How the platform works – Gamification / Simulation / Edutainment
Gamification, Simulation and Edutainment – what is it?
Whilst reading the above words, you probably wonder what it is all about and what some of them establish. They are an integral part of our courses, but what does it really mean? The following description should make everything clear.
At first glance, it may seem that the words gamification and simulation are synonyms and there is no great difference between them. However, each of these concepts defines slightly different activities.
The definition of the word simulation is “the approximate recreation of phenomena or behaviours of a given object with the use of its model”. In this case, it is a computer simulation game aimed at familiarizing the client with the basics of business. The creators make every effort to ensure it resembles and reproduces reality in a way that is not delusional. Simulations are used in various types of training, and in the process of their creation are often helped by experienced specialists in a given field.
Gamification is an application containing elements of a game but participates in a non-game context. It uses game elements to increase user engagement, improve the organization, ease of use and much, much more. The purpose of gamification is to increase user involvement and modify user behaviour in situations that are not games. It can arouse interest in projects that seem boring or routine. Strategies that are used are, for example, a system of rewards for achieving a set goal or fulfilling a given mission. These can be points, certificates, and others, but also sharing the results with friends, thus showing what you have learned.
Users’ needs and motivations can be met using elements of game mechanics such as rankings and scoreboards, or other goals and different levels of sophistication. The ability to control one’s own progress, challenges that need to be tackled and that require prudent or bold decision making, as well as rewards and points that reward our efforts to complete the game.
Education + entertainment => EDUTAINMENT
Edutainment, in turn, is a medium created to teach through play. Edutainment is a combination of the words education and entertainment. It can relate to different types of fields and is used by a wide range of institutions such as schools, governments, corporations and many, many others. It often uses the media, for example, television, radio or the Internet to reach as many people as possible. The main goal of edutainment is primarily science. Entertainment helps to make this form of learning more attractive for the recipient.
Edutainment has two meanings – which are wide and narrow. In the narrower sense, edutainment will use the mass media as the basic means of communication with the recipient. It is a combination of education and entertainment used in various types of programs, TV shows, quizzes, etc. but also series, computer games or songs. In a broader or wider sense, it is an action taken by individuals or organizations that use a particular form of entertainment for educational purposes.
Whether something is edutainment depends on the initiator of the action – whether the program will only serve an entertaining function or will transfer some knowledge and skills.
How to use the simulation?
It is especially worth noting the unlimited access to our Knowledge base, where you can find videos and articles explaining particular issues. So if you need new information or improvement of those which you already have, you can do it at any time, without any obstacles and in the form that suits you.
If you managed to complete the business simulation with good results, you will get an evaluation of your work. Each category is rated on a scale from 1 to 7. If you have not reached the maximum in one of them, you can read the tips – which provide helpful hints such as what else to work on, what to pay attention to or what to improve.
If you failed to pass the simulation – you go bankrupt – but don’t worry. You can repeat the online business simulation as many times as you wish during the license period. It is also a great way to learn and train, as it allows you to learn from mistakes. If you know what you did wrong, you will try not to make the same mistake the next time (hopefully), and in this way you will develop and train your skills.
After a successful completion of the game, a quiz is unlocked, which checks your knowledge about the module. These are questions about what you have been exposed to throughout the business simulation. The result of this quiz is given as a percentage.
