In September 1994, I was an extremely shy and nervous 7-year old, muddling my way through my first days at a new school. My first clear positive memory of school was an informal, chaotic game of football which took place at break time towards the end of September. I found myself charging around, immersed in the action, with dozens of other boys, all from different year groups. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing at first, but quickly got the hang of it. That football game made me feel like I was part of something. I was learning through play, I was forming relationships and I was creating meaningful shared experiences with others. The game itself broke down hierarchies and naturally created bonds. Individually, I rapidly improved in my shooting, tackling and passing by observing others then by trying myself within the dynamic, competitive context. But what can this schoolboy game of football teach us about learning in the workplace? Game-based learning has become increasingly prevalent in academic and corporate environments over the past 10 years. This growth has primarily been driven by research, which consistently shows game-based learning to be highly effective for learner engagement and impact. Game-based learning, or as we call it, ‘serious games’ can help employees to learn over the course of a few hours, what might take months or even years within their day job. Our white paper, Serious Games: For businesses that want to win, explores in more detail the impact that serious games can have. It also shares the experiences of some of our clients, including PepsiCo, JCB and Attain Learning.
Unlock the power of serious games for your organisation’s growth! Speak to our team to find out how.