Play Games & Learn
Technology and automation is rapidly disrupting the work-environment. Physical elements and processes are progressively getting replicated in the Digital form and Technology is reciprocally evolving through deep learning and artificial Intelligence, needing lesser and lesser human intervention.
Implication of above-said irreversible phenomenon is that relevancy of many skills is eroding sooner than ever before, for example IBM’s Watson is helping identify key information in a patient’s electronic medical record, analyse relevant evidence and suggest treatment options, on one hand it is complimenting cancer detection and its treatment but on the other hand it is making some skills of physicians irrelevant, take another example of AI powered Chatbots and virtual assistants that are transforming the customer experience on one hand but eliminating contact center jobs, on the other.
There are huge number of articles and research that endorse impact of this disruptive change on growth in skill-gap, for example “The Future of Jobs Report 2018” by World Economic Forum , or the “Research: Automation Affects High-Skill Workers More Often, but Low-Skill Workers More Deeply” by HBR . The “human” skills like originality, initiative, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking are therefore becoming more relevant than ever before, as these skills cannot be digitized.
Observing a lack of effectiveness in the conventional process of teaching or acquiring skills, specifically through reading and listening to lectures. It is essential that Learner is motivated for an active participation in the learning process and stays engaged, both physically through activity and mentally through reflecting and converting experiences to learning. I would add, reading books, attending lectures are grossly incomplete and inadequate for teaching or acquiring skills like Creativity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking.
A learner is more likely to stay engaged actively, when the process is interesting, rewarding and challenging. And it is voluntary, self-directed and evokes emotions. Playing a game is interesting, rewarding, challenging, and evoke emotions. A Game based approach therefore, more than compliments learning process, facilitating skill acquisition effortlessly and early.
Through blogs and social platforms, I have been propagating message about the need for integrating Game based approach premised on Experiential Learning, It’s applicability to variety of situations, from Academia to Industry to Individual, for dealing with skill gap and for staying relevant and competitive in today’s environment, best described by the term VUCA. Pl. refer details in my blog “Relevance of Game based Approach to learning in VUCA world”.
In reflection, after initially experiencing the phenomenon of learning and skill acquisition by playing a game and later experimenting on designing games for facilitating learning of a specific subject, I discover that my interest in creating awareness, designing a game and teaching designing games, has become a game for me, it is like playing a Game of Games. It is indeed interesting, rewarding as well as challenging and it has kept me continuously engaged on a learning cycle. Refer below the Learning Cycle by Dr. David Kolb
Let me share few examples, on one occasion, I was invited to facilitate participants to learn Collaboration and Communication and it’s relevance in today’s world. I designed a game to help facilitate participants to reflect on those two aspects while enjoying the game. Here’s a link to an abridged version of recording published on Youtube.
On another occasion, I was requested to facilitate a group of teachers to learn how to teach “Creativity”. I designed a game of “Write & tell a Story”. Each team of participants were given, identical 10 pieces of pictures and each team was tasked to write a story that connects each of the 10 pictures within a limited time. The story had to be humorous and each team had choice for delivering their story, i.e. the delivery for story can be by Acting-it-out or use of Posters & Paintings. Best Story was identified on the basis of Originality, Creativity and Popularity among same set of participants. At the conclusion, analysis of “differences” between the best team and the last team helped crystallize elements that foster creativity.
As technology rapidly evolves and continues to disrupt work-environment, acquiring new skills and lifelong learning is absolute necessity. Game based approach premised on Experiential Learning, emerge as one of the best solution for acquiring skills and sharpening them to stay relevant and competitive in today’s environment.
Are you ready to play the game ?
