In contrast to conventional teaching methods, educational games can make learning more dynamic and engaging. This is the main emphasis of research on the integration of educational Gaming into formal education. Math, science, language arts, and coding are just a few of the subjects and abilities that are taught through educational games, which help students understand difficult ideas. Students’ learning outcomes, motivation, and general enjoyment are all enhanced by individualized digital educational games, according to research by Youling Li and colleagues that was published in PLOS One (2024).
According to the study, which polled 434 students from three Thailand colleges, learning motivation is greatly increased by immersive and contextualized learning experiences found in games like SimCity and the Kerbal Space Program. Though adoption of instructional games is sluggish in Nigeria, there have been some noteworthy developments. Virtual reality and gamification of learning have been introduced into the curricula of Private Universities such as the African Leadership University and the online institution Nexford University. Furthermore, the Nigerian EdTech industry is growing because to apps like uLessons, which provide tutorial videos and interactive activities for secondary students.
Restricted tech availability prevents the wide use of instructional games.
Initiatives for improving learning through Technology are also being introduced by the Ministry of Education. Examples of these are the Digital Literacy and Skills Development Programs and the Smart School Initiatives. Furthermore, students can learn about business and professional options in the eSports industry by combining gaming and Education through EStars, an educational eSports platform. Despite these advancements, obstacles including restricted technology availability and reluctance from educators prevent instructional games from being widely used in Nigeria. To overcome these obstacles, significant funding for infrastructure, Teacher preparation, and the thoughtful insertion of these games into the Curriculum are needed.
By increasing the effectiveness and dynamics of learning, educational gaming has the potential to completely transform education in Nigeria. The main reason for the sluggish adoption of instructional games in Nigeria is technological obstacles such restricted computer access, unreliable internet, and low digital literacy. The high expense of Infrastructure and the government’s lack of Investment in educational technologies make these challenges worse. For instance, it is difficult to adopt Digital Learning solutions in Nigerian schools because only 40% of them have internet connectivity.
Experts in education support incorporating games into the curriculum.
Furthermore, some educators face cultural resistance because they favour conventional teaching techniques and doubt the value of games in the classroom. Large-scale infrastructural investments are required to address these issues, as are thorough teacher training initiatives that familiarize educators with the advantages and applications of instructional games. Partnerships between the public and commercial sectors can be quite important in this. Experts in education support incorporating games into the curriculum, highlighting the transformative power of these tools when applied skillfully.
Famous game-based learning researcher Dr. James Paul Gee contends that “games engage learners in ways that textbooks and traditional lectures cannot, by providing immersive and interactive experiences that foster deep understanding.” Learning sciences professor Dr. Yasmin Kafai notes in a similar vein that “educational games offer a unique opportunity to connect theory with practice, allowing students to experiment and learn through trial and error in a risk-free environment.” In contrast, the United Kingdom and Nigeria both have issues related to unequal access to technology and diverse student levels of digital literacy. Nevertheless, both nations are investigating the incorporation of instructional games.
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Nonetheless, by encouraging the use of technology in classrooms and giving educators the resources and training they need, the UK government’s commitment to digital education—including programs like the EdTech Strategy—aims to address these problems. The incorporation of instructional games into the curriculum may have significant long-term impacts. Educational games help students get ready for the needs of the workforce of the twenty-first century by encouraging critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. This change may eventually result in a more dynamic and flexible Educational System where students actively participate in their education as opposed to only receiving it as a teacher teaches them.