Games are becoming more integrated into education because
students are demanding more engaging experiences. That, in turn, is changing
the way classrooms are set up.
Instead of an instructor facing rows of desks, thought
leaders in the field now envision classrooms equipped with desks on wheels, movable
walls, and screens that allow students to work out gaming solutions in groups.
“It’s a huge deal,” Robert Brodnick, founder of the
Brodnick Consulting Group Inc., said in an article for eCampus News. “Classrooms have remained unchanged for decades. We’ve learned
this all really matters. If you build and create spaces in a more flexible way,
you’re not dictating to students how they’re going to have to learn.”
Gamification is just one part of what is happening to
classroom space these days, according to Brodnick. The space need to be
flexible enough to accommodate multiple learning formats, such as makerspaces
that encourages students to invent and learn. There should be room for
immersive visual learning and enough space to promote personalized,
project-based learning.
“What
we’re starting to realize is that learning is happening out of the classroom
more and more, as students are increasingly connected to each other and to
information through their phones,” he said. “Learning by doing is much more
powerful than acquiring content and apply it five years later on the job. As
you move around throughout the day, you have learning experiences, and it’s
having a significant impact on how campuses are designed. You might not need as
many classrooms or as many bookshelves in libraries.”
