E-Learning Games: Fun or Functional?

One of the latest technology advances that has surfaced recently is the use of E-Learning Games. These have been put in place for the purpose of training and many companies are taking the option seriously. It seems that the times of text books and chalk boards are well and truly in the past.

I can see how these are a popular choice. People enjoy playing games and, therefore, would most likely be happy to uptake this type of training. It could also be deemed more effective because it will lessen boredom and, in turn, improve concentration. Broadening people’s minds is another positive for this kind of training as they have to think around the subject more in some cases.

An example of a game that is actually quite educational, despite not being made for that purpose is ‘SIMS’. This game asks the player to create a world and they have to think about all consequences of their actions as well as what to initially put in place. This could be the type of thinking required in work training games so as not to restrict tests to a multiple choice question. This would benefit a company no end as the employee would most likely apply their new broader thinking to other areas of their work.

Whilst researching these games on the internet I came across the site http://www.safework.sa.gov.au/, which has several free examples of ‘virtual learning’. I tried the ‘Virtual Supermarket’. This is basically a form of multiple questions but you have to spot the hazard first. This is a good idea as it doesn’t simply give you a scenario to fix. The person playing the game has to actually look at the situation and think about what could be a health and safety risk before rectifying it.

Although I can see the benefits of these games I can’t help but think they are possibly detrimental to the ability of study. For instance, is this not just ‘dumbing down’ to ensure that everyone is able to pass training and feel more qualified? Following that, I wonder if it would affect the ability to study in the future. It takes a certain skill and practise to learn how to sit an exam or test and surely this would affect the ability to do this further down the line.

It is obvious that these are going to be popular, and I personally think they are a good idea for basic training; a good way to introduce a new employee to a company or even old employees to new ideas. A fun and innovative way to get training on the move, but not something that I would rely on to ensure my employees knew the ‘ins and outs’ of the job.