The Role of Entertainment in Education: Exploring the Benefits of Engaging Learning Experiences

The modern age has brought about numerous changes. Access to the Internet has changed the way people communicate, live, and even think. The modern generation of students is different from the ones that attended school even 15 years ago. Traditional teaching and learning methods are unfortunately outdated. And now, more schools are introducing engaging learning experiences in different ways.

Various studies have shown that teaching requires continuous efforts to make the learning process more seamless and less tiring. And one way to grasp the students’ attention is by introducing entertainment in the learning process. Education through entertainment (or, as some like to call it, Edutainment) has numerous benefits. These benefits can further improve the learning process and better prepare students for their future.

The Power of Engagement Through Entertainment

As mentioned before, entertainment in education, also known as edutainment, is the new method of teaching. By using this method, tutors rely on different entertaining and engaging “tools” during the teaching process. This new way of teaching children doesn’t alienate the curriculum from the children. On the contrary. It helps the children learn while having fun and doing what they enjoy. What is more, this method has also proven to be quite beneficial, even among older students. Especially those who enjoy playing online games.

There are many reasons why this method has proven to be beneficial among this age group. To start with, there has been a huge interest among students in online games. While some enjoy MMORPG and FPS, there are also those who prefer online casino games. Moreover, the number of college students interested in fast-withdrawal casino sites is at an all-time high. Meaning that the new generation of students doesn’t have the patience to deal with slow-working gambling sites.

In other words, the new generation of students can only stay committed to fast-evolving and engaging sites and types of entertainment. And that is something that the traditional teaching method doesn’t offer.

So, instead of teaching by writing down on a board, teachers need to think of ways to incorporate modern technology and popular games into their curriculum. Firstly, they can use different online websites. For example, there are many that already offer math games for smaller kids and encourage kids to reach better scores. Another example is the gamification of their class. Teachers who introduce gamification will eventually see better results simply because this process rewards the students more often than the traditional method. Therefore, it encourages the desire to improve for the sake of winning at the end of the semester.

Benefits of Entertainment in Education

Today’s generation of students will probably perceive the traditional methods of learning as forced. This can result in poor grades or even students who aren’t interested in remembering anything from the class. On the other hand, there are many benefits that can come from introducing edutainment into the classroom. To start with, by using entertaining methods, students will be more eager to attend class and hear more about what the teacher has to say.

Also, since there will be less forced learning and more fun moment, the students will unconsciously remember everything that they have learned during the class. This especially applies to younger childer and elementary school pupils. Moreover, the students will have more self-confidence to express their opinion and give their ideas about a certain matter. Additionally, this will further boost their creativity and imagination. And they will ultimately become active participants in the class.

Effective Strategies for Incorporating Entertainment in Education

Teachers who haven’t used this method in the past can choose from a variety of options to incorporate entertainment in their classrooms. To start with, there is the gamification method that is very popular among students. You can start by adding some form of a scoring system that allows students to reach a certain level by gaining more points. For example, you can say that correct answers will get a student 10 points, whereas simple answering, even if the answer is wrong, will grant them 5 points. Also, they can earn points all through the semester with their grades, special projects, etc.

Also, you can use different types of multimedia and interactive content to emphasise your lessons and what you are trying to convey. Always keep in mind that for this generation fo students, visuals are everything.

Furthermore, never underestimate the power of good storytelling. Students will always remember your lesson if you give them an example by telling it through an engaging story. Another possibility is to engage them in practical and fun lessons. So, instead of talking about the rules of essay writing, motivate them to write an email or to have a diary so they can keep track of their progress.

Case Studies: Successful Examples of Entertainment in Education

You won’t need to look long before you find that there are various platforms and programs that use edutainment as the main method. As you can see from the current condition of education, the traditional methods of learning are slowly vanishing. And the new generation of tutors is starting to come forward. Resulting in new and brilliant ways of teaching, many of which are already available online. Some examples of successful entertainment in education are Ted-Ed and LinkedIn Learning. They offer amazing visuals and engaging videos that keep the viewer’s attention until the end.

Challenges and Considerations in Implementing Entertainment in Education

However, even though this new method can seem amazing at first, it does come with certain downsides. To start with, it can be extremely hard to make a shift from traditional teaching to edutainment, especially for tutors who have been using one method for their entire careers.

In addition, this method can come with certain costs. If teachers want to make a video presentation, they will need to have appropriate computer equipment at home or school.

Also, even though this method revolves around fun, it’s important not to get carried away. The main focus of the curriculum should be the educational goal. Whereas the entertainment part should only serve as a tool to achieve this goal. And this is something that can take a lot of effort to achieve.

Conclusion

Overall, introducing entertainment in education can seem like a daunting task. But it will most definitely be worth it in the end. The teachers are most likely to see an improvement when it comes to the level of interest and engagement in class. What is more, the students will also benefit from this experience. The chances are that they will better understand what the teacher is trying to convey with this method. And they are more likely to remember the lesson.

Finally, it’s safe to say that edutainment is already here, and it’s here to stay. The future of teaching is changing forever. And judging from what is known about this method, the job of being a teacher has never seemed more fun.