit for them. Through tech-driven learning, concepts can be broken down and explained in a contextual and visually engaging manner and this drives students’ attention. With the use of game-design principles, animations, interactive quizzes and tests, the whole learning experience is enhanced and the true power of technology is realised. For example, by using visual, interactive, and game design principles, explaining the periodic table becomes very simple and easy.
While the BYJU’S tech team with experts from US-based Osmo games bring in their AR VR strengths to the table, a strong product team with behavioural experts, psychologists and user experience experts ensure the perfect fit.
What are the challenges to design learning games? How long does it take to design a learning game?
Learning and games have always been a parallel line that has never met before. It brings two domain expertise to work together, delivering learning outcomes and evidence of learning is the biggest challenge in making a learning game.
Making a learning game is not easy – there is a lot of prototyping, testing and iteration that goes behind it since evidence of learning is very crucial along with motivation and engagement. It takes many domains to come together and work on the same structure. For example, if it takes eight months’ production time to make a digital game that can teach 1st grade Number and operations Base Ten but on the contrary it will take more time to make 1st Grade Algebraic thinking.
How different is it to design learning games than traditional games or traditional learning materials? How different are your courses compared to the traditional ones?
Unlike other materials that are linear and not tailored, learning games prompts the learners to perform any task and grind again and again since it leverages on Game mechanics and behavioural design. Our courses are designed to provide an experience and we use tech to tailor based on the learner. We offer visual, auditory and kinesthetic senses to get a grasp of concepts or test their understanding.
Can you enlighten us what technology tools are used by BYJU’S?
For us at BYJU’S, technology in education is not just about automation, but also about harnessing it in the best way possible to empower students into becoming lifelong learners. BYJU’S has always believed that technology has the power to make quality learning accessible to students. In fact, it is safe to say that technology and innovation is in our DNA. A large part of our evolution, until recently, consisted of building some of the best asynchronous learning formats and tools, through which we empower students to decide the style, size, and pace of their learning journeys.
Through the combination of teachers, video tutorials, and interactive games, we are able to deliver personalised learning, feedback, and assessments for all students. With our asynchronous learning format, a student embarks on a learning journey and suddenly faces a problem or a concept he/she cannot solve. Whereas, in our synchronous learning formats, students are first introduced to concepts and are prepped for the upcoming live class. During the live class, they are able to get instant doubt resolution.
Furthermore, BYJU’S uses AI to deliver personalised and adaptive learning. We are working to elevate AI’s capability to provide the various modes of learning that students like. For example, if students are finding a certain number of modules or specific lessons difficult, BYJU’S AI will adapt how the content is presented and adjust the questions to support the students’ understanding of the specific concept. While we want students to take charge of their learning journey and embrace making mistakes, we are continually adjusting our courses and the way we present our modules to ensure that students are getting the most out of each course.
What improvements have you noticed among the students after the use of gamified learning?
Research on the benefits of game-based learning on school students shows that games can improve learning outcomes by two grade levels. Not only does it help in an engaging and effective learning in a short duration of time, an internal study shows that game-based lessons show high completion rates of up to 96 per cent, with the average at 83 per cent. High completion rates indicate better engagement and the learning experience is not monotonous but rather filled with interactive aspects like points, achievements and so on. Game-based learning provides instant gratification in the form of scores and outcomes, as compared to delayed gratification through tests and exams. It develops critical skills needed like – problem-solving and quick analytical thinking, collaboration will also get them more job ready. When students learn on their own, they are more keen and motivated to explore and understand concepts.
What is your idea about the entire education system shifting to the gamification model?
With the future of learning being hybrid, the concept of gamification in education will definitely play a crucial role. This form of learning is engaging, fun and has better retention among learners.
After gaming learning technology platform, can AR/VR be the next generation for learning?
Online learning is not just offline learning taken online or simply digitizing content. It is about using Technology in the best and most extensive way to make learning better and more effective online. Technology is also a great driver in integrating multiple formats of learning quickly and efficiently such as creating movies, graphics, etc. that makes for a more engaging learning experience. Our underlying consideration for investments in technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Analytics, etc. is how to better personalise learning and help better gauge engagement levels. We are constantly innovating along these dimensions to help better our product offerings for students.
What are the challenges while working on gamified learning concept?
As mentioned before, it’s all about striking a balance between learning and Gaming. Learning games are not just a genre of games, it’s an intersection of Learning designers, Game designers, UX designers, Subject matter experts, Developers, Educators, researchers, producers and Testers. Bringing them together to create, innovate and robust learning experience that is very engaging is an important production challenge. A lot of companies have tried this but have been unsuccessful due to partial implementation of Learning games structure and have been unable to put together a state of the art team. Staying true to learning principles and not just game design principles is a herculean production difficulty; and at BYJU’S we are constantly finding new ways to overcome them.
Where is gamified learning heading in 2022? Five years down the line where do you think gamification technology will head?
In the last decade, we have witnessed the conversation shift from whether or not technology solutions should be employed in educational processes to how effectively they can be used to enhance learning. Game mechanics process is part of this technological foray into learning processes that transforms traditional classroom activities into projects that require creativity, collaboration and play.
While there is a certain hesitancy in embracing game mechanics as a part of mainstream education among parents, these concerns are unfounded. In fact, studies reveal that game mechanics and the various reward-based approaches reinforce better learning and promote success.
While the wheels of innovation in online learning are still churning, there is little doubt that game mechanics is the future of e-learning. Game mechanics not only help children set clear goals but also creates a safe and engaging learning environment for a better learning experience. If an immersive and experiential learning journey is to be released for every child, game-based learning holds the key.
Tell us about the training process of the teachers for gamified learning.
Teaching is one of the most creative and powerful jobs. Teachers have a very significant and lifelong impact on children that extends far beyond– from shaping their mindset to giving them the launch pad for their thoughts and imaginations
Learning to teach using technology is not a simple task and doing it overnight is even more commendable. Traditionally teachers have always been comfortable with direct classroom interaction. However, to teach comprehensively without the student in front of you is another skill. However, teachers have picked this up beautifully with little to no formal training and are doing some incredible work. Despite their own hurdles and challenges, they are relentlessly helping students everywhere learn better to the best of their capabilities.
A teacher’s role is an ever-evolving one – from delivering lectures and evaluating students to motivating and mentoring them. At BYJU’S, we empower teachers with digital tools to make their students better learners and eventually make a positive impact on tomorrow’s workforce. We look for people who are passionate and are teachers by choice. Teachers don’t just appear on the videos, they play a crucial role in creating and designing the entire lesson. All teachers are equipped with the right training to leverage online teaching tools to help their students achieve better learning outcomes. Our teachers deliver lessons in such a way that they answer all possible questions students may ask. They are also trained to explore different teaching formats across synchronous and asynchronous formats through video lessons and live classes.
BYJU’S plans for 2022?
BYJU’S was started to help children become better learners. Our dream is to be one of the largest education provider brands in the world. While starting a mission company is easy, sustaining a mission-led organization is challenging. For us, the goal beyond numbers is to continue our focus on enjoying education and making students across the world fall in love with learning. We want to continue in our endeavour to make learning enjoyable, contextual, and personalised.
Our vision is to be one of the largest education provider brands in the world. As mentioned earlier, India is still our largest market and our biggest focal point however we are steadily progressing with our global expansion as we feel there is a demand for personalised and engaging learning content all around the world.
