The pandemic has left a profound impact on education and learning. The restrictions imposed by this health crisis spilled over to the domain of education as well and alongside them, the conventional in-person learning suddenly disappeared.
However, like countless other aspects of our personal and professional lives, learning also evolved into an online or e-learning experience. The results of this experiment at such a vast scale remained mixed though.
So far as the professionals were concerned, they converted the pandemic related restrictions into an opportunity to learn new concepts and acquire new skills remotely. However, things did not fare as well when we talk of the younger students.
For them, a permanent online or distance learning experience was not something that they felt comfortable with. This introduced a host of other issues such as lack of attention span, loss of focus and the non-existence of the right motivation.
However, all this has changed with the introduction of gaming concepts in distance or e-learning. The core concept of gaming that found their way into remote learning were making achievements more visible, introducing a healthy competition and rewards.
The e-learning providers which incorporated the above concepts of gaming into distance learning have experienced great results in the initial stages. To keep e-learners motivated, you have to make incremental achievements sound more like key milestones.
Further, there has to be a certain degree of competition among the students to keep them engaged and motivated. Lastly, a properly planned and well executed rewards system also needs to be put in place that encourages e-learners if they are doing well.
It is estimated that by the year 2025, the total size of online education technologies will reach a whopping US $404 BN. Currently, this sector is valued at around US $227 BN. The e-learning technologies sector is thus experiencing notable growth.
However, experts have also warned about the potential side effects of introducing gaming concepts into e-learning. This school of thought points out the negative psychological impact of such distance learning that can’t cope with this new concept.
The introduction or “Gamifying” of distance learning is a step in the right direction, provided its negative impact can be avoided. The Cloud will keep playing the role of a crucial enabler for this evolution of e-learning.
