All work with no play makes Jack a dull boy! For a while, the role of entertainment in education was underestimated.
However, thanks to modern and innovative teaching techniques, it became possible to combine the two. Research indicates that one of the most effective ways to make studying fun is by trying to make it more engaging to students.
Entertainment in education is meant to educate students as well as inform. It helps transform a dull form of education into a fun element, motivating students to learn something new. Let’s look at five different ways of combining education and entertainment to improve the learning experience.
5 Different Ways to Combine Education and Entertainment
- Jigsaw puzzle
A jigsaw puzzle can be described as a cooperative learning strategy developed to enable each student to specialize in one aspect of the topic. The puzzles aim at combining art and skill use in solving problems to help the student overcome an obstacle. Only the student can be able to piece the puzzle together and bring out the order.
Jigsaw puzzles have a relaxed form of training the brain that engages the important parts of the brain system. Reasons, why teachers use jigsaw puzzles in schools, is to help build comprehension and encourage cooperative learning among students. Another thing is that it helps to improve communication, listening and problem-solving skills.
- Roleplaying
Role-playing is the act of changing one’s behavior to assume a role or position. When students are involved in classroom role-playing, it already puts them in a position to make a decision related to the topic given. They have to learn different skills to relate to the role play position.
An example is when a teacher puts the student in the position of a government figure, allowing the student to think critically when in a position to make a decision that could affect the people. This will help them come up with a unique problem-solving solution to face and deal with the challenging situation.
- Physical education
After a long lecture class, physical exercise will be the best remedy for relaxing both your body and mind. Exercising regularly leads to a healthier lifestyle, meaning a student can sleep better at night and wake up feeling ready for the day. Games are not just for having fun; they also involve interactivity and the opportunity to explore, allowing one to experience a new kind of learning.
Research indicates that combining games and education leads to improved cognition in students. Combining learning and sports causes students to have a better mood, a high level of concentration, good sleeping habits, and better scholarly results.
- Application of Gamification
According to a literature review published in 2014, gamification in education has been tested and proved to improve various skills in students. Gamification is using elements of gameplay as teaching tools to increase students’ engagement when learning. This process helps improve kills like engagement, motivation, productivity, participation, and a sense of accomplishment.
Teachers use different educational tools employing gamification to enhance learning. Teachers can make this more interesting by adding narratives and characters to explain a certain topic through the act of storytelling. This learning method creates a holistic experience while keeping the students interested.
- Traveling
Educational traveling assist student in looking at learning from a different viewpoint. Taking your classroom to the outside world creates a good mood which gives the students energy to learn. Educational traveling is very important as it impacts positive earning as well as preventing students from experiencing burnout.
You can visit community homes, organized charity events, animal shelter and much more depending on what you want to learn about. The teacher organizes a trip based on the different specialties like a museum, exhibitions, anima parks and historical places. Choosing to take students on educational learning trips can offer more benefits and knowledge acquired through traveling.
So, Is Edutainment Essential for Students?
Yes, combining education and entertainment is important for all students. The main aim of getting educated is to grow in academic, intellectual, and social aspects of life. Schools should aim at providing a well-rounded student who can get involved in many activities. Students can also learn more about edutainment from essay writing services sites.
For a long time, learning and entertainment didn’t share a common goal. But in fact, these two have so much in common and are all important in students’ life. Education aim at cultivating a mature, responsible, and knowledgeable student wile entertainment aims at adding fun or having a great time. There is no harm in having fun while learning something new. Clearly, learning while having fun can work and make learning even more interesting.
